Lead Early Childhood, Early Literacy

Description

NEBRASKA CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOUNDATION:

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF) is a nonprofit created to support children, young adults, and families with the overall goal of giving our state's children what they need to thrive. We do this by building strong communities that support families. Our mission is to create positive change for Nebraska’s children through community engagement and we believe in a Nebraska where all children will have the resources and support to thrive.

SUMMARY

The Lead Early Childhood, Nebraska Growing Readers is responsible for providing guidance to Sixpence grantees and other community programs across the state ensuring specific data points surrounding literacy and vocabulary are met. Lead, Early Childhood, Nebraska Growing Readers will also assist the Vice President of Early Childhood Programs to carry out goals and scope of work. Responsibilities include oversight and monitoring of NGR Sixpence sites to ensure consistent communication, problem-solving, peer to peer learning and feedback for grantees across the state for Nebraska’s children from birth through age three. Lead, Early Childhood, Nebraska Growing Readers provides oversight and monitors access points throughout the community, along with creating a communication plan to engage ESUs, early childcare educators, and school districts. This position actively partners with the early childhood team and internal Nebraska Children staff to enhance Nebraska’s early childhood community initiatives. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. 

• Program Oversight: Coordinating statewide implementation strategies, ensuring alignment with federal and state program goals, and maintaining quality across multiple sites.

• Manages day to day execution of NGR work.

• Technical Assistance Leadership: Providing high-level mentoring, training, and problem-solving to community partners, childcare providers, and school districts.

• Strategic Coordination: Managing multi-community engagement plans, directing cross-initiative partnerships, and integrating literacy strategies into broader early childhood goals.

• Compliance and Reporting: Ensuring adherence to federal award requirements, producing accurate and timely reports, and supporting budget and amendment planning.

• Provide technical assistance to Nebraska Growing Readers Sixpence sites and community partners, in collaboration with the VP Early Childhood Programs and Senior Leads and Leads of Early Childhood.

• Develop and Support community plans in collaboration with community partners 

• Develop strategy to support communication from Nebraska Growing Readers and Sixpence.

• Develop and support partnerships within communities, contractors and across Nebraska Children initiatives, particularly Beyond School Bells; or where there is alignment 

• Analyze data and develop quality improvement plans collaboratively with Sixpence grantees to increase engaged support for learning, language, books, vocabulary, and family engagement activities with center-based grantees 

• Analyze data and develop quality improvement plans collaboratively with Sixpence grantees to increase family engagement home literacy practices and help grantees meet the program goal of vocabulary; 

• Foster relationships with and between current and future grantees, maximizing peer learning whenever possible.   

• Organize and collect data to be utilized for end of the year report.

• Manage operations strategy with external and internal partners to assure quality and timely book distribution and effective communication.

• Work with grantees to develop and foster community book gardens where Sixpence communities can create local content and access books across the community 

• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Education, Experience and Abilities:

· Bachelor's degree in early childhood, social Impact, or related field. 

· Master’s degree preferred. 

· Minimum of five years of successful planning, implementation, and management of programs.

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

· Ability to plan, organize, and lead multi-phase work.

· Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

· Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.

· Strong creative problem-solving methods to address community challenges

· Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.

· Strong knowledge in program design and implementation 

· Knowledge and experience in relevant areas such as: early childhood, early literacy, community organizing, program oversight, project management  

WORKING CONDITIONS:

· Nebraska Residency required 

· Omaha and Lincoln offices available for hybrid work arrangements 

· Flexible scheduling including possible evenings and weekends.

· Willingness to travel, including overnight stays.