Early Childhood Pipeline Specialist

Early Childhood Education Pipeline Specialist Job Description

Enlace Chicago is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of the residents of the Little Village Community by fostering a physically safe and healthy environment in which to live and by championing opportunities for educational advancement and economic development. Enlace Chicago is the convener of the Little Village Education Collaborative (LVEC) whose mission is to connect the key players impacting the education system in the community in order to evaluate the current state of this system, plan strategic improvements for the future, and support legislative and systems changes that expand educational access and opportunity from birth to old age.

Job Summary: Enlace Chicago is seeking an individual who will provide support to the LVEC Early Childhood Education working committee, by engaging LVEC ECE education partners, supporting the alignment of ECE with the Parent Mentor Program, and fostering strong collaboration with each of the initiatives responsible for streamlining the Little Village education pipeline.

The Early Childhood Education Pipeline Specialist will be guided by the following objectives: 1) streamline the LVEC ECE outreach efforts through the implementation of a hyper-local outreach model, 2) foster cross-collaboration among and between the educational pipeline, 3) strengthen partnerships between home-, center-, and school-based programs in order to increase school readiness, and 4) to increase community awareness of and access to Early Childhood education opportunities.

Reports to: Associate Director of Education

Accountable to: LVEC Early Childhood Education partners and Enlace Director of Education

Communicates with: LVEC partners, Enlace Education Team, and Staff

Informs: Collaborative members and Enlace Chicago Staff

Status: Full Time Position with Benefits

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Inform and support Early Childhood education system alignment that addresses the Little Village Quality of Life Plan, Early Childhood education strategies and goals.
• Facilitate collaborative working meetings with Early Childhood Education partners and neighborhood Chicago Public Schools.
• Support and supervise the Lead Parent Advocate.
• Maintain a Little Village directory of Early Childhood education providers.
• Participate in regular meetings with Little Village education partners coordinators/conveners, and work to improve referral processes among collaboration members.
• Improve data sharing and data analysis among stakeholders, to create a data-informed plan to address specific systemic and programmatic gaps and inform areas of growth for ECE in the LV community.
• Work in partnership with the Chicago City Colleges, ECE policy makers and ECE providers to maximize the impact of their current resources.
• In collaboration with the Associate Director of Education submit timely reports to funders.
• Nurture ongoing communication, collaboration, and coordination with the Education Team members, other Enlace’s teams, and with the LVEC partners.
• Maintain up-to-date data, research, policies, and regulations in the Early Childhood Education Field.
• Support the communication of the media related sources and maintain regular communication with Early Childhood Education partners.
• Sustain current partnerships and develop new partnerships with ECE practitioners.
• In coordination with Associate Director of Education, participate in advocacy efforts to advance policy and system change.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Essential

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university with experience/passion for data analysis.
• Knowledge and/or experience of participatory community approaches.
• Experience in the Early Childhood education field.
• Fully bilingual in English and Spanish; written and verbal required.
• Experience working with Black and Brown, and immigrant communities.
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to build relationships, work in collaborative fashion with multi-sector partners, education team and cross collaboration with other teams in the organization.
• Experience and comfort in facilitating meetings.
• Experience in accessing and interpreting data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-discipline in time management and in navigating multiple project sites and diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to use computer, Google Suite, Microsoft Excel, and Word programs.
• High commitment to Diversity Race Equity and Inclusion policies and Restorative Justice practices

Preferred

• Knowledge and understanding with Little Village community history, assets, and challenges.
• Knowledge and/or experience with the Early Childhood funding strains and its impact in making Early Childhood education more accessible to families in the Little Village Community.

Working Conditions/Demands:

Local travel involved. Ability to transport 15-20 lbs. of outreach material. Ability to work flexible hours occasionally on evenings and weekends.

Compensation: Salary based on experience; comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, life, and short- and long-term disability insurance, 403b retirement options, and generous paid time off.

Enlace Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Additional Requirements: Enlace Chicago staff are required to provide proof of vaccination or have an approved medical exemption prior to starting employment. If an approved medical exemption is obtained, weekly testing is required.

Deadline for submission: Open until filled.