Program Director, Business Development - Center for Early Childhood (Hybrid)

WestEd Career • Alameda, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Center for Early Childhood at WestEd is expanding its impact and portfolio through strategic business development. The Program Director, Business Development will plan, develop, and implement strategies for developing business and managing a portfolio of work focused on early childhood development and learning in the areas of professional learning, technical assistance, research and evaluation, and policy analysis. Reporting to the Center Vice President, the candidate will be part of a Business Development leadership team focused on increasing WestEd’s visibility and impact nationally. The Center where this position is housed is home to over 350 full and part-time staff who contribute to WestEd’s mission through work that builds the capacity of early childhood educators, caregivers, parents, and systems through cross-sector, integrated service delivery, policy guidance, system building efforts, and initiatives to support the whole child, whole family, and whole community. The Program Director has responsibility for developing and supporting the growth of a large portfolio of professional services including research and development, evaluation, and state-wide technical assistance. This position will develop sole source work and respond to competitive proposals as the lead writer. In this role, the candidate will be expected to use their subject matter expertise and reputation to represent WestEd before federal, state, and local government agencies and other early childhood and adjacent groups. You will also be expected to identify internal/external partnership opportunities consistent with the portfolio’s areas of work and provide project leadership. Developing collaborative working relationships and partnerships with other WestEd leaders is a key component for performance success. This position combines strategic market development, proposal leadership, and portfolio expansion responsibilities. Success requires proactively creating opportunities—not only responding to them—and partnering across the organization to translate those opportunities into funded work. The Program Director may also strengthen the Center's business development capacity by mentoring proposal teams, supporting strategic capture efforts, and fostering collaborative resource development practices across the organization.

Requirements

• Strong and proven track record of managing high-quality processes within a governmental, non-profit or corporate setting.
• Demonstrated business development experience.
• Experience providing early childhood technical assistance to states.
• Commitment to the mission of WestEd.
• Intellectual acuity and professional experience necessary to grow and refine its high-quality areas of work.
• Deep knowledge of and demonstrated leadership, statewide, regionally, and/or nationally in the early childhood development and learning space.
• Credibility to speak to national audiences and advise high-stakes clients on relevant topics.
• Knowledge of current and emerging trends in early childhood systems-based delivery of educational services.
• Leadership experience in policy development and/or management of early childhood initiatives and translating those trends into business opportunities.
• Understanding of and experience in leading and/or collaborating with state, regional, and/or local early childhood agencies and organizations to implement and sustain system improvements.
• Ability to conduct a national market analysis and identify market trends in selected areas of early learning and care and identify key growth drivers and current industry challenges and opportunities.
• Demonstrated experience applying personal passion and commitment to address equity of opportunity and outcomes for young children and their families.
• Successful design and implementation of innovative early childhood systems and services that meet the needs of young children and their families.
• Experience working in early childhood educational settings and/or organizations that address the needs of children and families in a variety of early learning contexts.
• Experience engaging stakeholders in policy development and decision-making processes.
• Ability to lead resource development efforts and supervise the writing of successful proposals to government agencies, foundations, and/or other funding sources that produce multi-million-dollar awards and/or pursuing entrepreneurial approaches that yield significant contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate executive-level relationships with state agencies, philanthropic organizations, national partners, and internal leaders that result in strategic collaborations and new business opportunities.
• Excellent organizational, administrative, managerial, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage contracts and budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with diverse colleagues from across the organization.
• Superior communication skills, including excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to engage with, inspire, and motivate a large and diverse team.
• Ability to work effectively in large and small groups and with diverse audiences.
• Writing for publication.
• Writing/presenting to educators as well as the public, non-educators, and policymakers.
• Demonstrated capacity in talent development and management with a particular focus on growing and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.
• An advanced degree in Education, Early Childhood Education, Child/Human Development, Organizational Development/Management, or related areas.
• Willingness to travel.
• Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
• WestEd conducts a criminal background check and education verification for all new hires.
• Any offers of employment will be contingent on receiving a clear background check in accordance with applicable law.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, and implement strategies for developing business and managing a portfolio of work focused on early childhood development and learning.
• Develop sole source work and respond to competitive proposals as the lead writer.
• Represent WestEd before federal, state, and local government agencies and other early childhood and adjacent groups.
• Identify internal/external partnership opportunities consistent with the portfolio’s areas of work.
• Provide project leadership.
• Develop collaborative working relationships and partnerships with other WestEd leaders.
• Mentor proposal teams.
• Support strategic capture efforts.
• Foster collaborative resource development practices across the organization.

Benefits

• 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment and immediately 100% vested
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account option
• All health/welfare benefits are effective the first of the month following the hire date
• PTO: 19 days (increases to 21 days beginning the third year of employment)
• 12 paid holidays
• Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary, max of 500k
• Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases
• Annual incentives
• Professional development opportunities
• Mentorship program

What This Job Offers

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