SALARY: $90 - 95K DOE

OVERVIEW:

The Director of Early Childhood Initiatives is a strategic leader who will assist with implementing grant-funded Early Childhood initiatives across United Way’s geographic footprint, focused on Early REACH (funded through Harris County in partnership with BakerRipley) and the H-GAC Home Provider Program. The Director will demonstrate adaptive leadership skills to support each team member’s unique and evolving needs, i.e., understanding and actively directing all aspects of the work and addressing obstacles as needed. The Director will direct the work of the Early REACH and H-GAC Home Provider Program teams, ensuring team members understand and are able to achieve all deliverables for each program and ensure compliance with all policies, procedures, and rules governing each program.

* Position is grant-funded for 12 months and subject to renewal. Details provided during interview.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Direct the strategy and implementation plans within assigned areas to ensure the goals of Early REACH and H-GAC Home Provider Program are achieved. Direct the management of assigned functions and ensure each area of the work is fully communicated and shared across the teams. Foster a strong collaborative spirit and a can-do attitude. Ensures targets are met while providing the support needed to achieve them. Actively guide and, as needed, engage in all relationship-building and collaborative meetings within assigned areas serving as key point of contact for key stakeholders, including Harris County and H-GAC/ Workforce Board staff, for both projects. Key areas of oversight: fidelity to program implementation, ensuring all aspects are meeting targets and within budget, maintains appropriate engagement and relationships with key stakeholders, and ensures all documentation, reporting and compliance are completed with the utmost accuracy and timeliness. Primarily responsible for all program elements within assigned areas, including updates and revisions to policies and procedures related to program areas.
• Oversee all reporting and compliance to ensure all targets are met, reporting is completed on time, reviewing and monitoring budgets and expenditures, and working closely with Finance department to ensure timely and accurate invoicing.
• Leadership and People Development: Supervises team within assigned area. Provide supervision and clear direction for direct reports. Ensure coordinated and clear individual and team goals are identified and monitored. Provide guidance and direction to team members while promoting individual thinking, innovation, excellence and development. Regular and meaningful updates with each team member is expected, including bi-weekly one-on-one meetings, effective team meetings driving strategy execution and goal attainment.
• Constituent Relationships: Identify, develop and implement opportunities to communicate work, Early REACH and H-GAC Home Provider Program goals and priorities to key stakeholders. Be an effective and compelling communicator of the same to advance engagement and brand value.

Qualifications

Education

Required

Bachelors

Experience

Required 10 years

Direct experience in early childhood education for lower-income communities including 2 years working with federal grants. Expert knowledge of the Texas Minimum Standards, NAEYC Accreditation process, Professional Development Standards, Texas Core Competencies, and Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) is required. Must be capable to analyze and interpret financial, social, and economic trend data to reach sound conclusions and propose recommendations that are within organizational goals.