The Program Manager, Early Care and Education (ECE) identifies, plans, implements, oversees, and collaboratively evaluates quality improvement initiatives, strategies and programs geared towards ECE settings that are designed to help ensure that children and families have access to high quality childcare. This position works closely with Sr. Program Administrator, ECE to support and facilitate change to a growing program.

• Plans and oversees quality improvement strategies and efforts with particular attention to coaching and other direct services, rating and/or measuring continuous quality improvement efforts, and primary communication with QC participants including enrollment/disenrollment and program requirements. Other efforts may also include incentives, professional development and training, and various data projects such as annual collection of program participant demographics.
• Ensures alignment and/or integration of efforts with other First 5 Alameda County or state/regional programs, such as Quality Counts Californias (QCC) Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and Help Me Grow
• Oversees and coordinates with outside consultants and agencies to provide technical assistance and consultation to QC participants
• Recommends and manages assigned budgets, authorizes/monitors program expenditures
• Contributes to work on policy issues to ensure continued resource allocation and accessibility
• Plans and implements protocols and procedures to ensure high quality, effective delivery of programs and services
• Develops and maintains relationships with community partners and stakeholders
• Designs and delivers a variety of trainings for service providers and/or coordinates relevant training opportunities for internal and external coaching/consulting staff
• Develops plans for program evaluation and quality assurance in collaboration with Evaluation and Technology staff
• Maintains and synthesizes information, data and records to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of current programs and services, and utilize this information to inform and recommend program modification and/or new development or delivery strategies
• Negotiates contracts with service providers, ensures that contracts are prepared and executed accurately and timely, and ensures compliance with contract deliverables
• Analyzes changes in relevant best practices, regulations, policies, or funding streams; evaluates the impact on program or service delivery, and drafts and recommends appropriate changes
• Participates in agency strategic planning process, including recommending future program direction and operations, budget, and staffing

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 seven years full-time progressively responsible related experience in a public or private organization. Experience must include responsibility for program management, program planning and/or evaluation. Experience must also include a minimum two years supervising staff, strongly prefer experience supervising professional level staff.
• A Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in public health or administration, child or human development, social work, psychology, or a related field may be substituted for 4 years of required experience. A Masters degree from an accredited college or university in a related field may be substituted or an additional year of experience.

Additional Requirements

• Must travel within Alameda County as necessary to carry out job duties. Some travel outside Alameda County occasionally required.
• Familiarity with and understanding of industry standard tools to assess and support child care quality and social emotional competence in childcare settings required

Knowledge of:

• QRIS system and quality standards: QCC Quality Continuum Framework, CA Early Childhood Educator Competencies, and other areas important to ECE quality, including Dual Language Learners (DLL), Inclusion, Family Engagement, Equity
• 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 preferred

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
• Effectively 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 currently working a hybrid 2 day per week in-office scheduleand employees also come to the office to attend meetings and as requested.
• 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.