Senior Manager, Early Education, First8TN Fellow

United Way of Greater Nashville

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Job Summary

Position Description:  

The Senior Manager, Early Education/First8TN Fellow will contribute to the efforts of United Way of Greater Nashville (UWGN) by providing leadership for ensuring a high-quality early education opportunity for all children in Greater Nashville. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships, coordinating the work of public and private sector partners to develop and implement action plans to increase the access and quality of early education.

United Way of Greater Nashville is an inaugural partner of the First 8 Tennessee Network (First8TN), a new statewide initiative designed to tap the power of Tennessee communities to collaboratively design, implement and scale high-quality early care and education (ECE) systems locally while informing and advancing supportive state policies.

As Senior Manager, Early Education/First8TN Fellow you will also be one of six First8TN inaugural Fellows, a statewide cohort of exceptional individuals from communities across Tennessee, supported by Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE). As individuals and as a cohort, First8TN Fellows will be connected, engaged, and informed ECE leaders, quarterbacking the development and implementation of their community’s First 8 plan, and providing leadership to help amplify the voices and perspectives of their community’s ECE stakeholders. Throughout the three-year appointment, Fellows will also participate in cohort-based professional learning opportunities and meetings with national experts, state policymakers, leading foundations, and others. These opportunities take full advantage of the extraordinary network supported by TQEE, and are designed to create a cohort of connected, engaged and informed leaders that will serve their own communities, shape state policy, and provide a national example of leadership on ECE advocacy and practice.

Job Responsibilities

Essential Functions: The following are indicative of the essential functions required to perform this job successfully.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  This profile is not intended to be all inclusive of tasks and responsibilities required; it provides a description of the critical responsibilities associated with this position.

United Way of Greater Nashville Roles and Responsibilities

• Work with United Way of Greater Nashville’s education team to align, streamline or promote high-impact strategies in early education.
• Engage targeted Blueprint for Early Childhood Success working groups to implement early education strategies that advance the work locally as well as inform statewide work led by First8TN.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with early childhood stakeholders to advance the work of the Blueprint for Early Childhood Success.
• Build partnerships that advance UWGN’s goals, increase resources, knowledge, and revenue within the early education focus area and positions UWGN to increase its presence and impact in the community.
• Represent UWGN at early learning community tables as appropriate and determined by Associate Director, Education.
• Stay abreast of best practices, research and policy across the early education continuum.
• Support workplace engagement and marketing to communicate UWGN’s education impact on the community.

First8TN Roles and Responsibilities

• Identify and organize stakeholders with a role in funding, promoting and providing high- quality early learning and development for children from 0-8 to leverage new resources for the establishment of a local ECE system.
• Convene partnerships across stakeholder groups, including parents, providers, elected officials, business and faith leaders and others who collectively can identify and address needs.
• Lead a community assessment process to identify community strengths which can be leveraged to address gaps in services.
• Support the community in the development of actionable strategies and lead the implementation of the strategies.
• Develop a budget and operating plan for a high quality ECE system, including funding mechanisms, to meet identified needs.
• Work with organizational partners and community stakeholders to improve alignment of existing services for young children and their families.
• Implement operating plan and manage changes to ensure project goals are achieved.
• Produce accurate and timely reporting of the First8TN project’s status.
• Represent Nashville as required to promote the achievement of the organization’s mission and goals, particularly as it applies to the First8TN initiative, system change and capacity building. Make presentations as required.
• Procure, manage, and/or supervise contractors, consultants, and/or staff as needed.

Qualifications

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of and experience in early childhood programs, systems, and policy.
• Leadership skills and experience, including managing teams, volunteer programs or community-based initiatives involving different disciplines, experiences and interests.
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and using data to inform planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Demonstrate understanding of and commitment to issues of equity, diversity, and cultural competence in early childhood system building.
• Excellent communications skills, including meeting facilitation, public speaking and presentation skills, and writing skills.
• Experience developing and implementing complex strategic plans.
• Experience with development of funding proposals.
• Experience in project management and stakeholder engagement, convening, and meeting facilitation.
• Handle and prioritize multiple activities with flexibility to respond to changing circumstances or priorities.
• Set priorities and manage multiple projects and recommend an effective course of action.
• Strong decision-making skills with use of good judgement in recognizing scope of authority.
• Proficient computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and the internet.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in early childhood, education, human development, public policy, public administration or a related field.

Competencies:

• Relationship Management:  Builds relationships internally and externally with organizational stakeholders in efforts to grow and sustain enthusiasm of UWGN’s work; demonstrates credibility in all interactions; listens effectively, considers the perspective of others and approaches problem solving thoughtfully and from a position of partnership.
• Effective Communication: Ability to effectively communicate through oral, written and technological means; actively listening, collaborating, and expressing oneself clearly, to ensure those that need specific information acquire it; plan and deliver communication that makes an impact and persuades the audience; gives positive and encouraging recognition to those that have contributed.
• Outcome Motivated: Creates and maintains high performance standards that capitalize on opportunities to build support for early education work by developing relationships that drive results.
• Strategy and Planning: Works with Associate Director, Education to develop long-term strategies for early education work aligned with the mission and vision of UWGN and First8TN.
• Leadership and Navigation: Exhibits behaviors consistent with organizational culture, fosters collaboration, understands the most effective and efficient way to accomplish tasks and achieve results within the parameters of processes, systems, and policies.
• Program Knowledge: Demonstrates knowledge of techniques, research, skills, procedures, best practices, and resources in the early education field to become a subject matter expert; applies knowledge to provide strategic leadership to the education team, identify issues and internal problems, and continuously improve programs; works to continue to develop professionally and increase knowledge and skills.
• Stress Tolerance: Displays emotional resilience and the ability to withstand pressure on an on-going basis; Deals with difficult situations while maintaining performance; Seeks support from others when necessary and uses appropriate coping techniques.

United Way of Greater Nashville is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

Please apply at https://www.unitedwaygreaternashville.org/careers/

Details

• Date Posted: May 21, 2021
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Programs and Service Delivery
• Service Area: Education
• Start Date: 07/01/2021
• Working Hours: 40 hrs/wk; M-F, 8:00am - 4:30pm