Job Details
Job Location
Collaborative for Children - HOUSTON, TX
Position Type
Full Time
Education Level
4 Year Degree
Job Shift
Day
Description
HELP GIVE HOUSTON'S YOUNGEST CHILDREN A BETTER CHANCE FOR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT.
WORK AT COLLABORATIVE
Director, Operations
Early Childhood Education
LOCATION: HOUSTON, TEXAS
HYBRID POSITION
THE CHALLENGE AND THE OPPORTUNITY :
It is clear from the research that when children enter kindergarten ready to learn and possess requisite socio-emotional and cognitive skills, they are more likely to be successful in their academic careers and beyond. Strong early childhood education matters.
To make our mission a reality, Collaborative for Children (CC) seeks to hire a degreed professional to provide strategic leadership and management oversight for all programmatic, emergent technologies, and volunteer engagement activities to ensure the organization's strategic objectives are progressing and that child outcomes and school readiness goals are achieved.
Qualifications
THE POSITION:
Our President/CEO seeks to hire a candidate who will serve as a thought partner to provide strategic input and devise programmatic implementation plans and disruptive technology to achieve strategic goals.
When you join the team, some of the essential work and responsibilities you will manage and handle will include:
Programs Leadership

• Serve as thought partner with CEO to provide strategic input and devise programmatic implementation plans and disruptive technology to achieve strategic goals
• Collaborate with program leadership to develop plans for program operations and growth opportunities to achieve strategic goals, respond to funders, and meet contract and grant requirements.
• Serve as liaison to the Programs Committee of the Board of Directors and inform the committee of Program updates
• Fully integrate grant-funded and all programmatic initiatives to support CC's innovative approaches to improving child outcomes
• Provide management support to program and IT leadership related to monitoring all aspects of program planning, budgeting, objectives and targets, implementation, and evaluation.
• Develop and monitor accountability systems and mechanisms for data sharing that ensure progress toward program goals, strategies and outcome measures in the CC strategic plan, and communicate results to President/CEO.
• Collaborate with CFO to ensure that regular tracking mechanisms are in place related to program budgets and grant expenditures.
• Collaborate with CDO on grant funding proposals, meetings, and events to highlight Programs related activities and outreach
• Develop progress-monitoring systems for programs department managers.
• Develop and monitor professional learning opportunities for programs and IT department managers and staff
• Functionally integrate technology and creative processes to position CC as the premier entity to uniquely demonstrate the impact of CC's approaches on early learning outcomes with a programmatic model that is sustainable and scalable
• Critically analyze, address, and resolve significant program operational issues with program leadership, such as major staffing, scope of services, and budget questions
• Conduct observations to assess and analyze service delivery methods for quality indicators to initiate diagnostic troubleshooting
• Use measured data to develop implementation plans to increase program effectiveness and support child outcomes
• Provide direction and guidance to program staff on program evaluation plans; review results of evaluations with program leadership and identify strategies to address opportunities for improvement
• Provide strategic planning related to the organization's short-term and long-term facility needs, including fixed and mobile assets

Strategic Organization Support

• Act as a key thought partner and advisor to the CEO and partner with all members of the executive leadership team to address cross-functional opportunities for collaboration, identifying priorities, brainstorming ideas and implementing solutions.
• Lead efforts to instill enthusiasm for and actions that exemplify the elements of the Theory of Change, core values and competencies, and the mission/vision of Collaborative for Children.

• Seek guidance and support for challenges from other members of the organization's leadership.
• Build and maintain thorough understanding of all organization functions to effectively support planning and execution of strategic initiatives and projects, and to provide recommendations and guidance to the CEO on actionable items.

• Provide various high-level organization support to the CEO including, but not limited to, prioritization of tasks and preparation and facilitation of meetings.
• Actively identify and present opportunities for the CEO to engage with internal stakeholders to support programmatic and technology initiatives.
• Manage cross-department programs projects or initiatives involving collaboration with various stakeholders and a high level of planning, including internal staff and external grant liaisons.
• Monitor strategic metrics to ensure the organization's strategic plan objectives are progressing.
• Provide management oversight and guidance to CEO and other leadership related to compliance with required record retention and destruction practices.

Contract Management, Compliance and Funder Relationships

• Coordinate with Program leadership and Grants Manager/Controller to understand and provide compliance and budget management oversight for all grantor contracts.
• Serve as liaison with external grantor staff ,and work with internal grants management staff, to identify and propose directions and contract amendments as necessary, inclusive of all requests and inquiries
• Monitor and ensure compliance with all contracting obligations, delegating as appropriate to program leadership to carry out contracting requirements and to report on quarterly and annual performance of all program objectives and goals.
• Attend meetings with funders as required and as needed to develop close working relationships and open communications.
• Collaborate with CFO to ensure internal controls comply with US GAAP and help direct and support appropriate design of controls and remediation of deficiencies.
• Collaborate with Grants Manager/Controller to review complex transactions and research audit issues as applicable to contracts, grants and any other resources awarded to the organization.

Policies, Procedures and Practices

• Provide management oversight and guidance to programs leadership to ensure training is provided to internal staff regarding procurement process and required supporting documentation
• Develop and roll out procedures to ensure governance and accuracy with grants and donations, including training of internal stakeholders
• Collaborate with CEO and senior leadership team to develop and update programmatic and emergent technology's standard operating procedures (SOP) to comply with corporate governance, BOD requirements and the organization's business practices, including training of internal stakeholders

We embrace diversity in backgrounds, talents, experiences, interests, and ideas. Attributes that resonate in our most successful employees include: passion for our mission, drive for results, high level of organization and detail orientation, resilience and authenticity. Other traits, knowledge, skills, and abilities needed and desired for these positionsare:
THE MUST HAVES :

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in early childhood education, child development, interdisciplinary studies, child psychology, educational psychology, elementary education, non-profit management, or
• Bachelor's Degree in Business or Accounting disciplines with a minor in or collegiate coursework in an education discipline.
• Graduate degree in related fields preferred
• Minimum 8 years of work experience with a combination of early childhood education, program administration, disruptive technology, and general business experience strongly preferred
• Experience working at a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization or government agency highly desirable
• Minimum of 3 years of experience managing, coaching, and developing leaders and staff
• Demonstrated experience working with educators in teaching/learning situations, including experience with Development Standards, Texas Core Competencies, and Early Learning Guidelines
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in early childhood education (ECE), Texas Minimum Standards and NAEYC highly desired
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, and budgeting principles
• Consensus building and negotiation skills
• Proven project management skills including the ability to drive and implement multiple projects and ideas in a changing environment
• Experience operating within an organization with multiple delivery systems and possess demonstrated experience facilitating teams to successful outcomes
• Prior experience as an education technology-inspired director who appreciates establishing innovative new systems and processes, and possesses start-up experience or a 'start-up' mindset

• Proven planner, problem solver, manager, developer, negotiator and team advocate.
• Experience working with government and state grants highly desired
• Experience interacting with non-profit organization boards and committees, government officials, and external stakeholders, such as funders and other non-profit agency leaders, highly desirable
• Analytical, strategic and structured thinker with ability to influence others

• Strong facilitation skills with the ability to identify the information needed to clarify a situation, seek that information from appropriate sources and use skillful questioning to draw out the information needed for decision making
• Possess the ability to read and interpret contracts and ensure contract compliance
• Experience utilizing data collection and analysis methods to prepare detailed financial information

• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Teams)
• Email/communications/scheduling software (Outlook) experience.
• Experience utilizing virtual platforms such as ZOOM, TEAMS, etc., a plus
• Must be able to work a 40 hour, Monday Friday schedule
• Schedule flexibility to accommodate occasional weekday evening hours and weekend hours
• Must have reliable, personal transportation because this position requires driving to different locations throughout the greater Houston area
• A valid Texas Driver's License, and current vehicle insurance coverage

• Adherence to Collaborative for Children's Core Values and Core Competencies
  • We relentlessly pursue excellence . Core competency: Continuous improvement
  • We respect and promote diverse points of view. Core competency: Interpersonal relations
  • We innovate boldly, fearlessly, and courageously. Core competency: Problem-solving
  • We celebrate transparency . Core competency: Effective communication

THE PERKS

• Mileage reimbursement paid at IRS rate is available for eligible business travel.
• Work hours: Flexible scheduling. Some remote work at home, participation in the field for staff observations and events, and attendance at in-person meetings.
• Compensation: This is an Exempt, Salaried, Full-Time position. Paid bi-weekly on Fridays.
• Annual Merit Adjustments: Increase to base pay is based on the prior year's performance.
• Health and Supplemental Insurance: HDHP medical option that includes $1400/year employer-paid contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA), prorated based on hire date. Also, a lower deductible PPO medical option. Other insurance options: Dental, Vision, Voluntary Life/AD&D, Accident, and Critical Illness, AFLAC Cancer, and TransAmerica Long Term Care. Employer-paid STD, LTD, Basic Life/AD&D insurance. First of month after hire eligibility.
• Retirement Plan: 1:1 employer matching contribution up to 6%. Eligible for match after 90-days from start date.
• Generous paid leave time: (Personal Time, Vacation and holidays)
• Section 125 Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Dependent Care expenses
• Professional Development: Collaborative values high levels of performance and service over time. We invest in developing our people and nurturing their career trajectory success through coaching and ongoing skills and leadership development.
• Our Culture: mission-driven, family-friendly, inclusive, collaborative, fun

When you work at Collaborative you can make a difference every day. All of our staff play critical roles in executing our mission.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY MAKES US STRONGER
Collaborative for Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports a drug-free/smoke-free work environment. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, or any other protected class as set forth under applicable state, local and federal civil rights laws.