Careers

Trying Together’s mission is to support high-quality care and education for young children.

Trying Together is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that supports the work of early childhood by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the adults who interact with them. A fast-paced organization, Trying Together looks for dedicated and passionate staff who bring positivity to their work and a solution-oriented sensibility.

Trying Together encourages its team, partners, and communities to interact compassionately and honor the range of cultures, ideas, and identities that root each person. Young children develop and learn by example; this means that children whose early learning environments reflect just actions, equitable opportunities, diverse representation, and inclusive approaches experience healthier interactions and build relationships that enable them to thrive.

Trying Together provides a competitive compensation and benefits package.  Trying Together is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate and encourages qualified candidates of any gender, race, class, sexual orientation, faith, disability, or age to apply. All candidates will be evaluated on a merit basis.

Current Openings

 

ELRC Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist
Full-Time | Salary: $44,000 – $47,740

The Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist (ELPES) serves as a representative between Child Care Works (CCW) and child care providers both regulated and relative. The Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist will support providers with: Provider Self Service; recruitment, enrollment, and determination eligibility in Child Care Works: enrollment in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP;) and provide additional assistance as needed. The Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist will provide outreach to relative providers to identify needs and connect them to resources and supports. This position reports to the ELRC Director of Early Learning Program Engagement.

Responsibilities:

  • Commitment to racial equity and inclusion and a willingness to do the ongoing personal work to bring about a more just society by actively participating in professional growth opportunities.
  • Actively work with peers to create a culture of belonging at Trying Together.
  • Willingness to disrupt practices that do not honor children’s, families’, educators’ and colleagues’ humanity.
  • Provide comprehensive customer service by completing thorough provider orientations, address all phone calls and provider correspondence within 24 business hours as applicable, and attend to walk-in clients/providers.
  • Establish provider agreements for all certified and relative providers and assist providers with primary subsidy concerns and questions.
  • Teach and support regulated providers to use Provider Self Service to ensure their information is up to date.
  • Advise providers of the PA Department of Human Services and Child Care Works regulations.
  • Provide technical assistance and support for relative providers seeking to become a state certified and enroll in Child Care Works.
  • Refer and engage child care providers to community resources and advocate for the providers in obtaining these services.
  • Identify and assess barriers relative providers face with regards to providing quality child care and identify resources and supports as needed.
  • Support relative providers to meet their professional development requirements.
  • Collaborate with Allegheny County Family Centers to connect relative providers to community resources and supports as needed.
  • Connect providers with a Quality Coach and Fiscal contact.
  • Assist providers in enrolling in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and other provider resources.
  • Operate as a liaison for the provider between all Child Care Works departments and programs.
  • Organize and participate in provider outreach to help promote quality child care and positive child and adult interactions.
  • Address system-generated alerts in a timely manner to maintain integrity within the PELICAN System.
  • Maintain communication with other Child Care Works agencies within Pennsylvania regarding provider information and updates.
  • Regularly participate in outreach and other meetings both locally and statewide.
  • Maintain a high level of confidentiality when working with sensitive and personal client, vendor, employee, and contract information.
  • Participate in initial and ongoing professional development for the purpose of providing effective provider engagement.
  • Work collaboratively across departments within Trying Together to meet the mission and accomplish the work.
  • Participate in initial and ongoing professional development for the purposes of continuous learning and expanding one’s professional knowledge base.
  • Consistently use the NeonCRM platform to build relationships with constituents, record data that measure project performance, and support continuous quality improvement in the organization’s resources and services.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Associates, Business, or Technical Degree in Human Services, Early Childhood Education or related field. Will consider experience in lieu of a degree.
  • Two years of relevant case management experience.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Intermediate to advanced computer skills, internet, and email.
  • Knowledge of local, state, and national systems for early care and education.
  • Must be able to work independently and as a team member.
  • Attention to detail and advanced problem-solving techniques.
  • Ability to multitask.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality.
  • Good judgment and decision-making abilities.
  • Must demonstrate enthusiasm and flexibility.
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Required Clearances:

  • Clean Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance.
  • Clean Act 34 PA State Police Clearance.
  • Clean Act 73 Federal Criminal History Clearance.
  • National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) Verification.

Required Training:

  • Mandated Reporter Training (must be completed in the first month of placement).
  • NeonCRM Training (required and recommended online courses must be completed in the first three months of placement).
  • PQAS Professional Development Instructor Certification (must be obtained within the first year of employment for staff with a Bachelor’s Degree).

Benefits:

  • Competitive compensation and benefits package.
  • Appreciative inquiry and strengths-based review process.

Interested Applicants:

Applicants must apply at tryingtogether.applytojob.com/apply and upload their resume and three work-related references. Phone calls will not be accepted. Posting will remain open until filled.

Position: ELRC Family Child Care Quality Coach
Full-Time | Salary $44,000 – $47,470

Coaching is inherently relationship-based work. The Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 Family Child Care Quality Coach supports program administration and staff in home-based child care programs in Allegheny County to develop new skills and continuously improve their early care and education practices to achieve higher program quality. The ELRC Family Child Care Quality Coach engages program administration and staff in a collaborative process that involves observation, reflective communication, professional growth, role- modeling, and goal setting. Whenever possible, a mutual learning partnership is developed to share responsibility and accountability for project goals. Coaching is customized and every effort is made to establish trust and respect for educators and program leaders while a variety of coaching strategies and practices are employed to achieve goals.

Responsibilities:

  • Commitment to racial equity and inclusion and a willingness to do ongoing personal work to bring about a more just society by actively participating in professional growth opportunities.
  • Actively work with peers to create a culture of belonging at Trying Together.
  • Willingness to disrupt practices that do not honor children’s, families’, educators’ and colleagues’ humanity
  • Strive for excellence in work by consistently incorporating cultural competencies and employing relationship-based coaching and consultation practices.
  • Maintain and manage a caseload of home-based child care providers in Allegheny County.
  • Complete a minimum of twelve monthly on-site face-to-face visits to provide tailored coaching, technical assistance, and resource support to home-based providers.
  • Recognize and build on the existing knowledge and skills of home-based providers through observation, reflective practice, goal setting, and planning.
  • Using a strengths-based approach, support home-based providers in aligning their unique learning environments with Keystone STARS standards, licensing regulations, and best practices in health/safety, child development, and early learning to support their continuous quality improvement goals.
  • Stay informed about workforce, business, and cultural trends in home-based child care, and transform these insights and best practices into practical strategies for the providers.
  • Facilitate face-to-face and virtual professional development sessions, workgroups, and Community of Practice groups for providers.
  • Facilitate connections between home-based child care providers and peer networks, community resources, and professional development opportunities to reduce isolation.
  • Work collaboratively with ELRC and Trying Together colleagues to ensure the needs of home-based programs are being met.
  • Oversee and facilitate ELRC and Trying Together initiatives for home-based providers.
  • Work collaboratively across departments within Trying Together to meet the mission and accomplish the work as identified in the Strategic Roadmap.
  • Complete coaching events and case notes in OCDEL-assigned database systems according to specific timelines for the purpose of required tracking and monitoring.
  • Navigate and work within OCDEL-assigned database systems for STAR movement, renewal, and maintenance support.
  • Navigate and work within Trying Together-assigned systems for professional development facilitation and other work as assigned.
  • Participate in initial and ongoing professional development for the purposes of the coach’s own continuous learning and expanding one’s professional knowledge base.
  • Follow the procedure for reporting suspected child abuse.
  • Other duties as assigned through the ELRC and Trying Together.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education; advanced degree preferred. Related bachelor’s degrees along with ECE experience considered.
  • Two or more years of early childhood classroom experience and two years of experience at an administrative level in an early care and education setting. Experience within a certified home-based child care program preferred.
  • Ability to employ a variety of consultation and coaching strategies that are based on appropriate and culturally competent practices and the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.
  • Capacity to align consultation with professional development content.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Knowledge of Keystone STARS.
  • Experience working with adult learners.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Intermediate to advanced computer, internet, and email skills.
  • Knowledge of local, state, and national systems for early care and education.
  • Willing and able to engage in honest self-reflection about coaching progress and personal contribution to the process.
  • Ability to foster a program’s capacity building and assume a strengths-based approach.
  • Ability to prove reliability and establish credibility as a resource worthy of the program’s respect and trust.
  • Ability to facilitate a program’s own problem-solving process.
  • Ability to maintain project timelines and monitor progress toward goals.
  • Must be able to interact with others in a positive, equitable, inclusive, and professional manner.
  • Acceptance of diversity and ability to work comfortably in a variety of settings.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality.
  • Good judgment and decision-making abilities.
  • Must demonstrate enthusiasm and flexibility.
  • Must be able to work occasional evenings and/or weekends.
  • Must own a reliable vehicle as the nature of this job includes regularly visiting early learning programs in-person across Allegheny County.

Required Clearances:

  • Clean Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance.
  • Clean Act 34 PA State Police Clearance.
  • Clean Act 73 Federal Criminal History Clearance.
  • National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) Verification.
  • Valid driverʼs license and proof of insurance.

Required Training:

  • Mandated Reporter Training (must be completed in the first month of placement).
  • Coach Approach to Adaptive Leadership (As scheduled by OCDEL).
  • New Quality Coach Training (must be completed in the first three months of placement).
  • NeonCRM Training (required and recommended online courses must be completed in the first three months of placement).
  • PQAS Professional Development Instructor Certification (must be obtained within the first year of employment with a Bachelor’s Degree).

Benefits:

  • Competitive compensation and benefits package.
  • Appreciative inquiry and strengths-based review process.

Interested Applicants:

Applicants must apply at tryingtogether.applytojob.com/apply and upload their resume and three work-related references. Phone calls will not be accepted. Posting will remain open until filled.

Interactions Design Strategist
Full- Time |Salary Range: $50,000 – $55,000

Building relationships from a strengths-based approach are fundamental to this position. The Interactions Design Strategist supports program administrators, educators, and home-based child care providers with developing new skills to continuously improve their daily interactions and achieve increased program quality. The Interactions Design Strategist engages program administration and staff that work with children in a collaborative process that involves reflective communication, professional growth, and goal setting to affirm the importance of human interactions in children’s lives. The Interactions Design Strategist’s approach begins by building on what professionals already do well and is based on the understanding that the “active ingredient” in a child’s growth is the developmental relationship between the child and the adults that care for them.  The Interactions Design Strategist oversees the project development of the innovative technology tools, Message from Me and MindfulNest and the work of Everyday Interactions Matter (EIM).

General Responsibilities:

  • Commitment to racial equity and inclusion and a willingness to do the ongoing personal work to bring about a more just society by actively participating in professional growth opportunities.
  • Actively work with peers to create a culture of belonging at Trying Together.
  • Willingness to disrupt practices that do not honor children’s, families’, educators’, and colleagues’ humanity.
  • Have knowledge of local, state, and national systems for early care and education.
  • Is willing and able to engage in honest self-reflection about progress and their contribution to the process.
  • Can foster a program’s capacity building and assume a strengths-based approach.
  • Can establish credibility as a resource worthy of the program’s respect and trust.
  • Can facilitate a program’s own problem-solving process.
  • Has the ability to maintain a project timeline and monitor progress toward goals.
  • Must be able to work independently and as a team member.
  • Must be able to interact with others in a positive and professional manner.
  • Has the ability to work comfortably in a variety of settings.
  • Can maintain confidentiality.
  • Follow the procedure for reporting suspected child abuse.
  • Has good judgment and decision-making abilities.
  • Must demonstrate enthusiasm and flexibility.
  • Work collaboratively across departments within Trying Together to meet the mission and accomplish the work.
  • Participate in initial and ongoing professional development for continuous learning and expanding one’s professional knowledge base.
  • Consistently use the NeonCRM platform to build relationships with constituents, record data that measure project performance, and support continuous quality improvement in the organization’s resources and services.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Everyday Interactions Matters (EIM) Responsibilities:

  • Based on the work of Fred Rogers and the Fred Rogers Institute, facilitate learning communities for program leaders, assistant teachers, co-teachers, and head teachers to help strengthen daily interactions with children and assure quality programming based on developmentally appropriate practice.
  • Visit early learning programs to capture video footage of authentic interactions between early learning professionals and children.
  • Facilitate  professional development series for program leaders and classroom teaching teams.
  • Recognize and build on the existing knowledge and skills of program staff through reflective practice, close observation, and peer discussion.
  • Facilitate supportive discussion between early learning team members with a focus on strengths, connection, and appreciation.
  • Using a strengths and practice-based approach, ensure that the leadership team and staff sustain their learning by way of reflective thinking and goal setting.
  • Provide feedback loops and support for the purpose of increasing program administration and teacher confidence and competence.
  • Develop and support the implementation of an individualized plan that identifies relational strengths, needs, and goals for each program’s staff.
  • Support and coordinate resources for the program leadership team and staff to develop programming that is both equitable and inclusive to provide a better learning environment that aims to prevent suspension or expulsion.
  • Consistently model the Everyday Interactions Matter philosophy in interactions with early learning leadership and educators.
  • Have a working knowledge of the Everyday Interactions Matter approach and philosophy.

Message from Me Responsibilities

  • Leads the expansion of Message from Me into PNC  markets across the United States serving children from birth to age five.
  • Excel at building relationships with early learning programs and convincingly showcase the value of Message from Me.
  • Design and facilitate innovative face-to-face, hybrid, and online professional growth opportunities for educators on the use of Message from Me; including, developmentally appropriate use of digital media and technologies with children birth to age eight, robotics and early learning, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning concepts, and nurturing children’s 21st century skills.
  • Design and manage updates of Message from Me resources in English and Spanish.
  • Working knowledge of digital technologies such as, an iPad, online learning management systems, and web-based conferencing.
  • Complete monthly monitoring reports or coaching logs for assigned visits and submit them according to timelines for the purpose of tracking and monitoring.
  • Attend national, state, and local presentations, conferences, PNC marketing events, and other educational settings as needed.

Qualifications:

  • Master’s Degree in child development, early childhood education, or related field preferred.
  • Two years of early childhood classroom experience and two years at an administrative level in an early care and education setting.
  • Candidates should be highly self-motivated, capable of taking initiative, and comfortable making informed decisions.
  • Experience working with adult learners and knowledge of adult learning principles.
  • Experience with video production and editing is a plus.
  • Proven experience with increasing sales is a plus.
  • Proven experience with data collection and leveraging it to maximize program adoption is a plus.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Intermediate to advanced computer skills, internet, and email skills.
  • Ability to work occasional evenings and/or weekends.
  • Must own a reliable vehicle as the nature of this job includes regularly visiting early learning programs in-person across Allegheny County.
  • Ability to work occasional evenings and/or weekends.

Required Clearances:

  • Clean Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance.
  • Clean Act 34 PA State Police Clearance.
  • Clean Act 73 Federal Criminal History Clearance.
  • National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) Verification..
  • Valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.

Required Training:

  • Mandated Reporter Training (must be completed in the first month of placement).
  • NeonCRM Training (required and recommended online courses must be completed in the first three months of placement).
  • PQAS Professional Development Instructor Certification (must be obtained within the first year of employment for staff with a Bachelor’s Degree).

Benefits:

    • Competitive compensation and benefits package.
    • Appreciative inquiry and strengths-based review process.

Interested Applicants:

Applicants must apply at tryingtogether.applytojob.com/apply and upload their resume and three work-related references. Phone calls will not be accepted. Posting will remain open until filled.