Save the Children provides high-quality early learning interventions to children, from birth to age eight, in more than 150 low income rural communities across the U.S. We are seeking a seasoned early childhood expert to lead program design, innovation and business growth for our Rural Education programs. The Senior Advisor for Early Childhood Education and Development supervises a team of technical specialists and advisors, works closely with field teams to ensure program quality, supports fundraising efforts and serves as a key representative for Save the Children’s work in the U.S. The ideal candidate will possess deep knowledge of early learning research, curricula and assessment, a proven ability as a leader and a passion for making a difference in the lives of children.
Lead program design and innovation across US Programs key areas of focus: early childhood development, school-age literacy, early numeracy and social-emotional learning. (25%)
- Serve as lead technical expert across US Rural Education program areas;
- Stay abreast of national trends and working with field team to revise;
- Lead the design of program pilots and modifications to enhance results for children and their families;
- Collaborate with field implementation teams to adapt curriculum materials to align with best practice and meet local contexts/needs.
Manage team of technical experts to ensure quality program design, drive innovation and support fundraising efforts. (25%)
- Ensure US Programs and Advocacy maintains and builds the technical expertise as a leader in Rural Education;
- Foster effective collaboration between technical advisors/specialist across areas of expertise;
- Coordinate thematic results teams, focused on promoting kindergarten readiness and achieving 3rd grade reading and math proficiency;
- Conduct annual performance reviews for program Advisors and Senior Specialists.
Contribute to US Program strategy development, as a member of the Program Leadership Team. (10%)
- Develop and refine thematic approaches designed to drive US Programs and Advocacy’s strategy;
- Collaborate with colleagues on the Program Leadership Team to align direct interventions for children with family and community engagement efforts and collective impact initiatives;
- Align assessments with curriculum and ensure data collection aligns with program design and logic models.
Collaborate with field implementation team to ensure program quality standards are met. (15%)
- Co-lead annual results target setting for Rural Education Programs, along with Sr. Director for Field Operations;
- Work closely with Program Advisors and Senior Specialist to review quarterly program data and drive quality assurance efforts;
- Highlight program success and challenges for national leadership team;
- Support/inform quality improvement efforts, as needed.
Work directly with fundraising colleagues to support program growth and resource development. (25%)
- Cultivate partnerships with donors and other key stakeholders;
- Prepare for grant opportunities by gathering information, conducting formative research, and leading or participating in the program design process;
- Contribute to the active proposal development process through design workshops, proposal writing, reviews, etc.;
- Represent Save the Children in internal and external fora.
- Minimum 10-15 years' experience in early childhood development, education, non-profit management, or related field
- Strong level of technical and managerial knowledge, skills and experience to lead a unit of program experts and provide technical advice, guidance and direction to US Programs colleagues.
- Experience supervising staff and managing high performing teams.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Aetna Medical and Dental insurance with a concierge service
- Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
- Vision Insurance
- Life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Commuter Benefit Program
- Vacation and Sick leave
- Paid holidays
What makes us special!
- Generous Retirement Savings with matching company contributions of up to 8%
- Family Leave – 10 additional days of paid time off for you to use to care for your family members
- Additional Maternity and Paternity Leave – 30 days where parents can take additional paid leave (beyond short-term disability and FMLA) at the birth or adoption of a child during that critical first year!
- Critical Child Illness Leave – We hope you never have to use it, but we will provide an additional 30 days of paid leave per year should your dependent child be faced with a critical illness.
- Pet Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Identity Protection, Home, Auto and additional Life insurances
- Summer Fun Fridays – During the summer months, early release at 1:30 pm every other Friday!
- Volunteer Day – One paid day a year to support the causes that matter to you!
- Ergonomic Options – Every employee at our HQ offices has the option of a sitting/standing desk
- Leadership and Employee Development Training, including:
- Our remarkable in-house CORE, Senior Management Development, and Leadership Development Programs
- Language learning opportunities
- Continuous Improvement skill development programs
- Brown Bag information sharing sessions
- Work hard/Play hard! We make sure there’s ample opportunity for fun, engagement, and celebration while you work, such as networking events, March Madness, World Cup, Dodgeball Tournaments, Take Your Child to Work Day, Founder’s Day, and our annual Day of Service