Administrative Coordinator

START EARLY•Chicago, IL

4h•$52,280 - $58,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Start Early (formerly known as the Ounce) is an energized, future-focused organization committed to providing quality early learning and care across the country. Our desire to close the opportunity gap and build more equitable early learning experiences for our youngest learners guides everything we do. As a leader in early learning and care, we scale our deep expertise across program, policy, and research through partnerships across the country. We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning, and communication. Become part of our rewarding, mission-driven culture. We want our employees to feel empowered, motivated, energized, and passionate about the work they do. The Administrative Coordinator plays a critical cross-site role in supporting the Directly Operated Programs (DOP), including Educare Chicago, Lake County Early Learning Centers, and Healthy Parents & Babies. This position strengthens coordination, consistency, and efficiency across all sites by managing shared administrative systems, facilitating operational processes, and supporting compliance and reporting requirements. This role is designed to streamline operations across sites—not duplicate site-based administrative functions—by centralizing key processes, tracking systems, and communication that support program leadership and content area teams. The Administrative Coordinator also manages and supports projects across initiatives to ensure alignment of management systems and adherence to funder requirements, including the Office of Head Start (OHS), the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS), and the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS).

Requirements

Associate’s degree (required) or Bachelor’s degree (preferred) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Early Childhood Education, or a related field.
A minimum of 2–3 years of administrative or program coordination experience is required, preferably in early childhood or federally funded programs.
Knowledge of Head Start regulations and performance standards is preferred.
Experience managing multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, and coordinating across teams, with experience supporting multi-site programs strongly preferred.
Ability to work collaboratively as a cooperative and supportive team member is essential.
Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills are required, along with the ability to respond in a manner that demonstrates respect and professionalism.
Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive information and materials.
Basic proficiency in computer applications is expected, along with the ability to learn and adapt to new systems and technology as needed.
Ability and willingness to work in programs serving high-risk, low-income communities.
Regular travel between program sites in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs is required.
Ability to utilize data for tracking and reporting, support the implementation of systems and processes, and contribute to continuous improvement of workflows is essential.
Deep commitment to advancing diversity and incorporating them into interpersonal routines and practice.
Efficiently establish and handle relationships with colleagues/clients and gain their trust and respect.
Relief and experience in handling risk and uncertainty to move work forward.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree
Knowledge of Head Start regulations and performance standards
Experience supporting multi-site programs
Training or professional development in project coordination or project management, data systems or database management, and technology platforms that support program operations
Exposure to Head Start or other compliance-related training

Responsibilities

Serve as the central coordinator for shared administrative systems across all Directly Operated Program (DOP) sites.
Maintain and monitor cross-site calendars, including operational, training, and compliance timelines.
Ensure consistency in administrative processes, documentation, and communication across sites.
Track and follow up on action items from DOP leadership and management meetings to ensure alignment and accountability.
Coordinate and support DOP leadership and cross-site meetings, including scheduling, agenda development, and material preparation.
Facilitate documentation of meetings, including capturing key decisions, tracking action steps, and maintaining organized records.
Ensure follow-up and alignment between meeting outcomes and cross-site priorities.
Support monitoring of Head Start Performance Standards and licensing requirements across all sites.
Maintain centralized documentation for federal, state, and local reporting (OHS, DFSS, DCFS).
Track deadlines for grants, reporting requirements, and licensing renewals.
Assist in preparation for audits, federal reviews (e.g., FA2), self-assessments, and monitoring visits.
Maintain and organize key administrative and program data across sites, including training records, compliance documentation, and enrollment tracking support.
Support data entry, tracking, and reporting to inform leadership decisions.
Coordinate systems for maintaining personnel documentation in collaboration with site-based administrative staff.
Coordinate onboarding processes for new staff across DOP sites, ensuring alignment by program type (Early Head Start, Head Start, Home Visiting) and content areas (Education, ERSEA, Family Support, Health/Mental Health, PMQI).
Partner with content area managers to organize onboarding schedules, required trainings, and documentation.
Maintain onboarding trackers to ensure completion of required trainings, certifications, and compliance requirements.
Coordinate procurement, inventory tracking, and distribution of shared resources across sites (e.g., parent store supplies).
Support is required for reporting related to shared resources and program operations.
Serve as liaison for consultant and vendor contracts, including tracking deliverables and maintaining documentation.
Support logistics for cross-site family engagement initiatives and events.
Assist with coordinating communication efforts across sites as needed.
Perform additional job-related duties and special projects as assigned to support program operations and cross-site coordination.
Maintain confidentiality and adhere to all Start Early policies and Standards of Conduct.
Support a safe and compliant environment, including adherence to active supervision expectations.