Director, Early Care & Education

The Director of Early Care and Education (ECE) is responsible for providing leadership, strategic direction, oversight and management of First 5 Alameda County’s (Agency)’s ECE programs, including those associated with the implementation of local ballot measures related to early care and education, Family Friend and Neighbor (FFN) programming, workforce development, facilities, and quality supports. The Director partners with ECE stakeholders, including both licensed and unlicensed child care providers, community leaders, and families to ensure an equity-centered approach to program design and investment, and technology infrastructure to support the ECE system. As a strategic partner, the Director works collaboratively with colleagues to ensure intra-agency collaboration and cross-agency integration and alignment with organizational vision, strategic plan and commission-adopted programs and budgets.  

• Provides oversight and support to Agency ECE programs, driving effective program design and implementation and translating programmatic vision into actionable short- and long-term plans that align with First 5’s strategies 
• Collaborates with staff from across the agency to create plans for development, expansion, or program contraction as needed, ensuring that ECE is integrated across functional areas where appropriate  
• Develops, monitors, and oversees the overall division budget, providing and informing analytical work to support forecasting and program monitoring. This may include analysis from various sources, including child care enrollment and cost data.  
• Strategically uses data, research and evaluation to inform an equity approach to program design and implementation, policy advocacy, continuous quality improvement, and systems change 
• Partners with the technology team to support the development of technology tools, technology infrastructure, and data systems to ease access and improve enrollment efficiency into subsidized ECE programs and to enhance overall current operations and expansion 
• Partners with staff from across the agency to develop financial models to inform program design, investments, budget and financial reporting 
• Oversees the development of outreach strategies for ECE providers in various modalities and geographies 
• Provides supervision to staff, identifying professional development opportunities, training plans, and areas for continued career growth. Holds self and others accountable for high quality work and achievement of goals and ensures efficient workload distribution within the ECE team 
• Represents F5AC on relevant external committees, work groups and meetings and collaborates with external stakeholders  
• Partners with executive leadership to inform First 5 Commission and staff of ECE programs, investments, priorities and policy opportunities 
• Promotes clear communication and collaboration internally within division and across agency, and externally with early childhood system partners to ensure clarity, alignment and progress towards goals.  
• Collaborates on internal and external communications strategies  
• Supports fundraising and policy strategies for systems building and readiness  

Minimum Qualifications 

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: 

• A minimum of eleven years of full-time progressively responsible experience in policy and system improvement, program development, and/or grantmaking at public, non-profit or community development agency, including at least four years of program and operational planning, management, and administration experience. Four of the eleven years of experience must have included supervision of managerial or professional level staff with the responsibility for diverse functional areas. Experience across a variety of sectors, including government, non-profit, and for-profit organizations preferred. 
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in Early Childhood Education, Public Administration, Public Policy, Public Health Care Administration or related field may be substituted for 4 years of the required experience. A Master’s Degree may be substituted for an additional year of required experience.  

Knowledge of:  

• Principles and practices of executive leadership and staff supervision. 
• Principles and practices in the field of early childhood and systems of care 
• Principles and practices of systems thinking and/or systems change 
• Principles and practices of direct client service delivery 
• Principles and practices of the use of data for continuous improvement and decision-making  
• Program performance budgeting, strategic budgeting and benchmarking 
• Principles and practices of public administration 
• Applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations, including subsidy system and licensing 
• Principles and practices of management, supervision, training and team leadership 
• Program development and evaluation methodologies 
• Principles and practices of contract negotiation, development, and management 
• Budgetary and contract administration practices 
• Principles and practices of planning and project management 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with Smartsheet use preferred  
• Principles of equity, social, racial, and economic justice 

Ability to: 

• Demonstrate experience and leadership in service delivery systems, program management, policy analysis and strategic thinking 
• Demonstrate experience in effective program design, policy and implementation to solve complex access and financing issues in early care and education 
• Develop a wide variety of short- and long-range plans and recommendations for alternative methods of service delivery for First 5 and local policy maker’s consideration 
• Demonstrate experience navigating ambiguous environments and driving progress amid dynamic internal and external landscapes 
• Synthesize large volumes of information while maintaining momentum and driving work forward 
• Provide leadership and effectively organize, coordinate, and supervise professional and administrative staff 
• Promote teamwork and program integration within and across program strategies and agency-wide 
• Work collaboratively with community agencies and stakeholders 
• Demonstrate ability to work with and administer programs with an equity-centered approach for children, families, and community   
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing to staff, the Commission, the Community Advisory Committee, and the public 
• Read, analyze, and interpret common professional publications, legislative or policy documents, financial reports and related business documents and information 
• Plan and project manage work to ensure organizational goals are achieved 
• Analyze, develop, and monitor budgets 
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff throughout the Agency 
• Facilitate groups and manage meetings effectively 
• Adapt to a variety of situations 
• Define and creatively address problems or management challenges requiring analysis of multiple variables or situations, collect and analyze information, consider alternatives, and draw valid conclusions, with consideration of policy considerations and resource issues for families and providers  

Please note:

• We are working a hybrid in-office schedule and may return full-time at an undetermined date.
• All First 5 employees must live and work in California.
• The salary range for this position is $134,000 $183,000 and as an independent government agency, the posted salary is the set salary range for this position. We cannot offer salaries above this posted range.

About First 5 Alameda County

First 5 Alameda County believes every child in Alameda County should have optimal health, development, and well-being to reach their greatest potential. Through innovative programs and policy advocacy, we help provide children and their families access to resources that support their first five years of development.

Join our mission-driven team that in partnership with the community, supports a county-wide continuous prevention and early intervention system that promotes optimal health and development, narrows disparities, and improves peak years of child development.

First 5 Alameda County Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package with health care options to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. These benefits include but are not limited to Medical, Dental, & Vision Coverage, $1,500 credit per year to spend on benefits, Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Employer Paid & Voluntary Life & AD&D Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance, Retirement Plans including the ACERA Pension Plan, Commuter Benefits, Employee Assistance Plan and more.

We also offer paid vacation, paid time off and sick time. We have 17 paid holidays including the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day as paid time off.