Program Director

About Educare Lincoln:

Educare of Lincoln is a collaborative partnership between the Lincoln Public Schools, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. The mission of Educare is to help young children (birth - age 5) thrive socially, emotionally, and academically through high-quality early childhood education, and in partnership with their families and the community.

What it's like to work here:

The strength of Educare is built on the expertise, dedication, and passion of the employees who work here. Educare hires teachers, family support specialists, administrative staff, and leaders who work together as a team to serve children and families in our community. We provide many professional development opportunities for our staff, from coaching and training to collaboration with peers across the country. We know that just like the children in our school, our employees are constantly learning and developing. That's why we support their growth as early childhood professionals.

About the job:

The Program Director serves as a member of senior leadership reporting to the Executive Director (ED). Alongside the ED, the Program Director leads the strategy and development of learning and programming activities, evaluates their effectiveness, oversees partnerships with community-based organizations, provides ongoing feedback, and guides service delivery to strengthen early childhood educational, and family, outcomes. The Program Director collaboratively articulates, implements, and operationalizes the programmatic vision and goals of Educare Lincoln.

Duties include:

• Develop and implement programs that provide services in accordance with Educare Lincoln's (EL) organizational strategy and Early Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Create and oversee the structure, systems, and procedures to facilitate programmatic success.
• Serve as a strategic advisor and functional expert to the executive team regarding key program matters.
• Collaborate with executive colleagues to achieve mission, vision, and growth strategy, making data-driven decisions that best position the organization to achieve its strategic plan.
• Coach others to resolve complex issues that arise within and across departments.
• Conduct communication meetings internally and externally, as directed by the ED, giving presentations to ensure service levels are being met and raising awareness of EL's programming.
• Support the development and implementation of program policies and procedures.
• Monitor the effectiveness of programs and program budgets, and implement changes to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal grant requirements.
• Identify opportunities to increase community awareness of programs and offerings as a means to increase enrollment and participation.
• Support organization-wide training needs and identify skills or knowledge gaps related to programming.
• Serve as a liaison and collaborate with community partners to leverage relationships directly tied to EL's services and support opportunities for improved services.

About you:

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Public Administration, Social Service, or related field required; master's preferred.
• Five or more years of management experience including budget management required.
• Two or more years of experience leading staff (coaching, supervision, and evaluation) required.
• Five or more years of experience as an organizational leader within early or public educational institutions or nonprofit preferred.
• Prior experience with Head Start/Early Head Start preferred.
• Must be able to pass a background check that meets compliance standards.
• Knowledge and skills in program research, development, and evaluation especially as it relates to the application and outcomes of early education models.
• Knowledge of early education data management, data analysis best practices, and industry standards.
• Demonstrated aptitude to prepare, analyze, and interpret data (including educational equity data) to identify trends and opportunities.
• Knowledge of childcare state licensing requirements.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentational skills with the ability to communicate in a manner that demonstrates and fosters cooperation, respect, concern, and openness to change.
• Ability to build effective and supportive relationships both internally and externally with program teams; agency personnel; and community partners, collaborators, and funders.
• Demonstrated work or lived experiences working with diverse communities, children, and families.
• Familiarity with the community culture of Lincoln and knowledge of community resources and services.
• Ability to take, or think about, the perspective of others and demonstrate self-awareness of one's own culture, beliefs, and values.
• Excellent leadership and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage time and multiple priorities.
• Ability to maintain boundaries and perform all duties in an ethical and professional manner.
• Ability to work individually as well as collaboratively in a team environment.
• Ability to obtain First Aid and CPR certification.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) as well as internet and database programs.
• Valid driver's license and automobile insurance required.

If you'd like to be part of something special, please apply!

Educare Lincoln provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discriminatory hiring practices. We are committed to the equal treatment of all employees and applicants and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity/expression, and sexual orientation), age, disability, veteran status, parental status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer