The Program Administrator, Early Care & Education (ECE) plans, manages, and coordinates countywide strategies, providing leadership and developing community partnerships. The Administrator initiates programming to support early care and education (ECE) professionals and caregivers in Alameda County, developing and monitoring contracts, identifying and procuring resources, and meeting providers’ needs. Collaborating with internal departments, the Administrator addresses unique opportunities and needs, overseeing analytical processes to inform program development and effectiveness.
- Develop and execute comprehensive strategic plans and goals for ECE professionals and caregiver supports and programming, encompassing outreach, partnership development, contract management, programming, quality improvement, and resource allocation.
- Create and implement targeted outreach strategies to engage ECE professionals and caregivers, families, and community stakeholders, using a variety of communication channels and culturally sensitive approaches to maximize engagement and participation.
- Initiate, develop, and nurture partnerships with community organizations, schools, libraries, faith-based groups, and other stakeholders to expand the reach and impact of caregiver supports and programming, leveraging their resources and expertise to support caregivers and families.
- Provide leadership with internal agency staff, such as Data and Evaluation, Compliance, Technology, Communications, and Policy teams, to elevate caregivers' unique opportunities, needs, and conditions fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence, and providing guidance and support as needed.
- Oversee contract development, management, administration and monitoring with community partners and organizations that provide supports, programming, and services for ECE professionals and caregivers, while ensuring compliance with contractual terms, regulatory requirements, and performance metrics.
- Incorporating stakeholders’ input and best practices in the field, lead innovative programming initiative design, development, and implementation tailored to ECE professionals and caregivers’ and the families they serve’s needs and preferences.
- Develop and implement comprehensive quality improvement frameworks for ECE professionals, caregivers and caregiver-serving organizations, providing training, coaching, and resources to ensure best practices for child development outcomes and meeting safety standards.
- Identify, secure, and allocate resources to support caregivers and caregiver-serving organizations, ensuring awareness and equitable access to funding opportunities, training providers, support networks, and other supportive services.
- Stay informed about relevant local, state, and federal policies and regulations affecting ECE professionals and caregivers, advocating for supportive policies and initiatives that advance the interests of caregivers and families.
- In coordination with agency Data and Evaluation team, ensure equity-centered methods and practices are used for data collection, interpretation, and analysis of program effectiveness, tracking outcomes, and identification of areas for improvement, using findings to inform decision-making and continuous program refinement.
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government agencies, community organizations, funders, and advocacy groups, to foster collaboration and support for caregiver programming goals.
- Prepare and present reports, presentations, and other communications materials to convey program accomplishments, challenges, and impact to stakeholders, funders, and the broader community, ensuring transparency and accountability.
- Additional projects and duties as assigned.
Please note, we currently have two openings with the following focus areas:
#1 Family Child Care (FCC) Focus
This role will lead and coordinate county-wide support programs and strategies for Family Child Care (FCC) businesses and providers that may include:
- Establishing staffed FCC networks
- Expanding FCC incubation programs
- Implementing quality improvement initiatives
- Coordinating business strengthening supports
- Streamlining child care subsidy administration
For success in this role, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of opportunities and challenges unique to FCC providers and best practices for FCC supports.
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#2 Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Focus*
This role will lead and coordinate county-wide innovative programs and strategies tailored to the unique Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers needs. This will include developing and improving:
- Community-based learning and experience programming for children
- Support groups for caregivers
- Resources and resource networks specific to FFN needs
- Partnerships with FFN serving agencies such as libraries and family resource networks.
For success in this role, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of opportunities and challenges unique to FFN caregivers and ability to initiate and develop partnerships and programming with agencies to support expansion of FFN supports.
Please note which role, or whether you’re applying to both roles in your cover letter.
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
- Minimum nine years full-time progressively responsible experience in a public or private organization, a community development agency or an education institution. Experience must include responsibility for program management, program planning and/or evaluation. At least two of the five years of required experience must have been at a supervisory level, strongly prefer experience supervising professional or managerial level staff.
- A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in public health or administration, child or human development, social work, psychology, or a field related to strategy focus may be substituted for 4 years of required experience. A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field may be substituted or an additional year of experience.
Knowledge of
- Principles and practices in the field of early childhood and systems of care, including applicable state laws, rules, and regulations
- Principles and practices of supervision, management, and team leadership, particularly leadership in a time of growth and/or change management practices
- Program development, program administration, and analytical and evaluation methodologies
- Principles and practices of contract negotiation, development, and management
- Budgetary creation and financial recordkeeping procedures
- Principles of equity, social, racial, and economic justice
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Smartsheet
Ability to
- Translate strategic vision into a wide variety of short medium and long range implementation plans
- Demonstrate experience and leadership in service delivery systems, program management, policy analysis, and strategic thinking
- Provide leadership to effectively organize, coordinate, and supervise professional and administrative staff
- Promote teamwork and program integration within and across program strategies
- Work collaboratively with community agencies and stakeholders
- Demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity in a variety of contexts
- Communicate effectively orally and in writing to staff, the Commission and the public
- Read, analyze and interpret common professional publications, legislative or policy documents, financial reports and related business documents and information
- Plan and 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
- Exercise judgment within broadly defined practices and procedures to create and select appropriate strategies and make and carry out effective decisions
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 $90,000 to $126,000 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.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $90,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year