ESF Director of Higher Education Access

POSITION: Director of Higher Education Access 

ORGANIZATION: SEIU Education and Support Fund (ESF) and Child Care Providers United (CCPU) Training Fund CCPU Training Fund – Childcare for All! 

LOCATION OF POSITION: Remote/work from home with periodic travel within California and nationally to ESF locations). 

SALARY RANGE: $110,000 - $115,000 - full-time salaried position with a competitive benefits package. 

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW 

An increasing number of Americans – most of whom are women and people of color – are employed in service sector jobs that are marked by low wages, no health care, job insecurity, and lack of training and career advancement opportunities. The SEIU Education & Support Fund tackles these issues by designing and facilitating worker-centered, relationship-based, and accessible education, training, and workforce development programs. We serve as a strategic partner to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and collaborate with other unions, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and employers to help workers access good jobs and spark positive social change. Throughout our work, we promote a culture of empowerment that honors experience, culture, diversity, and inclusion. 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

Child Care Providers United Training Fund is a coalition of organizations united by a shared vision for lifting up the leadership of family child care providers in California, the majority of whom are women of color and immigrants. Family child care providers, who run child care businesses out of their homes, represent an essential workforce in California and are drivers of economic regeneration and community health. Our providers work with the state to provide subsidized care services for our most underserved families and have a unique role in leveling the playing field, ensuring that all children, regardless of income, have access to quality care and education. Our early childhood educators create the foundation for well-being and academic success for children across the state, positively shaping our next generation. All staff members are employees of SEIU Education & Support Fund (ESF). CCPU Program staff members are remotely dispersed nationally, with the majority residing within the state of California. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

ESF is excited to welcome a Director of Higher Education and Benefits. This inaugural role will create, design, lead, and execute the buildout of the CCPU Higher Education and Benefits Program. The CCPU Director of Higher Education and Benefits will supervise a suite of manager-level positions with oversight responsibility for the end-to-end program delivery, as well as budgetary oversight for all benefits, including: access to higher education, access to technology, and wellness support benefits. The Director of Higher Education Access & Benefits will be a thoughtful leader, deeply committed to racial justice and ensuring that the family child care providers, largely women of color, are supported in reaching their professional development goals as it relates to higher education. The successful candidate will be skillful at creating high-performing teams, with a shared investment in creating meaningful social change through a commitment to language justice and improved educational opportunities for child care workers in California. 

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Program Leadership, Administration and Strategy 

• Develop and monitor an annual program plan and multi-million dollar budget in collaboration with program staff and stakeholders 
• Cultivate partnerships with community colleges, private universities, and adult education institutions around strategies to ensure family child care providers have access to ESF values-aligned programs and facilitate operational efficiency 
• Create infrastructure to support access to benefits, shared services and asynchronous learning (including the development of a call center, shared services portal and learning management system) 
• Prospect and manage large scale multi-million dollar contracted partnerships from RFP stage through service delivery
• Work collaboratively with the evaluation team to determine whether the program is meeting its mission to support the professional development goals of providers across languages, regions, and levels of technological-familiarity 
• Utilize needs assessments as well as other discovery tools to develop a deep understanding of access and benefits needs as well as potential access barriers. 
• Ensure consistent and effective internal & external communication by adhering to all of ESF’s program and operational reporting/monitoring policies and procedures
• Ensure Higher Education and Benefits program is consistent with ESF’s equity-based, worker centered values and approach 

Management and Staff Development

• Lead a program team of five, cultivating a warm, collegial atmosphere that lifts up ESF’s core values, celebrates team members’ unique strengths and skills, and promotes self-reflection and personal growth
• Supervise team members by offering guidance, clearing roadblocks, and helping to prioritize initiatives; conduct annual goal-setting and performance reviews
• Create and organize individual and team professional development opportunities to deepen skills in the areas technical assistance, workforce development, benefits and accces, adult education, labor education, curriculum development, project management, and other skills to support career advancement

Organizational Development

• Collaborate with the CA Leadership Team to ensure coherence of organizational development across programs and benefits in line with core values and mission of ESF and CCPU Training Fund
• Collaborate with ESF colleagues through team meetings, committees, focus groups, interview teams, and annual staff retreat to cultivate positive organizational culture and alignment of programs, policies, and practices to ESF’s vision, mission, and values.
• Collaborate with ESF’s human resources and operations team to identify staffing needs and organize hiring & onboarding processes for new team members

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Partner with CCPU Director of Training & Professional Development to cultivate and manage trusting, collaborative partnerships with a diverse set of partners, including CA child care unions, state agencies, higher education institutions, and other ECE training organizations 
• Participate in monthly Provider Training Advisory Board and Child Care Provider United Leadership Team Meetings 
• Participate in the planning of an annual Provider Training Advisory Board Retreat 

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES 

• Issue Fluency. Knowledge of the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing family child care educators that live at the intersection of early childhood education, workforce development, and labor organizing; knowledge of popular education, adult education, workforce development, and labor unions
• Relationship-Building. Ability to build trusting relationships with a wide variety of constituents utilizing excellent interpersonal skills and an asset-based approach. 
• Project Management. Skill in complex project management utilizing excellent analytical, organizational and collaboration skills.
• Strategic Thinking. Ability to discover and implement opportunities for innovation and growth for teams, organizations, and the communities we serve.
• Adaptability. Ability to respond quickly and effectively when conditions change and exhibit flexibility when pivots are required.
• Communication. Ability to effectively communicate with a wide variety of constituents and craft compelling narratives about the need and impact of our work.
• Problem-Solving. Ability to strategically solve complex or unique problems through an equity and inclusion lens utilizing exceptional judgment.
• Digital fluency. Skill with technology tools including Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Salesforce, SurveyMonkey, MailChimp, Trello, and Slack.

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. That said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the following;

• Progressive experience in a senior management role in non-profit or labor union, including experience managing staff
• 7+ years of experience in program development, curriculum development, program documentation, and program evaluation
• 5+ years of experience in fundraising, budgeting, and/or financial management 
• Significant work in solidarity with minoritized and/or marginalized populations 
• Ability to travel locally and nationally, and  ability to work some evenings and weekends 
• Knowledge of the Higher Education landscape in CA

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

● Bilingual, especially in English and Spanish, Somali, Arabic, Chinese, or Farsi 

• Resides in the state of California  

PAY AND BENEFITS 

We offer competitive wages and top-notch benefits, including 100 percent employer paid medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and eligible dependents; a defined benefit pension plan for retirement; paid holidays, sick leave, and personal days; and 4 weeks of vacation. We are a hybrid organization with co-located and remote staff. We provide a home office stipend for employees who telework, and cell phone stipend (or company sponsored cell phone) for all employees.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

We are a hybrid organization with co-located and remote staff. We encourage and seek applicants from people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, bilingual and bicultural individuals, and people with disabilities. Strong candidates may not meet all the requirements but still have valuable experience and expertise to offer. If you believe you could be a strong candidate, please apply through our online portal. All applicants will receive a response to their application within two weeks of submission. Please email mcoleman@positivelypartners.org or mcarlton@positivelypartners.org with questions or for support submitting your application. While subject to change, candidates elected to advance throughout the process can expect a phone interview and a career history with Positively Partners, followed by a Hiring Manager interview with the supervisor for this role, and, for finalists, an interview day with staff and stakeholders, including a robust and holistic reference check process.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

SEIU Education and Support Fund follows the spirit and intent of all federal, state and local employment law and is committed to equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. In alignment with our mission, we recognize the importance of our staff reflecting the communities our work aims to benefit as well as the desirability of increasing employment opportunities for people from historically marginalized groups. We encourage and seek applicants from people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, bilingual and bicultural individuals, and people with disabilities. Strong candidates may not meet all the requirements but still have valuable experience and expertise to offer. If you believe you could be a strong candidate, please apply!