Deputy Director, National Center on Head Start Early Learning, Health and Family Engagement

ICF•Reston, VA

8d•$119,323 - $202,850•Remote

About The Position

ICF is currently seeking an experienced early childhood senior leader to serve as Deputy Director for the National Center on Head Start Early Learning, Health, and Family Engagement (ELHFE). This position supports the Project Director in providing leadership and management for a large, complex federal contract that advances the Office of Head Start’s priorities for early learning, health, and family engagement. The Deputy Director will help ensure high-quality technical assistance (TA) services and resources provided for Head Start programs nationwide through the Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) System. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in early childhood education systems at the state or national level, including deep knowledge of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, Early Learning Outcomes Framework, and related federal regulations. The Deputy Director will play a key role in managing project operations, supervising team leads, and supporting the development and dissemination of research-based resources. This position requires strong leadership, project management expertise, and the ability to collaborate effectively with federal partners, stakeholders, and internal teams. This position is home based with up to 25 percent travel to attend client meetings, related conferences, and additional meetings.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, education, public policy, public administration, or management.
12+ years of experience in the early childhood or public administration field, including:
Collaboration and partnership experience across early care and education systems, including State and Federal partners.
Knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards, Early Learning Outcomes Framework, and related federal regulations.
Extensive prior experience with the development of systems-oriented technical assistance materials and high-quality written products, such as tools, presentations, handouts, issue briefs, reports, etc.
Prior experience with project management including leading a group of senior professionals and complex deliverables
Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
Strong communication skills for client relations, team building, and business development purposes.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
Ability to be a team player and multitask in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated outstanding level of professionalism in providing team support, including ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
Sound business ethics, including the protection of proprietary and confidential information.
Ability to apply detailed knowledge of organizational procedures to make independent decisions and serve as a credible resource for a senior management team.
Ability to work with all levels of internal staff as well as outside clients and vendors

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in early childhood education, child development, public administration, public policy, education, or related degree
A minimum of 8 years of experience at the state or national level, focusing on early childhood policies, regulations, and systems
Demonstrated consulting expertise
Demonstrated ability to work closely with diverse stakeholders
Demonstrated experience managing large and complex national TA efforts involving multiple types of tasks simultaneously in several geographic locations.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective relationships in support of program objectives
Demonstrated ability to motivate and supervise professionals working in a virtual environment
Demonstrated ability to accomplish project work through a virtual environment
Demonstrated ability to oversee and implement all facets of contract management, including budgeting, monitoring deliverables and project accomplishments, planning activities, and addressing challenges
Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in developing successful collaborations within the field of early learning
Demonstrated analytic, problem solving and decision-making capabilities
Experience in a leadership position involving implementation of Head Start programs and services.
Experience working with Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools such as Smartsheet.

Responsibilities

In collaboration with the Project Director, provide leadership, direction, and priorities to project staff to achieve the primary vision, including key contract deliverables, using a coordinated approach to ensure seamless services for the client.
Work closely with the Project Director and other managers to ensure contract deliverables are met and that timeliness, messaging, and quality meet federal requirements and ICF standards.
Assist the Project Director in ensuring full staffing of the project with professionals who have the knowledge and skills necessary to support federal priorities and objectives.
Manage project workflow, assist staff with managing their work, facilitate team building and communication, and participate as part of the project leadership team.
Support evaluation of technical assistance services and report TA progress to the client.
Build strong, positive relationships across the Head Start TTA System and additional partners for ongoing communication, collaborative planning, and shared problem-solving, including participation in national workgroups and task forces as assigned.
Stay abreast of the latest research, tools, and resources that support the activities of ELHFE.
Support Office of Head Start designated priorities and special projects, including development of TA materials, responding to requests for reference material, training sessions, conference calls, information sharing, and FAQs.
Serve as a liaison with the federal government, other organizations with government-funded technical assistance contracts, and other stakeholders.
Work with the Project Director to ensure creation and execution of communications and information dissemination plans for key deliverables.
Participate in regular team meetings and calls.
Leverage specialized depth and breadth of expertise and apply a broad perspective to identify solutions to complex tasks and deliverables on multiple early childhood topics and activities.
Participate in presentations at national meetings and conferences.
Represent the project on a corporate leadership team, supporting the Office of Head Start Portfolio Lead and contributing to the division’s vision and services.
Support business development efforts, including contributing to proposals and identifying opportunities for growth.