Position Profile
Program Director
Chatham County Partnership for Children
www.ChathamKids.org
Pittsboro, NC
THE ORGANIZATION
The Chatham County Partnership for Children, established in 1994 as a partner in the Smart Start network, is a group of citizens, parents, teachers, and human service providers who are dedicated to improving lives of the county’s young children. The Partnership promotes opportunities for all our young children to grow up safe, healthy, and able to succeed. In collaboration with our community partners, we plan, fund, and implement quality care and education, health, and family support initiatives.
In 2016, Child Care Networks, Inc. merged with Chatham County Partnership for Children. We are now home to Smart Start, Child Care Resource & Referral, NC Pre-K, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and Raising a Reader. The Partnership oversees Smart Start in Chatham County, providing funding for programs that serve over 50 child care sites and 1500 children annually. We offer Child Care Search services for parents and funding for Child Care Resource & Referral Services in the 5-county region that includes Chatham, Lee, Harnett, Johnston, and Wayne counties. Our Child Care Food Program delivers technical assistance and financial support for improved nutrition in child care centers and family child care homes across 12 counties surrounding Chatham.
With nearly $4million in revenue, the Partnership staff, board of directors, and partners work together to promote opportunities for all our young children to grow up safe, healthy, and able to succeed.
THE CANDIDATE
The Program Director should be an experienced professional with strong leadership skills, who will work closely with the Executive Director to represent the organization’s collective voice, through taking initiative, identifying opportunities, and leading fundraising and advocacy efforts among stakeholders. The Program Director will act with integrity, communicate openly and clearly, and convey their passion for the mission throughout their work. As a key individual in the organization, the Program Director will sustain and enhance the work of the partnership in the community, while maintaining a team focus and embracing the values of the Smart Start network.
The leading vision for Chatham County Partnership for Children comes from and flows through the Smart Start network. As part of the recent Strengthening the Network Project, six Simple Rules—basic principles and understandings to which we all agree—were developed to illustrate how we work and interact with each other. These rules are:
- Foster a culture of leadership and growth.
- Stay mission focused.
- Always assume positive intent.
- Acknowledge the collective power of our network.
- Embrace our diversity as a strength.
- Create space for courageous conversations.
To be successful in this role, the qualities of the Program Director include being
- Perceived as a visionary leader who “sees the big picture” and inspires others toward the mission.
- Results-oriented with a multi-task aptitude suited for working under deadline pressure.
- Relates well with others and promotes a positive demeanor.
- Exhibits cultural competence working with diverse teams.
- Demonstrates sound judgment.
- Problem-solver; creative and forward thinking.
- Self-motivated with demonstrated high maturity level.
THE POSITION
The Program Director, while responsible to the overall agency mission, is also primarily responsible for promoting quality child care and early education in Chatham County and Region 13 through provision of high-quality Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Services. This position requires balancing and coordinating internal and external responsibilities, relationships, and expectations, with a high-level oversight of programmatic details. This position reports directly to the Executive Director.
Essential Responsibilities
- Lead, plan, promote and supervise these program areas to ensure effective service delivery and compliance with funding contracts:
- Technical assistance and professional development for Chatham County child care providers
- Consumer education and referrals through Child Care Search, a 5-county parent referral service
- Regional Healthy Social Behaviors project (5-county service area)
- Regional Infant-Toddler project (5-county service area)
- Raising a Reader literacy initiative (Chatham County)
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (Chatham County)
- Day of the Books annual children’s festival (Chatham County)
- Annual Child Care Professional Conference (Chatham County)
- Lead CCR&R Region 13 agencies: (Chatham, Lee, Harnett, Johnston, and Wayne Counties)
- Monitor and evaluate CCR&R Council-funded activities in four Local Agencies
- Provide technical assistance and training for Local Agencies
- Convene regular regional collaboration meetings (bi-monthly)
- Ensure quality data collection, analysis, and reporting on CCR&R activities. Detail-oriented and data-driven planning and decisions.
- Analyze child care availability and quality and conduct related public awareness activities.
- Oversee team of 9 employees; one manager with 5 direct reports and 3 other direct reports.
- Provide direct services as needed including referral calls for Child Care Search and planning of professional development events.
- Fiscal and budgetary responsibility for assigned projects and grants. Assist the Executive Director with the overall financial management of the organization as needed and requested. Includes authority to authorize expenditures for assigned budgets and to prepare, sign and submit financial reports for assigned contracts and grants when requested by the Executive Director. Assist with the development of budgets and spending projections and analyses.
- Engage with community organizations and agencies to represent the Partnership and promote Early Childhood Education and Quality Child Care as well as early childhood Health and Family Support Services. Serve as a thought leader to ensure sustained focus on young children (0-5 years) while providing input to community planning and long term human service strategies. Build collaborative relationships and identify emerging issues; work with Executive Director and community organizations to determine response options, potential relationships, and partnership or funding opportunities.
- Use family and population statistics along with child care and program data to inform annual program plan and long term strategic program development goals. Provide leadership support for all agency programs as needed.
- Other duties as required by program funding contracts or as needed and requested by Executive Director.
Qualifications/Requirements
- Four-year degree in Early Childhood Education or related field; Master’s Degree preferred
- Five to seven years of experience in Early Childhood program management, CCR&R, or early education or child care field
- Three to five years of supervisory and fiscal management experience
- Nonprofit Management training or certification preferred
- Knowledgeable about child development, quality child care and early education
- Knowledgeable about NC’s child care system and community partners in child-related services
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Fluency in Spanish a plus
- Cultural competence; a demonstrated understanding of social and racial inequities and the importance of planning program supports for children, staff, and families of color
Physical Requirements
While performing this job, the employee is:
- Frequently required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands or arms; and talk or hear.
- Periodically required to stand; walk, stoop, kneel.
- Occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds.
- Routinely required to drive a vehicle for business travel and must have a valid NC Driver’s License with less than 4 points. Must have personal vehicle available for business travel.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include: close vision and the ability to adjust focus to operate the computer.
Travel and some evening and weekend work will be required.
TO APPLY
Please send cover letter, resume, target salary requirements, and contact information for three to five references (at least 1 personal, 1 supervisor or Board member, and 1 direct report): ChathamKidsPD@CapabilityCompany.com
Applications will be accepted until August 20, 2020.