Explore a World of Opportunity with the State of Georgia!

We are the force that drives Georgia!
Georgia State Government is a large enterprise, composed of various agencies and entities with a common goal to improve the lives of Georgia's more than 10 million citizens!
Join Team Georgia and impact lives everyday while receiving a robust benefits package designed for every stage of your career! 

Job Title:  

SEEDS Specialist I

Agency:

Department of Early Care and Learning

Job Requisition ID:

JR0000004727

Shift:

Day (United States of America)

Compensation Details:

$44,998.81 - $59,143.37

Job Description:

Closing Date: September 15, 2026

Salary Range: $44,998.81 - $59,143.37 - Salary is commensurate with education and experience

Job Code: EDP031

Pay Grade: K

Positions: (1)

Location: This position is remote. The successful candidate will travel to early childhood settings within the DECAL SW region, (to include the following counties: Henry, Spalding, Tift, Dougherty, Lee, Muscogee, Pike, Lamar, Upson, Talbot, Chattahoochee, Marion, Taylor, Crawford, Bibb, Peach, Houston, Macon, Schley, Marion, Stewart, Webster, Sumter, Dooly, Pulaski, Wilcox, Crisp, Terrell, Randolph, Quitman, Clay, Calhoun, Worth, Irwin, Ben Hill, Telfair, Berrien, Cook, Colquitt, Mitchell, Baker, Early, Miller, Seminole, Decatur, Grady, Thomas, and Brooks) but will maintain a home-based office.

The successful candidate will reside in or adjacent to assigned region.

Job Description: Under limited supervision, the SEEDS Program Specialist I provides high quality, community-based training and coaching, focused on promoting social emotional learning, preventing and responding to challenging behaviors, and ensuring learning of children with disabilities to early learning professionals in childcare centers, family childcare learning homes, and other early childhood settings.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide onsite or virtual training and coaching to early learning professionals to support them in creating positive, prosocial environments, as well as identifying strategies to prevent and respond to challenging behavior.  
• Support early learning professionals in identifying strategies and resources to create high quality adaptive learning environments for children of all abilities.
• Support early learning professionals in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of behavior support plans for children demonstrating persistent challenging behavior.
• Provide assistance to early childhood professionals and families in making referrals for services such as early intervention, preschool special education, clinical mental health support and other resources as appropriate.
• Achieve and maintain 80% reliability in the administration and scoring of observation instruments, including but not limited to: the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) and The Pyramid Infant Toddler Observation Scale (TPITOS). Administer observation instruments as a part of a comprehensive coaching plan.
• Design and deliver high quality professional learning opportunities on topics such as social-emotional development, positive environments, challenging behavior, strategies to include children with disabilities and other related topics.
• Work with other DECAL program specialists and TA providers to increase effectiveness and decrease duplication.
• Support other DECAL initiatives as appropriate.

Entry Minimum Qualification:

High School diploma/GED and four (4) years of program management experience; or Associate

degree in education or business or a related field from an accredited college or university; or two

(2) years of experience required at the lower level Education Prgm Spec 1 (EDP030) or position

equivalent.

Agency Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to applicants who, in addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, possess the following:

• Valid Georgia driver’s license, insurance coverage and be able to drive for extensive periods as needed.
• Bachelor's degree in education or a related field from an accredited college or university and four years of related experience
• Master’s degree in early childhood education, child development, early childhood special education, special education, family studies, or a related field from an accredited college or university AND five years of related experience as an early childhood classroom teacher or in a position within the child development field.
• Extensive experience designing and delivering training to adult audiences.
• Extensive experience providing technical assistance and coaching to early childhood providers using data in implementation and evaluation of those supports.
• Bilingualism is a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication.
• The ability to speak clearly is required. 
• Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification.
• Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
• The selectee must have a valid Georgia driver’s license, insurance coverage and have the ability to drive for extensive periods as needed.

Technical Competencies required to perform the job:

• Experience working with diverse communities and sensitivity to needs and concerns of various cultural groups.
• Ability to develop professional relationships with early care and education stake holders through active listening, problem solving and interpersonal skills.
• A comprehensive understanding of child development and early care and education.
• Working knowledge of state licensing regulations, Quality Rated criteria, and early learning standards.
• The ability to learn information about the early care and education system, child development, and adult learning principles in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage own time, set priorities, work without direct supervision, and contribute to team atmosphere.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft WORD, EXCEL, and POWERPOINT.

Bright from the Start:  Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is a family-friendly employer, offering flexible work schedules (at supervisory discretion) and a comprehensive compensation package, to include healthcare, retirement, 401-k match, and elective options for dental, vision, AD&D, short and long-term disability, and life insurance.  Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer and drug-free workplace.  A background check will be completed upon hire, which may consist of any or all of the following: criminal and employment histories, credit history (as applicable to the position), education credentials, and motor vehicle driving records.

If you are an individual with a disability who may require assistance or other reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the selection process for this position, you may contact our HR department at 404-879-2993.  Due to the volume of submissions received by this office, information concerning application or interview status cannot be provided in writing, over the phone, or in person. All applicants who submit a complete application package will be considered but may not necessarily receive notification or an interview.  The job posting may be subject to being closed at any time without notice.  Only those qualified candidates who are selected for an interview shall receive notification upon the filling of this vacancy.

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer.

Minimum Qualifications:

High school diploma/GED and four (4) years of program management experience; or two (2) years of experience required at the lower level Education Prgm Spec 1 (EDP030) or position equivalent.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

The State of Georgia does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other protected categories in employment or the provision of services.
Qualified applicants may request reasonable accommodation when needed during the application and/or screening process by contacting the appropriate agency Human Resources department.