Child Care Workforce Program Manager, PPM III
The application deadline is September 2, 2022 at 11:59 PM.
Best Starts is seeking a candidate who will lead our pilot project to explore the impact of raising wages on retention of child care workers.
The Child Care Workforce Program Manager is responsible for providing planning and implementation support and management of a workforce demonstration pilot project funded through the Best Starts for Kids Levy. The pilot project will provide an ongoing wage supplement to approximately 1,400 child care providers in licensed child care settings and explore the impact of increased wages on retention and continuity of care.
This position will be responsible for working in collaboration with the Child Care Policy Lead on program planning and design, partnership management, managing and monitoring large contract(s) with external partner(s), collecting data on programming, leading Request for X (RFx) and evaluation process(es), and providing updates to internal and external interested parties. In addition, this position will provide policy support as needed on child care topics relevant to Best Starts for Kids and King County program implementation and may interface with Department leadership and elected officials or staff.
Job Duties
Program management for Best Starts for Kids child care workforce demonstration pilot project.
- Partner with contractor(s) to lead program design for and implementation of child care workforce demonstration (wage boost) pilot project. Engage directly with child care providers throughout the planning and implementation process to inform and refine project priorities.
- Build and maintain strong relationships and collaboration with key external partners, including child care providers, school districts, governmental agencies, philanthropic and non-profit partners, and labor organizations.
- Continuously monitor child care landscape and proactively engage with interested parties to ensure programming is responsive to changing need.
- Provide ongoing support and technical assistance to contractors and/or partner organizations implementing workforce demonstration project.
- Support evaluation activities of pilot project in partnership with Performance Measurement and Evaluation (PME) and external evaluators as applicable. Provide briefings on outcomes, learnings, and recommendations as needed.
Implementation and management of large contracts with external partners.
- In partnership with Contracts and Procurement (C&P), negotiate, draft, execute, and amend contracts for workforce demonstration pilot project.
- Monitor program progress and provide ongoing support and technical assistance to contractors and/or partners through regular check-ins and as needed.
- Ensure contract compliance, fulfillment of deliverables, and invoicing and payment. Interface with finance, legal, and program staff to ensure efficacy and compliance with Best Starts funding and implementation requirements.
- In partnership with evaluation team, support data collection and prepare briefing materials as needed for internal and external partners.
Child care policy support.
- Maintain current knowledge of child care field, workforce development projects, and relevant local and national initiatives.
- Analyze available information and prepare briefings on child care needs and programming.
- Provide support for King County child care program and policy planning and implementation, as needed.
- Participate in community work groups and task forces and serve as a representative for King County’s child care work in the absence of the Child Care Policy Lead.
Development and execution of Request for Proposal (RFP) processes.
- Engage the Best Starts child care programming workgroup, including members of the Children and Families Strategy Task Force, in planning for and developing future RFXs to manage the child care workforce demonstration pilot project.
- Draft and release RFXs, conduct information sessions, and support communications about RFX opportunities.
- Coordinate RFX review panels and award process. Communicate awards with Best Starts leadership, Council, and applicants.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Deep knowledge of and commitment to equity and social justice principles and practices, and understanding of the effects of place, race and policy and systems-based inequities on marginalized communities and populations.
- A combination of at least four years of education and experience within child care, early childhood development, early supports for infants and toddlers, or a closely related field, with at least 2 years directly leading a project or program.
- Demonstrated skill in planning, managing, and evaluating a multi-million-dollar budget and/or large and complex contracts.
- Experience in policy analysis, strategic planning, and partnership development, especially in highly political content areas.
- Ability to identify intersecting issues, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration across internal and external partners, prioritizing strategies to promote equity.
- Ability to work with creativity and flexibility, both independently and as a team member; to work under deadlines and on several tasks simultaneously; and, to organize and prioritize quickly in response to changing needs.
- Experience creating multi-use spreadsheets, synthesizing complex data for decision making, and preparing visual and written documents for specific users.
Desired Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills
- Experience leading community engagement or co-design processes, especially with early learning or child care providers.
- Established relationships and demonstrated skills in partnering with key interest parties in a highly political environment, including child care providers, school districts, governmental agencies, philanthropic and non-profit partners, and labor organizations.
- Experience interfacing with and briefing elected officials and their staff.
- Experience coordinating and collaborating with labor organizations.
*Transferable skills: Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experience that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position.
Best Starts for Kids
Building on the deep knowledge, connections, and skills within King County communities, and backed by what science and research tells us about human development, the Best Starts for Kids King County initiative meets children and families with the right services at the right time. The first Best Starts for Kids levy, approved by King County voters in 2015, reached 490,000 of King County’s youngest children and their families and 40,000 youth and young adults, catalyzing strong starts in a child’s earliest years, and sustaining those gains through to adulthood. In August 2021, King County voters chose to renew the levy with over 62% approval for another six years. The plan for Best Starts for Kids 2.0 will maintain current Best Starts for Kids investments in promotion, prevention, and early intervention, while deepening our investments to address critical needs in our community. View the Best Starts for Kids Implementation Plan: 2022 – 2027 here.