PROGRAM SPECIALIST IV-DOE-SES - 48003578

Requisition No: 859946 

Agency: Department of Education

Working Title: PROGRAM SPECIALIST IV-DOE-SES - 48003578

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 48003578 

Salary:  50,584.68 - 57,768.55 

Posting Closing Date: 09/12/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Florida Department of Education

Division of Public Schools

Bureau/Office of Safe Schools

Location: Florida Central Region

Position Title: Program Specialist IV (SES)

Salary Range: $50,584.68 - $57,768.55

CANDIDATES ARE TYPICALLY HIRED AT THE MINIMUM SALARY

This advertisement may be used to fill multiple vacancies up to six months.

APPLICATION INFORMATION & HIRING REQUIREMENTS

Application Information:

• Your Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.
• Work History (in easy to review chronological order) Consists of:

• Any position held by a State of Florida Agency
• Any position held by a Florida University
• All periods of employment from high school graduation
• All periods of current or prior unemployment
• Gaps 3 months or more must be accounted for*
• Any Education
• Any Volunteer Experience
• Your resume and application must match
• *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of entering work history. Your candidate profile will be converted to your official application.
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers for reference checks or the contact information for your Human Resources office to verify current or former employment.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.  

Hiring Information and Requirements:

• The Bureau of Personnel Management reviews every application for prior State of Florida and Florida University work history in the People First system.

• If claiming Veteran’s Preference, the candidate MUST attach supporting documentation such as the DD214 and your VA Letter that reflects level of disability if applicable. Applicable to career service positions only.
• If claiming Right to First Interview, the candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions. Applicable to career service positions only.

If you are missing any of the items above, your packet may be held up at the final review step.

NOTE: Responses to qualifying questions must be clearly supported by the state application and any omission, falsification, or misrepresentation in the answering of the qualifying questions will be cause for immediate elimination from the selection process.

OFFICE CONTACT:

Saige Dickens, 850-245-5161

JOB DESCRIPTION:

This position provides support to Office of Safe Schools in the implementation of the Department’s safe schools mission as established by the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education, and Legislature, through state goals, priority objectives, the Strategic Imperative Plan, and other policy and procedural directives related to K-12 education.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

(Note: The omission of specific job duties does not preclude management from assigning specific duties not listed herein if such duties are a logical assignment to the position.)

• Ensure statutory compliance through announced and unannounced inspections of public school facilities and school districts throughout the region.
• Provide technical assistance in overseeing statewide use of, compliance with and documentation of required information within the Florida Safe School Assessment Tool (FSSAT) for both schools and school districts. Verifying accuracy and reliability of data received from district and/or schools.
• Assist the Office with the updates and implementation of required reporting for safety, security, and discipline incidents.
• Verify that reports displayed or generated are readable, capture required information and are functioning appropriately.
• Conduct reviews of applications and district reports to identify technical and reporting problems.
• Develop, review, and provide technical assistance materials and support regarding functionality, user management, and the data collection process for school district personnel.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to school districts regarding their implementation of the strategies and activities necessary to address findings.
• Ensure that schools have adopted policies for reunification and that those policies are updated and reviewed annually.
• Assist in the development of workshops and training for family reunification. Advise district partners regarding policies and procedures for school officials to prepare for and respond to natural and manmade disasters, including family reunification plans to reunite students and employees with their families after a school is closed or unexpectedly evacuated due to such disaster.
• Utilize Microsoft Office, Smartsheet, and the Florida School Safety Assessment Tool for daily tasks supporting the Office of Safe Schools.
• Provide technical support in the Office’s handling of school district audit findings, which includes timely review of audit findings, timely delegation of audit findings to other offices within the Department, and timely follow-up with districts for resolution.
• Report violations or concerns of improper safety and security to proper authorities for corrective action.
• Perform other related work as required.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

The employee must be productive under tight timeframes, balance multiple and competing priorities and maintain goal-directed behavior and performance sometimes under stressful conditions. The employee must interact courteously with others. The employee's performance and behavior must demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the unit. Attendance at work is an essential job function. The incumbent must be willing and able to travel frequently within the central region counties and occasionally to other regions within the state as needed. Additionally, the incumbent must reside in one of the counties within the central region.

This position will be assigned to the Office of Safe Schools Central Region, which includes Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 2 years of professional experience in a position involving public contact.
• Valid Florida Driver’s License
• High School diploma or equivalent
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to travel frequently within the state of Florida.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities

• Ability to understand, interpret and apply applicable Florida Administrative Codes and Florida Statutes.
• Knowledge of safety and security standards and practices as applied to public schools and school districts.
• Ability to compile, organize, and analyze data.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products to include Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Publisher.
• Ability to work independently and in a group setting.
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE OFFICE OF SAFE SCHOOLS:

Who we are and what we do: The Office of Safe Schools serves as a central repository for best practices, training standards and compliance oversight in all matters regarding school safety and security. Our mission is to support districts in providing a safe learning environment for students and educators.

Primary goals of the office: Prevention, Intervention, and Emergency Preparedness Planning

To read more about our office go to our webpage here. Florida Department of Education

WORKING FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS BENEFITS!

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

LEAVE INFORMATION: SMS/SES

• Annual Leave - Employees in Senior Management Service and Selected Exempt Service positions are credited with 176 hours of annual leave upon appointment. In subsequent years, the annual allotment is credited on the anniversary date of the initial appointment.
• Sick Leave - Employees in Senior Management Service and Selected Exempt Service positions shall be credited with 104 hours of sick leave upon appointment. In subsequent years, the annual allotment is credited on the anniversary date of initial appointment.

BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT

It is the policy of the Florida Department of Education that applicants for employment/volunteer undergo Level 2 background screening in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, Florida Statutes, as a condition of employment or being permitted to serve as a volunteer. You will be required to provide your Social Security Number to conduct required verifications. No applicant for a designated position will be employed, contracted or permitted to volunteer until the level 2 screening results are received, reviewed, and approved by the Department. Level 2 background screening shall include, but not be limited to, finger printing for all purposes and checks under this requirement, statewide criminal and juvenile records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, federal criminal records check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local criminal records checks through local law enforcement.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM (SSS) AND REQUIREMENT

Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion in the Other Personal Services (OPS) or Career Service, or appointment in the Selected Exempt Service (SES) or Senior Management Service (SMS) unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire. 

For more information, please visit the Selective Service website.

If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.