Senior Associate Leadership Council

Who We Are: 

A child’s foundations in life and learning are essential to lifelong success. First 8 Memphis (F8M) was founded to build an early care and education system that will allow every child in Memphis and Shelby County to reach their full potential by focusing on a strong start during a child's first 8 years of life. We are an advocacy, coordinating and convening organization working across the birth to age eight spectrum. Our early care and education systems building work is conducted in collaboration with the F8M Leadership Council and other stakeholders; and supported by a highly regarded Board of Directors who partner with staff to help reach our community and organizational goals.

The Opportunity:

F8M seeks a collaborative relationship-oriented Leadership Council Senior Associate to help coordinate all work related to a collaborative group working across the early childhood space, the First 8 Memphis Leadership Council. The Leadership Council serves as an accountability body for Memphis and Shelby County’s Early Childhood Education Plan by convening public and private partners, aligning efforts across partners and monitoring outcome data and relevant indicators to promote effective policies, programs, and practices so all children in Shelby County can thrive. This role will also specifically support the Prenatal - 3, and the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Working Groups. The Leadership Council Senior Associate will manage deadlines and progress across working groups; organize stakeholders in their project management deliverables; and collect and analyze data to ensure alignment with goals and overall ECE system efforts. This is a new position created to enhance the effectiveness of the Leadership Council and our collective impact work. The Leadership Council Senior Associate duties include and not limited to:  

Coordination and Project Management (50%)

• Coordinate Leadership Council and noted Working Group meetings including organizing meeting logistics, securing program venue(s), draft and/or assemble materials, draft agendas and meeting minutes, track attendance and engagement, provide applicable research and follow up; attend meetings with/in the absence of the Director. 
• Prepare general correspondence, emails, agendas, transcribe meeting minutes, memos, summaries, presentations, reports, and other materials with exceptional proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google suite.
• Assist with advancing Leadership Council’s overarching goal of implementing the early childhood plan and provide backbone support to First 8 Memphis and Leadership Council stakeholders to produce an early childhood report card. Assist with new partner onboarding, partner engagement and partner alignment efforts. 
• Coordinate and make connections across Leadership Council Working Groups to ensure alignment and connections within and between early childhood years. 

Research and Programmatic Support (40%) 

• Support Working Groups strategy development and execution including assisting partners with research, resource development, communications and other project management action steps. Curate relevant resources, documents, and materials for partners. 
• Conducts presentations and designs ancillary visual graphics to enhance reporting.

Other (10%) 

• Provide back-up with Bright Start Tennessee efforts, and other committees and working groups as assigned 
• Identify community needs by participating in regional committee meetings

Additional duties as assigned.

The First 8 Memphis Candidate 

The ideal candidate is dedicated to the advancement of early childhood systems and dedicated to the mission, vision and values of First 8 Memphis. Candidate must have deep empathy and commitment to addressing issues and challenges faced by Black and Brown and other under-invested communities, families, and young children in Memphis and Shelby County. Candidates interested in this position should have working knowledge and genuine interest in improving early childhood opportunities and have experience supporting multi-system efforts, coordinating meetings and providing backbone support, and engaging multiple stakeholders and making connections across their work. 

Skills and Mindsets We are Looking for

• Excellent oral, written, and electronic communication skills aiding the ability to cultivate relationships with partners
• Plans, problem-solves and manages ambiguity in a dynamic environment
• Effectively balances priorities to meet multiple deadlines
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills; ability to anticipate and respond to challenges.
• Is self-motivated, takes initiative and learns quickly
• Has a growth mindset and uses feedback to improve practice
• Consistently demonstrates strict attention to detail
• Works well independently as well as collaboratively with a team
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment
• Will occasionally work evenings and weekends when needed
• Ability to travel around Shelby County and statewide and nationally to support strategy and larger organizational needs
• Effectively communicate and embody the mission, vision and values of First 8 Memphis 

Experience we are looking for 

• Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent lived experience 
• 5 years’ experience in project management, project administration and/or working within an educational setting
• Experience in early care and education, infant and early childhood mental health, policy and advocacy efforts and/or systems building work a plus 
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with a team 
• Ability to self-organize--to manage and set deadlines independently in order to balance multiple deliverables and ensure their timely completion
• Preferably possess knowledge of holistic early childhood development, including infant and early childhood mental health, systems and policy.
• Prefer Memphis native with extensive relationships in the community and able to travel around Shelby County, across the state, and nationally.

OUR COMMITMENT AND COMPENSATION

Workplace Commitment: F8M is committed to an inclusive, fair, and equitable workplace where everyone is respected and valued as a member of the team. We strive to attract, develop, and retain exceptional people that reflect the diversity of the children and families we serve; and to create a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. Our work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of races, ethnicities, national origins, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, beliefs, religions, faiths and ideologies, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and levels of physical ability.

Compensation, Benefits and Probation: The salary range for this role is $60,000 - $70,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include standard health, dental and 401K retirement plan, with a match, and a professional development stipend. F8M offers a hybrid work environment and a generous holiday schedule, including office closure for the last week of December. F8M offers a hard-working, friendly and committed team of colleagues. 

New employees will be on a ninety (90) day introductory and probationary period. This period serves two (2) purposes: it allows you, as a new employee, to evaluate your job, work group, supervisor and colleagues and to decide whether to remain in employment and it allows your supervisor the opportunity to evaluate your performance and to decide whether to retain you as a regular employee, extend your introductory status, or terminate your employment. 

Join Our Team: Please send a cover letter and resume to opportunities@first8memphis.org with the subject line: “Senior Associate Leadership Council - Your Name”. Final candidates who work with young children and/or have proximate reach to young children are subject to a background check and initial drug screening.

Information provided during your candidacy for employment and during your tenure is relied upon as being accurate. Any misrepresentations, falsifications, or material omission of information or data at any time may result in termination.