Program Manager, Early Childhood

Job Purpose

The Program Manager is responsible for providing leadership for Early Childhood (EC) initiatives which supports families with young Native Hawaiian children aged 0-5. The Manager is responsible for daily operations, supervising direct service staff, fostering relationships with key stakeholders, setting operational goals, tracking progress, and ensuring that programs are effectively implemented and evaluated across the state.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and innovation in early childhood initiatives through the research, evaluation, adoption and integration of innovations to advance positive outcomes for disadvantaged Native Hawaiian kamaliʻi.
• Oversees all day-to-day activities and tasks related to early childhood, including, but not limited to, program planning, development, operational modeling, implementation, analysis, and budgeting; and the training, evaluation, and supervision of program staff and volunteers. Provides technical support for staff to improve outcomes and facilitate innovative early childhood methodologies and interventions.
• Provides clinical supervision to staff with Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) certification
• Leads the overall accountability for program quality and execution, staff performance, and family engagement.
• Recruits, develops, retains, and leads a professional team that delivers high-quality, growing, and expanding early childhood programs.
• Prepares various documents and reports (e.g. attendance, budget, daily activity, daily program content, etc.) to provide written support and/or convey information.
• Collaborates with the program leadership team to build internal capacity of staff to deliver quality programs.
• Coordinates with the LT Housing Navigator on programming to meet the needs of the EC families, including counseling and education.
• Works in tandem with LT teammates to integrate services across the agency.
• Identifies organizations and programs providing EC-related services and resources within communities across the islands; compiles and updates resource lists for those organizations and programs.
• Supports partnerships between LT and organizations providing EC programs on-site at Kīpuka or other EC supports/activities. Participates in EC-related network/partnership meetings to identify community needs and opportunities related to EC.
• Co-facilitate programs to support and enhance parent-child relationships, social-emotional learning, parent independence, and increase cultural knowledge and connection.
• Identify opportunities to expand on-site EC programs or other supports/activities across the islands
• Responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of risk assessments to identify, evaluate, and address potential risks within early childhood programs.Encourages family participation, aims to keep them in the program, and ensures program safety.
• Performs written and electronic recordkeeping functions as required for LT’s internal database on a timely basis.
• Works in tandem with LT teammates to integrate services across the agency.
• Performs crisis prevention as needed.
• Actively participates in agency and program staff meetings, as well as professional group seminars or conferences to enhance professional knowledge and job skills.
  
  

Other Duties

• Participates in program planning, budget development, revision, and evaluation.
• Participates in continuing education and training opportunities for professional development.
• Contributes to the Trust’s success by accepting new assignments, helping team members, learning new skills, and striving to improve team and organization results.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work, early childhood, marriage and family therapy, or other related field required.
• 3 years post-Master’s experience in casework, group work or community level experience required.
• 2 years experience working in the early childhood field with parents and young children required.
• 2 years in a leadership role managing a high performing team preferred.
• Currently holds or working towards clinical licensure and ability to supervise staff with Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) endorsement required.
• Preferred candidates will have the ability to provide comprehensive oversight of clinical work and group programming, ensuring alignment with social work practices and ethical standards.
• Preferred candidates will have experience working with families facing complex challenges, including but not limited to system involvement (child welfare, homelessness, criminal justice), mental health, domestic violence, and substance use.
• Preferred candidates possess strong attention to detail, leadership skills to guide their team in meeting expectations, and the capacity to oversee other management-level responsibilities effectively.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends and occasional holidays as needed.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Valid driver license, clean traffic abstract, and access to a privately owned automobile with valid no-fault insurance. 
• TB clearance. 
• First Aid and CPR/AED Certification preferred.
  
  

Job Competencies

• Aloha: awareness and approach to the work with compassion, empathy, and kindness.
• ‘Imi Naʻauao: a constant desire for seeking knowledge; lifelong learner.
• Poʻokele: desire to perform in excellence.
• Wiwoʻole: maintain a courageous, brave, and fearless mindset.
• Pono: understand the appropriateness of time, place, reason, people, and tools.
• Kuleana: bring a deep sense of responsibility and accountability. Ability to work flexible hours when nessary, including nights and weekends.
• Collaboration: Ability to interact effectively with youth, community partners, and multi-disciplinary teams. Knowledge of community resources and services.
• Ethical Practice: Model the highest level of ethical behavior, integrity, and social responsibility Uphold and embody all LT values.
• Communication: Clearly convey and receive information and ideas. Engage the listener and invite response and feedback. Demonstrate strong written, oral, and listening skills.
• Cultural Competence: Respect and relate well to people from varied backgrounds and sensitive to group differences. Experience working with at-risk youth and ability to apply positive youth development principles to that work.
• Relationship Management: Experience working with staff at all levels in a collaborative environment; ability to promote and sustain positive workplace values and relationships.
• Interpersonal Skills: Ability to work well under pressure and to remain calm and controlled when faced with challenging situations.
  
  

Organization Competencies

• Alignment with Queen’s legacy: Understanding and appreciation of Queen Liliuokalani’s story, her legacy and the Hawaiian Culture is foundational to staff’s commitment to working with our Hawaiian children, families and communities. Demonstrates respect for and appreciation of Hawaiian values history, and culture, understanding its implication in one’s work, in fostering meaningful relationships, and in embracing the community served.
• Ho`omau i ka `imi Na`auao (Continuous Learning and Improvement): Committed to creating and reinforcing an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
• Ho`ike i na Mana`o Pono (Effective Communication): Communicates with those we serve and each other in a consistent manner that results in mutual understanding, harmony, and action.
• No'ono'o loi (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving): Actively and skillfully understands, conceptualizes, applies, analyzes, synthesizes, and/or evaluates information and develops and supports fact-based analyses and recommendations.
• Ho'o kumu a'e or `Imi hakuhia (Innovation): Identifies and integrates creative ideas into new or existing services and promotes effective problem-solving.
• Pilina Ho`ohana a me ka Hana Hilina`i (Building Relationships and Creating Trust): Manages relationships to create optimal opportunities and move the organization forward.
• Alu Like I ka Hana (Teamwork): Works cooperatively and collaboratively with others throughout the organization in alignment with the organization's objectives.
• Ho`onui I ka `Ike (Capacity Building): Encourages personal growth by exhibiting trust and a belief in the capacity of others.
  
  

Mental And Physical Demands

• Perform light physical work, including climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, and lifting weight of up to 25 pounds. Exposed to outdoor climate and diverse terrain.
  
  

Terms and Conditions of Employment

• As a condition of employment, employee will be subject to LT’s policies and procedures.
  
  

Job Title: Program Manager, Early Childhood

Reports to: Program Director, Early Childhood

FLSA Status: FT; Exempt

Aligned Executive: VP and Chief Program Officer

Kīpuka: Liliʻuonamoku

Department: Kamaliʻi Wellbeing

Liliʻuokalani Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to recruit, train, and retain innovative talent from a diverse candidate pool. All employment decisions will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, ancestry, genetic information, citizenship, marital/civil union status, arrest and court record, domestic or sexual violence victim status, credit history, disability or veteran/military status or other applicable legally protected characteristics.