Early Head Start Director (967)

WISCONSIN EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION INC

155d • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a rare opportunity to help build an Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program from the ground up – bringing your vision, expertise, and passion for early childhood to a mission-driven organization that genuinely values the people behind the work. About WECA Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to building a foundation for lifelong learning for Wisconsin's youngest children. We support early childhood professionals through advocacy, professional development, and quality improvement — and we bring that same intentionality to how we treat our own team. We believe in work-life balance not just as a policy, but as a practice. Our culture is people-first, collaborative, and deeply mission-driven. When you join WECA, you're joining a team that cares about the work and about each other. The Role As Early Head Start Director, you'll lead WECA's Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (CCP) program — a multi-site initiative serving infants and toddlers across the Milwaukee area. This is a hybrid position: you'll have the flexibility to work from home while spending meaningful time visiting and building relationships with community-based child care partner sites. You'll supervise an Education Manager, Monitoring & Compliance Manager, and Comprehensive Services Manager — guiding a dedicated team to deliver integrated, high-quality services aligned with federal Head Start Performance Standards. Because this program is being built from the ground up, you'll have real ownership over its direction, culture, and outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience managing early childhood programs, with deep expertise in infant/toddler development
• Strong knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards and regulatory compliance
• Proven track record in fiscal oversight and strategic program planning
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills
• Based in or able to relocate to the Milwaukee area

Nice To Haves

• Spanish/English bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Own overall program leadership across multiple community partner sites — this is your program to shape and grow
• Develop and sustain strong community partnerships to expand reach and impact for Milwaukee's youngest children
• Ensure full compliance with federal and state regulations and Head Start Performance Standards
• Lead strategic planning and use data to drive continuous program improvement
• Hire, train, coach, and evaluate a passionate, high-performing team
• Manage program budgets in collaboration with the financial team
• Coordinate across education, family services, health, inclusion, and compliance to ensure integrated service delivery
• Lead community needs assessments and translate findings into program planning
• Prepare for and lead federal and state program reviews and audits

Benefits

• 10 vacation days in year one
• 12 sick days per year (bank up to 240 hrs)
• 13 paid holidays
• Holiday Week: WECA closes the week between Christmas and New Year's — fully paid as Holiday.
• 401(k) Match: Company matches 100% up to 3% of salary, plus 50% on the next 2%
• Health Insurance: Medical, dental (company paid), and vision insurance
• Income Protection: Life insurance, short-term & long-term disability — all company paid
• Additional Coverage: Accident, critical illness, and hospital insurance options available
• Flexible Spending: FSA and dependent care account options

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees