EARLY CHILDHOOD ALLIANCE ONONDAGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Description:

The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga (ECA) has an overarching goal that all children in Onondaga County are healthy, thriving and ready to succeed in school, and that all families are supported in their parenting to raise their children in a healthy and nurturing environment.

The ECA seeks an experienced and dynamic leader as Executive Director to lead, engage, and provide support to partners and ECA staff to advance a multi-year strategy focused on improving the early childhood systems in Onondaga County. The ECA Executive Director oversees a multi-million dollar budget supporting multiple priority initiatives of the ECA, oversees and supervises ECA staff, engages in state and national policy conversations, monitors the local data and early childhood landscape, and facilitates numerous stakeholder networks.

The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with strong communication skills and a working knowledge of early childhood. They will have experience leading multi-faceted community-based initiatives or programs, including staff supervision, overseeing budgets with multiple funding sources, and a successful track record of relationship building, meeting facilitation, collaboration and grant management.

The ECA is a cross-sector coalition led by municipal, philanthropic, business, nonprofit and academic leaders. The United Way of Central New York is the fiscal sponsor of the ECA and the Executive Director is an employee of record of the United Way of Central New York. Minimum starting salary is $85,000. Position will be open until filled

The Early Childhood Alliance (ECA) is a cross-sector coalition led by municipal, philanthropic, business, nonprofit and academic leaders. The ECA has an overarching goal that all children in Onondaga County are healthy, thriving and ready to succeed in school, and that all families are supported in their parenting to raise their children in a healthy and nurturing environment. The Executive Director’s role is to lead, engage, and provide support for the partners working to help reach the ECA’s goal. The Executive Director works with partners and ECA staff to develop and advance a multi-year strategy focused on improving the early childhood systems in Onondaga County. The Executive Director oversees a multi-million dollar budget supporting multiple priority initiatives of the ECA, oversees and supervises ECA staff, engages in state and national policy conversations, and facilitates numerous stakeholder networks. The employer of record for this position is the United Way of Central NY.

Responsibilities:

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND RELATED DUTIES

Leadership and Management

· Work with the Chair, the Executive Committee and the Leadership Council to facilitate the development and implementation of a multi-year early childhood strategic plan and financing strategy

· Work with United Way finance staff to provide fiscal oversight of the ECA’s income and expense budgets related to operations and strategic initiatives and ensures compliance with contract and grant reporting requirements

· Analyze the early childhood landscape, assess gaps and needs and assist in the development of specific strategies to strengthen the supports for families and children

· Identify and explore new opportunities and new initiatives to fill programmatic service gaps and strengthen existing services identified through ECA committee work

· Organize and staff ECA Leadership Council meetings, ECA Advisory Council meetings, and oversee the full range of ECA strategy committees

· Continue to build support and relationships with key ECA stakeholders, including actively engaging the business community and policy makers in the importance of strengthening the early childhood system

· Supervise and support ECA Director-level staff, including performance coaching and assessment and strategic thought partnership.

· Provide oversight of data monitoring and program outcomes for the ECA overall and specific strategic initiatives

· Provide oversight of consultants and contracts related to the ECA and its strategies, including drafting and reviewing scopes, budgets, spending and deliverables.

· Work with local, state and national funders to secure grants aligned with ECA strategic priorities

Community Relations

· Serve as lead Early Childhood Alliance spokesperson, elevating early childhood and investment in early childhood as a central priority in Onondaga County

· Oversee a variety of communications methods including website, monthly newsletter, Facebook, etc. as a means for engaging the larger community in the work of the ECA, communicating ECA accomplishments and opportunities for improving early childhood in Onondaga County.

· Attend community events and promote ECA strategies with parents and community members

· Actively participate with state and national early childhood networks and opportunities, engage with partner communities on common initiatives and projects, and raise awareness of the ECA and its efforts on the state and national stage.

· Build trust as a neutral partner in the community and among all organizations with a stake in improving early childhood outcomes

Advocacy

· Work with local, regional, state and federal advocacy and early childhood organizations to raise early childhood issues to the forefront and increase investment in priority areas

· Maintain connections with other coalitions and other early childhood advocacy groups locally, statewide and nationally and look for opportunities to collaborate on projects

Qualifications: