Senior Director, Operations And Military Family Experience

Salary: $130-$150K Annually

Child Care Aware® of America, our nation’s leading voice for child care, We work with more than 500 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies to ensure that families in every local community have access to quality, affordable child care.

Child Care Aware of America is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. Our mission is to advance a child care system that effectively serves all children and families. Joining our efforts provides a powerful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families and to advocate for the approximately 1.5 million child care providers in the United States. The child care workforce is 94% women; 40% people of color; and 22% foreign-born. And despite the invaluable service they provide, 36.7% of them live below 200% of the federal poverty line. Join CCAoA to help us realize our vision that every family in the United States has access to a high-quality, affordable child care system.

Summary of Position: The Senior Director, Operations and Military Family Experience reports to the Chief of Military Programs and Strategy and will collaborate closely on unit initiatives and cross organizational projects. The Senior Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of non-programmatic contract related work, ensuring the effective execution of business strategies, and driving operational excellence that includes optimal allocation of resources, human capital, budgeting, and infrastructure. The incumbent will be responsible for a branch of 65+ staff. Their oversight responsibilities include, but is not limited to, Payments, Joint Application Suite, Data, Parent Services, and Provider Services teams, ensuring contractual requirements and obligations are met and appropriate reviews occur to allow for the creation of actionable operational adjustments.

Location: Arlington, Virginia. (Remote/Hybrid work opportunity available). Applicants must be based in Washington D.C., Maryland or Virginia Metropolitan area. Travel; 5% -10% 

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

1. In collaboration with the Chief of Military Programs and Strategy, provide direct supervision and consultation to ensure key responsibilities and projects are completed and meet the needs, standards, and strategic objectives of Child Care Aware® of America.
2.  Act on the behalf of the Chief, Military Programs and Strategy as principal liaison and resource staff person on a wide variety of program goals and initiatives.
3.  Assist in Unit strategic planning and ensure the effective implementation of programmatic plans for Military Programs.
4.  Establish key performance indicators (KPIs), monitor metrics, and implement processes to drive efficiency and productivity across departments.
5. Monitor team performance and fulfill supervisory responsibilities, including assigning and directing work, evaluating performance, and delivering timely and constructive feedback in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws.
6. Develop, direct, and monitor implementation of contractual requirements, policies, and procedures for effective service delivery, as required.
7. Manage the evaluation and maintenance of contract-related standards for all programs implement process improvements, as necessary.
8. As required provide support, technical assistance, and training to program staff; coordinate and conduct regular staff meetings on program issues; conduct annual evaluations; recruit new staff; ensure adherence with personnel policies.
9. Prepare, distribute, and maintain records and reports, such as budgets, personnel records, and training materials, as applicable. Monitor documentation of client and program files, as applicable.
10.  Establish and maintain collaborative relationships and partnerships internally and with other agencies and organizations.
11. Ensure a supportive environment within and across departments that promotes employee professional growth and organizational values.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in early childhood or related field and a minimum of 7 years of directly related, progressive work in child care or related program areas.
• Management experience and/or at least five (5) years of demonstrated experience in leading and motivating teams in a supervisory or managerial capacity.
• Superior writing and presentation skills demonstrated in authoring reports, presentations, and publications; ability to convey complex information and ideas to all levels of management.
• Documented experience (2+ years) working in state or federal child care fee assistance programs, preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) highly desirable with at least 5 years’ related experience.
• Ability to evaluate programmatic data, propose innovative solutions, implement changes, and meet stringent deadlines in demanding environment.
• Excellent communicator, initiative-taker, innovative, with strong leadership skills and comfortable interacting with all levels of staff.
• Experience in program development, implementation, administration, and evaluation with a proven ability to facilitate team efforts, provide guidance and communicate project objectives, parameters, status, and outcomes to stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, project scheduling, cost controls, tracking and reporting methodologies, and analyzing the delivery of quality services, is essential.
• Understanding of how to manage government contracts, grants, and other funding sources, and work directly with Federal Government clients as required.
• Must be an adaptive learner and can quickly develop a working knowledge of CCAoA’s military work, contracts, and fee assistance database. Experience working within the Military Child Care System, a plus.
• Business acumen with the proven ability to identify business requirements, required.
• Must have the ability to quickly understand the roles of external government agencies, CCAoA, and other stakeholders.
• Knowledge of financial principles to quantify costs and benefits of projects and to track and maintain project budgets. 
  
• Must possess high level diligence and experience in managing vendors/contractors regarding work scope changes to ensure that all contract commitments are completed on time per applicable specifications.
• Ability to analyze information, form conclusions and provide meaningful solutions.
• Excellent computer skills and experience with the Microsoft Office suite of products. Experience using Asana, Jira, Smartsheet or equivalent preferred.

Knowledge:

• Extensive knowledge of strategic planning, program management and performance management processes.
• Strong knowledge of and experience with child care systems and resource and referral services, early learning programs, including PreK and school age.

Skills:

• Strong project management skills to manage complex and varied projects.
• Strong facilitation and conflict resolution skills and the ability to negotiate between diverse perspectives.
• Superior writing and presentation skills demonstrated in authoring reports, presentations, and publications; ability to convey complex information and ideas to all levels of management.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to engage stakeholders, potential partners, and collaborators to work on projects of mutual interest.
• Excellent computer skills and experience with the Microsoft Office suite of products.
  

Ability:

• Ability to evaluate programmatic data, propose innovative solutions, implement changes, and meet stringent deadlines.
• Ability to manage competing priorities under strict deadlines while maintaining a high level of diligence in a challenging environment.
• Ability to plan, direct, coordinate, and evaluate the work of professional and technical staff engaged in departmental goals and objectives.
• Ability to work independently, to work in teams, and to collaborate well with individuals of varying backgrounds and skill levels to achieve program goals.
• Ability to build high functioning teams, demonstrate loyalty and high degree of commitment to achieving organizational goals and objectives.
  

Child Care Aware® of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer & Drug-Free Workplace. This position requires the completion of a satisfactory background check.