Technical Project Specialist

Description

ICF seeks a Technical Project Specialist (Technical Writer) to support our important work in Child Care and Development Technical Assistance (CDTA) Projects. The Technical Project Specialist will work with project teams supporting ICF’s work in the field of early childhood education in the federal, state, and private sectors. This role supports CDTA projects by developing, editing, and reviewing clear, audience‑focused written products that translate complex early childhood and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) topics into practical, accessible resources. The Technical Writer collaborates with subject matter experts and project teams to ensure content quality, consistency, plain language, and adherence to established editorial and quality assurance standards.

Bilingual technical writers may be asked to provide translation of project resources.

Ideal Candidate Description

The ideal candidate will have experience in the field of child development or early childhood education and care, and experience developing engaging content and resources that clarify and convey complex topics and facilitate application of the information shared. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience working in a government context, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams or multiple projects to develop resources to meet the informational needs of specific audiences.

The ideal candidate will excel at writing and editing, as well as reviewing written materials to ensure consistent voice, format, and adherence to various protocols. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, organized, adaptable, and capable of managing multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Job Responsibilities – Project Support and Collaboration

• Support client priorities and project objectives by completing required and ad hoc reports as well as other relevant information gathering tasks to demonstrate project progress and accomplishments, inform client services, and identify emerging client needs.
• Actively participate and engage in team meetings, internal workgroups, and other collaborative projects as requested. Take and record notes during meetings, including staff meetings and federal workgroup meetings.
• Support Section 508 remediation process and ensure appropriate posting of written products and other deliverables to the website using established protocols.
• Participate in and/or lead various workgroups as requested by the client or project leadership, and as relevant to the project’s work.
• Support digital file management, organization, archiving, and file migration.
• Support efforts to ensure appropriate review, approval, posting, and dissemination of resources and announcements.
• Stay up to date on the latest research, tools, technology, and resources that could be leveraged to support project and client priorities.
• Work collaboratively with editorial team members to establish and maintain consistent, reliable editorial standards that reflect the client's needs, objectives, and preferences.
• Assist with updating editorial style guidance and other editorial guidance documents, including guidance related to citations, references, and other client-specific terminology.
• Support efforts to ensure appropriate review, approval, and finalization of resources.
• Assist in the delivery of training for project staff, partners, and client staff on effective, plain language writing techniques that are tailored to meet the specific informational needs of target audiences.

Job Responsibilities – Product Development and TA Delivery

• Complete research and information gathering tasks to support timely, accurate responses to client and state and territory inquiries.
• Apply client-approved templates, styles, branding, and other requirements to ensure high quality digital and written products.
• Support data collection, reporting, and data quality assurance tasks and project evaluation efforts.
• Prepare ad hoc reports from project databases to assist the project leadership, inform technical assistance efforts. and respond to client requests and questions.
• Use approved AI, Smart Sheet, and Mural as tools, when appropriate, to facilitate and track task completion.
• Develop written products and deliverables, including working with subject matter experts and other team members to clarify product audience, purpose, and scope, ensure content clarity and readability, and identify the need for additional subject matter expertise, when needed.
• Develop or collaborate with team members to develop visual graphics and enhanced product formatting to increase readability and clarity.
• Ensure integrity in written products by confirming that all citations are correct and copyright and permissions protocols have been followed.
• Provide editorial expertise (such as copy editing, substantive editing, and proofreading) for the full range of project resources and deliverables, including reports, training materials, briefs, resource guides, tools, website content, announcements, etc.
• Apply plain language principles to support specific audience comprehension when reviewing or developing content to ensure clarity and readability.
• Stay informed about early education and child care content, client priorities and preferences, and political nuances that may affect product development.
• Ensure quality control for written deliverables and products by consistently implementing established quality assurance protocols and procedures.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in child development, early childhood education, public policy, administration, human development, psychology, or related field directly relevant to early childhood systems

Experience working in early care and education programs or systems, public policy implementation, administration, or grants management for programs that support children and families.

5+ years of experience as a technical writer and editor, developing resources for public dissemination in various formats.

3+ years of experience:

• developing and tracking project plans, milestones, and timelines for project deliverables.
• translating complex technical language into content that is easy to read, understand and apply and meets the informational needs of specific audiences.

2+ years of experience:

• supporting development of products and resources related to early care and education, and applying high-quality writing, editing, and proofreading skills to the development of products.
• developing web content and applying web and digital resource formatting best practices.

Proficient in MS Office Applications (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, Teams).

Experience with using e-learning, webinar, or virtual meeting platforms, basic design tools (such as Canva) and digital work management tools (such as Smartsheet and Mural).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in child development, early childhood education, public policy, management, or related field.
• Experience with leading collaborative workgroups to consolidate feedback, develop recommendations, or develop resources.
• Experience in writing plain language, audience-driven content.
• Experience developing user-friendly web content.
• Experience supplementing written content with visual graphics to strengthen user understanding,
• Experience working collaboratively with subject matter experts to extract relevant information to develop curated products for specific audiences.
• Experience developing and implementing digital content strategy, including audience engagement and communication best practices.
• Experience developing products and public-facing resources for government or quasi-government agencies.
• Knowledge of citation (such as APA or MLA) and copyright best practices.

Professional Skills

• Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to translate complex topics into simple content that is easy to read, understand, and apply.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities simultaneously in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, while being able to meet urgent deadlines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to support positive client relations, team building, and business development opportunities.
• Ability to work independently and as a dedicated team player.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a multidisciplinary team who may have varying work styles, learning styles, and perspectives.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to adapt, learn, and use new technology tools and platforms and identify ways to enhance and improve efficiency and productivity.
• Ability to handle sensitive or confidential information, and exercise good judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.

Bot and Third-Party Applications

Please note that this application must be submitted directly by the applicant for consideration. Failure to do so may result in the application being excluded for consideration. Applicants needing an accommodation for disability or religious purposes in connection with the application process should contact Candidateaccommodation@icf.com for assistance.

Working at ICF

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO policy.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Work Authorization and Sponsorship All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for new H-1B visa sponsorship by ICF. Candidates who currently hold valid work authorization may be considered for a change of employer petition, subject to company policy and applicable immigration requirements.

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please email Candidateaccommodation@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. 

Read more about workplace discrimination rights or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act.

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is: