New job School Safety Specialist in Michigan

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Please indiciate in the cover letter which region you are applying to.

Job Summary

The National Center for School Safety (NCSS) at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health seeks a School Safety Specialist to work one-on-one to provide technical assistance (TA) and conduct outreach activities with organizations implementing school safety strategies in K-12 schools. Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the NCSS brings together a multi-disciplinary team of academics and practitioners to develop comprehensive and accessible training and technical assistance for the Student, Teachers, and Officers Prevention (STOP) School Violence Grant Program and the K-12 school safety community nationwide.

The School Safety Specialist will work closely with other regional TA Specialists and the TA lead to build relationships with STOP grantees, provide tailored and proactive technical assistance (TA), and develop related TA resources. The TA team also collaborates closely with the NCSS Training, Communications and Evaluation teams to provide a comprehensive training and TA program designed for STOP grantees (e.g. school districts, county governments, state governments, sheriff’s departments, etc.).

These are remote positions, and there are six positions available. Geographic regions: East (CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, PR, RI, VA, VT, and WV), Midwest (AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, TN, and WI), South (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX), West (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OK, OR, UT, WA, and WY). Preference will be given to candidates that live in the region in which they are applying. This position is term limited for two years with the possibility of renewal.

About HBHE: The position will be based in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education (HBHE) at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Driven by a shared passion for affecting lasting change, the faculty, students and staff of HBHE work in the pursuit of an equitable, healthy future for all. Turning theory and research into actionable practice, we develop interventions and innovations that promote health, prevent disease, empower people to manage chronic illness and disabilities, and facilitate collective action for social change. Together, our academic community transforms the theoretical into actionable, the science into the social, applying our knowledge to eliminate health disparities and impact lives for the better.

What You'll Do

• Technical Assistance and Outreach – Work collaboratively with the NCSS staff team and various external partners to:
  • Conduct outreach to and build relationships with STOP grantees, including various organization types from around the country.
  • Assess assets, barriers, and needs contributing to a STOP grantee’s ability to implement school safety projects successfully and translate that information into technical assistance plans and goals.
  • Provide assistance through a virtual help desk, newsletters, emails, phone calls, one-on-one video calls, small group calls, in-person learning exchanges, and large group meeting facilitation. This may include travel.
  • Plan and lead facilitation for in-person site visits with STOP grantees in the Southern United States. This will include regional and national travel (in compliance with any U-M COVID-19 travel guidelines).
  • Coordinate a unified technical assistance response with training and topic experts.
  • Act as a subject matter expert providing practice-based knowledge of school safety topic(s) to grantees.
• Technical Assistance Resource Development – Collaborate with the NCSS team and subject matter experts to inform development of tailored training resources (e.g. frequently asked questions sheets, worksheets, self-paced courses, learning communities, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, etc.) for use in technical assistance provision. Take a lead role in the development of quarterly grantee meeting agendas and small group technical assistance sessions.
• Evaluation – Track and document technical assistance activities. Support the NCSS team in data collection, interpretation, and revision of technical assistance development processes for rapid quality improvement. Includes assisting with implementation evaluation, case study development, and annual grantee needs assessment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills You Have

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience,1-3 years experience in education, criminal justice, or a school safety-related field (e.g. threat assessment, crisis prevention, school climate, school-based law enforcement, youth mental health, youth violence prevention, etc.).
• Demonstrates an understanding of technical assistance (one-on-one support) processes including using assessment tools, goal setting, and providing follow-up support.
• Proficient in outreach and partnership building. Strong customer service skills with diverse (i.e. profession, race, ethnicity, age, etc.) audiences.
• Effective communication with varied audiences by email, phone, and face-to-face.
• Working knowledge of at least one school safety topic (e.g. comprehensive school safety plans, building security, coordination with first responders, mental health, notification technology, school climate, positive youth development, school drills, school-based law enforcement, social media monitoring, or threat assessment).
• Ability to travel frequently within the United States.
• Experience using data and synthesizing large amounts of information to make recommendations.
• Strong organizational, problem solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to prioritize and complete assignments independently with excellent attention to detail and under general supervision. Also able to work collaboratively as part of a team.
• This is a remote position. Preferred applicants will live within the region that they desire to support. Indicate preference in cover letter as specified above.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

COVID-19 vaccinations are now required for all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff across all three campuses, including Michigan Medicine, by the start of the fall term on August 30, 2021. This includes those working or learning remotely. More information on this policy is available on the Campus Blueprint website or the U-M Dearborn and U-M Flint websites.