Director, Early Childhood Education Finance, Operations and Growth

Social Impact Partners•Westport, CT

2d•$135,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director works directly with executive directors and senior teams at early childhood education (ECE) programs across Connecticut that participate in Social Impact Partners; (SIP’s) ECE Growth Accelerator to strengthen financial and operating models and implement priority changes that support growth and the conditions for high-quality early education. The role combines strategic advising with hands-on analysis, helping organizations prioritize opportunities, make sound decisions, and carry out practical solutions through implementation. The Director also identifies recurring field-level challenges and develops practical solutions in partnership with program leaders that can benefit Connecticut’s broader ECE system. Connecticut is investing in early childhood education through a historic ECE Endowment and a statewide goal to expand affordable, high-quality child care. Since 2020, SIP has supported this work through partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, contributions to the Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care, Child Care for CT, and direct support to ECE organizations. This role brings finance and operations expertise to organizations that are essential to Connecticut’s children, families, workforce, and communities. We welcome candidates from the private, public, or nonprofit sectors who want to apply finance and operations experience to direct, meaningful social impact. This role offers the opportunity to help mission-driven organizations become stronger, more sustainable, and better positioned to serve children and families. Deep ECE experience is not required; curiosity about the sector and the ability to quickly understand the economics of complex, labor-intensive organizations are more important.

Requirements

6+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance, operations, management consulting, business strategy, business-unit leadership, portfolio operations, strategic finance, or advisory roles, with demonstrated responsibility for analyzing complex organizations and advising leaders on financial and operating decisions. Equivalent depth of experience will also be considered; prior executive-level titles are not required.
Demonstrated ability to earn the confidence of executive directors, senior leadership teams, and boards.
Advanced financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, scenario-planning, and operating-model improvement capabilities, including experience strengthening organizational structures, systems, processes, or performance.
Ability to connect analysis with enterprise-level strategy, make complex financial and operating information clear and actionable, and translate recommendations into effective implementation.
Experience working in organizations with multiple revenue sources, public funding, or regulated services.
Strong judgment, discretion, humility, and comfort operating amid ambiguity, shifting policy conditions, and incomplete information.
Motivation to apply finance and operations expertise in a mission-driven environment, curiosity about the economics and operating realities of early childhood organizations, and commitment to equity, inclusion, and expanded access to high-quality early care and education.
Demonstrated willingness and ability to personally conduct analysis, build models and tools, develop recommendations, and carry out work through implementation.
Communicate clearly, in oral and written formats, with others in-person, via video conferencing, over the phone, and via other devices.
Able to transcribe, read extensively, prepare and analyze data, and constantly operate a computer and other standard office machinery.
Must be able to travel throughout the state.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant field, CPA, or comparable professional experience
Experience in ECE, human services, education, healthcare, or another regulated, labor-intensive service sector
Familiarity with nonprofit governance, board financial oversight, shared-service models, capital strategies, partnerships, or new operating models.

Responsibilities

Build trusted relationships with ECE executive directors, senior teams, finance and operations leaders, and boards; provide clear objectives, practical analysis, candid counsel, and accountability.
Help leaders clarify complex problems, evaluate tradeoffs, pressure-test assumptions, and make strategic decisions about sustainability and growth.
Conduct financial and operational diagnostics across revenue, staffing, utilization, facilities, administrative costs, and other key operating drivers.
Develop financial models, scenarios, dashboards, decision tools, and recommendations that help leaders and boards assess options and plan for changing funding and operating conditions.
Support leaders in moving from analysis to action by advising on implementation plans, risks, resources, stakeholder alignment, progress tracking, and needed adjustments.
Engage specialized staff, volunteers, or external expertise when additional capacity is needed.
Identify recurring financial and operational challenges across ECE organizations and develop shared solutions, partnerships, pilots, business cases, or tools in collaboration with providers.
Translate provider-level insights into practical resources that strengthen future SIP Growth Accelerator cohorts and inform SIP’s broader ECE work.
Establish an advisory model, complete financial and operational diagnostics, help organizations advance priority implementation goals, and identify at least one cross-organizational pilot, partnership, or funding strategy.