Position Title: Assistant Program Director

Employee Type: Full-Time Regular

Supervisor Title: Program Director, Head Start

Division: Head Start

All Save the Children employees are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 unless otherwise required by law. All new employees hired to Save the Children will be required to submit proof of vaccination as part of their onboarding process. Failure to provide proof of vaccination may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Save the Children complies with federal, state and local laws with regard to accommodations related to this policy.

Summary

The Assistant Program Director ensures all mandates and standards are met by assisting the Program Director of Head Start in overall program operations to ensure the program is in compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, Child Care Licensing Requirements and Save the Children Policies and Procedures. You will directly supervise others and provide leadership, guidance and monitoring, which may include participation in the recruitment/selection process for new hires, employee training, onboarding, conducting performance coaching/evaluation, and delegation of duties and conflict resolution. You will promote an environment of teamwork and cooperation and is accessible to employees.

As a frontline representative of Save the Children, you are required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that you come in contact with adhering to the agency’s values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity, and Integrity.

As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training to minimize risk to children. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report and respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child safeguarding obligations.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Assist the Program Director in the design, development, execution, promotion and reporting aspects of the program’s services to families, children, the community and other partners.
• Assists with the oversight of the Head Start program which may include but not limited to reviewing and revising program policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Assists in the development and implementation of short and long-range goals and objectives.
• Assist in the development and implementation of procedures and controls to promote communication and effective information flow within the organization, enabling program goals to be obtained efficiently.
• Assist with monitoring the effectiveness of operations, program progress and adherence to compliance through observation, data analysis, record reviews, interviews and other methods. Recommends and implements improvements. Document monitoring activities.
• Assists in the development and implementation of effective, integrated management systems and organizational structures, which support the administration of Head Start/Early Head Start program services.
• Collect and use quality data to support the use of effective practices and to show progress towards desired program outcomes.
• Provides input to the development of program training plans, grant writing and budgets. Participates in planning meetings including strategic planning, community assessment and self-assessment.
• Creates, files and maintains required reports and documentation. Composes and proofreads correspondence and reports.
• Reviews and approves agreements or contracts for the purchasing of goods and services to assure that bids are solicited in accordance with state and federal regulations if the Program Director is unavailable.
• Facilitates and provides training, coaching and technical assistance to staff, parents and volunteers. Facilitates and engages in professional development activities to increase qualifications in accordance with Corporation’s Core Values.
• Represents organization in the absence of the Program Director through participation on local, state and national committees and boards. Develops collaborative relationships with community partners to enhance delivery of comprehensive services to children and families.
• Supports the implementation of a system of shared governance. Creates ways to engage parents in program activities.
• Assist in the review of overall program operations regularly and convey information and outcomes to the Save the Children Head Start Leadership, Governing Board and Policy Council.
• Ensure all program activities are carried out in compliance with local, state and federal regulations and laws pertaining to programmatic operations.
• Establish and maintain relationships and partnerships with public schools, community agencies and other stakeholders.
• Represent organization through participation on local, state and national committees and boards. Develop collaborative relationships with community partners to enhance delivery of comprehensive services to children and families.
• Assist with preparation and development of program budgets and federal/state grant submissions.
• Protect the safety of children by ensuring implementation of active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in management, early childhood development, human services or a related field, plus at least 5 years of relevant experience
• Proven progressively responsible supervisory/management experience including working with boards and advisory committees.
• Proven open, honest, objective and good listener with team management approach to clear goals and objectives.
• Professional proficiency with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate with individuals and teams at all levels.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous Head Start management experience is preferred.
• Development of collaborative relationships with community partners preferred.

Physical Requirements related to essential functions: Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting and grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding and computer use.

Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records check, sex offender registries, employment, and education verifications (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment.

This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid driver’s license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

Why you should join the Save the Children Team…

Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, pet insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.