Analyst-Certification

This department reviews certification status and/or eligibility and also completes ongoing certification-related activities for staff members in certificated positions. The Analyst - Certification is a subject matter expert for all elements of educator certification. The Analyst - Certification functions as a senior professional in certification with responsibility for evaluating applicant credentials, determining eligibility for certification, and granting certification as prescribed by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) criteria and guidelines. This goal of this role is to provide seamless direction, guidance, and support to high-quality current and prospective educators in City Schools so that they can earn and maintain certification.

Essential Functions

• With the Director, Manager and other Analyst(s) or other certification-focused staff in the department, develops and leads an innovative approach to supporting educators in meeting Maryland State Department of Education certification requirements in pursuit of a high-performing, diverse workforce focused on excellence and equity.
• Processes certification applications, renewals, and reinstatements for employees, including all available Maryland State Department of Education certificate types, content areas, grade levels, and endorsements, both utilizing internal systems and MSDE systems for submission, review, and approval.
• Effectively manages own workload to ensure timely responses to all certification submissions and other certification service requests, along with tracking of service requests and service request responses.
• Collaborates with the Manager, other Analyst(s), and other colleagues within the Human Capital Office to provide clear, consistent, comprehensive guidance to staff in the Employee Engagement department who provide direct service to employees regarding certification policies, procedures, and action steps.
• Implements the district's certification activities in accordance with laws, regulations, policies, and guidance, while critically considering the impact of existing laws, regulations, policies, and guidance on the district's ability to provide excellent instruction to students.
• Assists in the creation, implementation, and monitoring of an annual calendar of the department's certification activities and deadlines, reflecting annual employment cycles, Maryland State Department of Education certification timelines, reporting requirements, and other considerations.
• Collaborates with the Human Capital Knowledge Management and Strategy department and colleagues in the Information Technology Office to manage and maintain certification data and systems to ensure that they are efficient and user-friendly both for employees and for Human Capital Office staff.
• Leverages technology to enhance the employee experience during certification activities.
• Develops systems and processes for district leadership to have regular access to and analysis of critical data and information with regards to certification status of employees and certification activities.
• Assists the Director - Recruitment & Selection and Executive Director - Recruitment & Staffing Services in monitoring school and District Office employees' satisfaction with the department's certification activities and developing improvement plans to increase satisfaction.
• Strategically advises the Manager - Certification on trends from across employee categories, schools, and District Office departments in certification needs and priorities.
• Quickly builds trust, credibility, and goodwill with a wide range of diverse employees.
• Represents the district, the Human Capital Office, and the Recruitment & Selection department to prospective and current employees, serving as a key ambassador for the Human Capital Office and conveying the team's strategies, priorities, and core values at all times.
• Keeps abreast of changes in City Schools' policies, procedures, negotiated agreements, school/student achievement and business function data, performance data and core human capital areas as they relate to delivering quality human capital services to all customers and increasing workforce effectiveness.
• Prepares and distributes communications concerning policies and procedures to ensure staff is well informed and knowledgeable about certification matters.
• Recommends new approaches, policies, and procedures to effect continual improvements in efficiency of department and services performed.
• Performs and promotes all activities in compliance with equal employment and nondiscrimination policies; follows federal laws, state laws, school board policies and the professional standards.

• Candidates with a Bachelor's degree in a field not closely related to one of the four named fields may substitute one additional year of experience (outlined below).

• Required: At least two years of experience in educator certification or other professional experience that involved the interpretation and application of technical regulations to individual situations.
• Required: Currently hold Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) certification as a Certification Authorized Partner (CAP).
  
  • Candidates without current CAP certification from MSDE may be considered for a temporary, 6-month appointment if they commit to earn this certification within 6 months of hire and MSDE confirms that they will complete training within this same 6-month period.

• Thorough knowledge of certification laws and regulations.
• Ability to prepare and maintain complex manual and automated records.
• Enthusiasm for regular customer service interaction with a large number of diverse employees.
• Advanced skills in the Microsoft environment and applications including Teams, Word, and Excel.
• Experience in using Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) such as Taleo, Oracle, or PeopleSoft.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal service to include customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Familiarity with local, state, and federal laws, policies, regulations, and guidelines related to employment, human capital/human resources, and talent management.
• Ability to objectively analyze data and make recommendations on a variety of administrative issues.
• Ability to remain flexible in a creative and challenging work environment.
• Excellent oral, written and presentation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills with demonstrated ability to identify, prioritize, organize tasks in order to efficiently and effectively accomplish assigned and self-generated tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with teams and independently.