Early Learning Talent Development Manager

START EARLY•Beach Park, IL

6h•$89,400 - $94,000

About The Position

We are hiring in Lake County, IL. Start Early Lake County provides high-quality care, best-in-class education, and a stimulating learning environment to children from birth to five years old. As a program that serves low-income families, Start Early’s research-based program helps children develop the literacy, language, early math, and social-emotional skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. 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. The Lake County Early Learning Centers are in a start-up phase of transitioning to the Educare Lake County School Building in 2027. The Educare School will be a state-of-the-art, full-day, year-round school serving approximately 200 children from birth to five years of age. Building on the program foundations of Early Head Start and Head Start, the Educare Lake County School will promote school readiness by implementing effective programming aimed at preventing the achievement gap from taking root in the early years. The Early Learning Talent Development Manager will ensure that all Lake County staff, interns, and volunteers are equipped to deliver effective and high-quality early learning programming for children and families consistent with Start Early’s program design, the Educare model, and Head Start. The Early Learning Talent Development Manager is responsible for co-creating and fostering a culture of life-long learning and continuous improvement by developing and implementing systems for embedded professional development at Educare Lake County and the Lake County Early Learning Centers. The Early Learning Talent Development Manager will manage the full cycle of training programs, including needs assessment, instructional design, facilitation, and evaluation of results compared with intended program outcomes. This position will also partner closely with People & Culture and school leadership to build relationships with community organizations and institutions of higher learning to build and train an early childhood workforce pipeline of future educators. ?

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or Social Services (or related field). Master’s Degree preferred.
Minimum 5 years of experience?in adult learning, curriculum development, professional development design, and training facilitation.?
Demonstrated experience conducting needs assessments, gap analyses, and evaluating training effectiveness.
Strong leadership and people-management skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport across teams.
Ability to think strategically, solve complex problems, and adapt to changing priorities.
Ability to work effectively with adult learners and cross-functional teams.
Working knowledge of early childhood education systems, including Early Head Start / Head Start, government mandates, and best practices.
Knowledge?of developmentally appropriate practice, child development, curriculum content, and instructional methods for children 0–3 and/or 3–5.
Understanding?of family systems and evidence-based approaches to engaging families.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to foster cooperation, respect, and openness to change.
Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
Knowledge of basic principles of program management and staff supervision.
Strong analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel (or similar platforms).
Current physical exam, renewed every two years with a TB test, two doses of MMR and a TDAP less than 10 years old. Initial physical exam cannot be dated more than 6 months prior to the 1st day of employment.
Clearance of background check by Department of Children and Family Services.
Required to use close vision and be able to focus. Regularly required to talk and hear; frequently required to sit, stand and bend at the knee and waist, and walk. Must be able to have repetitive wrist, hand and/or finger movement to type and work on computer. Must have finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination to work on computer, telephone, and related office equipment.
Must be a licensed driver and have ongoing access to an insured vehicle.
Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of onboarding, professional development, and coaching systems for all Lake County staff, interns, contracted staff, and volunteers.
Foster a culture of continuous learning, reflective practice, peer collaboration, and ongoing career development.
Strengthen embedded coaching practices by building supervisor capacity and aligning coaching approaches across roles.
Support supervisors and staff in developing annual individual professional development plans.
Provide ongoing technical assistance, coaching, and guidance to supervisors and staff, including training on adult learning strategies and coaching best practices.
Identify, select, and support implementation of professional development resources, curricula, and learning platforms.
Ensure onboarding, professional development, and coaching systems meet or exceed all applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including Head Start Program Performance Standards and state licensing regulations.
Create an ongoing monitoring plan for professional development and staff qualifications.
Monitor, track, and report training, credential, and professional development data to support internal reviews and monitoring processes.
Stay current on changes to regulations and best practices and proactively communicate implementation guidance to leadership and staff.
Support hiring and credential verification processes, including documentation required for compliance and Policy Council processes.
Partner with People & Culture, school leadership, and the Early Learning Network to align professional development systems across programs.
Assist with hiring processes, including interviewing key staff and reviewing candidate credentials.
Establish and sustain partnerships with community organizations and institutions of higher learning to support workforce pipelines.
Promote staff educational advancement through partnerships supporting tuition assistance, apprenticeships, practicum placements, credential attainment, and degree completion.
Collaborate with leadership to implement a program-wide Professional Development Plan aligned to organizational priorities.
Ensure no child is left unattended and implement Active Supervision Strategies.
Ensure environment is safe and in good repair. Report any unsafe conditions.
Clearance of Background Check by Illinois Department of Children and Families.