Dir of Head Start/EHS

The Opportunity Alliance • South Portland, ME

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Opportunity Alliance is seeking a Program Director for our Head Start and Early Head start programs. The Director of Head Start and Early Head Start position offers a unique opportunity to play a critical role in advancing equitable access to high quality, culturally appropriate early education, childcare, and support services to hundreds of children and families across Cumberland County. This position is responsible for the supervision and management of the overall operations of the program and assures that service design, delivery and quality comply with the federal Head Start Standards, state licensing regulations and all legal and contractual obligations. The Director is also responsible for setting and holding program managers accountable to achieving specific results in child and family outcomes, evaluating and improving program systems, and representing the agency in local, regional, and state communities. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader that plans for and makes decisions within the framework of organizational mission, values and goals. They build trusting relationships through effective communication, reliability, and collaboration. The prospective candidate is flexible and able to pivot quickly and intentionally in a changing environment. They are invested in the community and believe deeply in the value of Head Start in interrupting poverty and preparing children and families for school.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field, or bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education; or, Bachelor’s Degree in a field related to ECE and coursework equivalent to a major in ECE, plus minimum five years’ experience in a managerial role (program planning and operations and evaluation).
• 3-5 years of supervisory experience, required.
• Group facilitation skills and experience leading and engaging parents.
• Ability to be self-motivated and organized.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills required.
• Sensitivity and familiarity working with diverse populations required.
• Must be able to pass pre-employment physical and TB screen.
• ECE must be current on MMR and TDAP immunizations.
• Must be able to successfully pass a criminal background, child protective service check & sex offender check.
• Must not be on the state or federal suspension and disbarment list.
• Must be able to exert moderate physical effort with occasional standing, walking, reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching, typing and frequently lift and carry small children or material weighing up to 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• Computer and word processing skills preferred.
• Driving may be necessary to attend meetings and trainings but is not a primarily and essential job responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Supervision and management of the overall operations of the program.
• Assure that service design, delivery and quality comply with the federal Head Start Standards, state licensing regulations and all legal and contractual obligations.
• Setting and holding program managers accountable to achieving specific results in child and family outcomes.
• Evaluating and improving program systems.
• Representing the agency in local, regional, and state communities.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off accrual
• 9 paid holidays per calendar year and up to 3 floating holidays per calendar year
• Excellent medical benefits at very reasonable cost
• Dental and Vision insurance options
• Agency paid basic life insurance and STD & LTD disability insurances
• 403(b) retirement with a generous agency match (all employees are eligible)
• Tuition Reimbursement – offered once per year through an application process
• Qualified employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager