Step Up to Quality, Quality Rating Specialist (Program Specialist III)

You can have a front row seat to early childhood programs across Nebraska through Step Up to Quality! As a Quality Rating Specialist, you’ll oversee quality ratings and verify whether established standards and indicators are being met by early childhood programs. These positions play an important role in recognizing excellence and supporting high-quality experiences for Nebraska’s youngest learners.

The hiring team is looking for someone with strong attention to detail, relationship building skills, and a continuous improvement mindset. If you enjoy collaborating with others and creating or implementing organized systems to keep work running smoothly, we’d love to hear from you!

**The Nebraska Department of Education does not sponsor or transfer non-immigrant work visas for these positions.**  

Office Location: This position is assigned to our office located in La Vista, NE.

Essential Functions

• Reviews rating requests and facilitates on-site rating visits through assigning visits to contracted raters or conducting on-site program rating reviews.

• Recruits and trains contracted program raters for programs participating in the Step Up to Quality rating system.

• Develops and maintains contracts, including managing budgets, reconciling invoices, and annual renewals.

• Develops and facilitates training for contracted raters to ensure a consistent approach for all evaluation processes.

• Establishes and fosters strategic partnerships among early childhood providers, school districts, Head Start programs, and other partners to facilitate the exchange of information and disseminate resources, publications, and other communications.

• Creates, updates, and audits rating reports; analyzes evidence from on-site visits to summarize reports and recommend quality ratings. Provides concise reports to evaluated participants.

• Provides technical assistance and guidance to program participants and coaches related to standards, regulations, policies, and procedures for Step Up to Quality.

• Maintains regular & reliable attendance, possesses a valid driver’s license and travels independently, and works in a variety of settings.

Working Conditions and Travel:

This position requires approximately 65% of work time spent in an office environment; the remaining 35% is spent traveling or working in alternative sites such as schools, educational service units, meetings, and workshops. There is also approximately fifteen days of overnight travel per year.

Requirements / Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a related field and four years of experience related to the essential functions of the position. Any equivalent education and/or work experience may be substituted in order to meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree in child development, early childhood education, or related field and at least three years of experience in early childhood education and care. Previous work with quality rating and improvement systems.

If you have any questions about this posting or working at NDE, please email us at nde.hrjobpostings@nebraska.gov.