9774 (TPV) Professional Development Pathways Program Officer- Dept. of Early Childhood

Job Description

Workforce Initiative Description

The DEC Early Educator Workforce Initiatives aims to improve outcomes for San Francisco’s children and families by providing additional compensation to support a well-educated, well-compensated, and stable workforce.

DEC is committed to providing resources to programs and individuals that reward early care and education (ECE) staff for increased educational attainment, experience, and additional qualifications/skills.

Position Description

The Professional Development Pathways Program Officer for the Workforce Development Initiative is part of a diverse team dedicated to the advancement, retention and working conditions of early educators. This position reports to the Workforce Initiatives Manager under the Early Learning Division and oversees the Professional Development Pathways grant portfolio and programming.

The Program Officer will work closely with the Workforce Compensation Program Officer, members of the Quality Early Learning, and the Data & Evaluation, Policy and Communication Teams to implement an array of grant making, capacity building, grants management, technical assistance, evaluation, communication, and funder and stakeholder organizing efforts while supporting and fostering key relationships within the department and with community-based partners.

The Program Officer performs a variety of activities related to the funding of various local early educator workforce projects and programs; may provide direct oversight of program implementation and technical program staff; will participate in significant program planning, development, program implementation, and evaluation; conducts program analyses, makes recommendations on operational corrections to comply with contractual requirements and support departmental goals and mission; prepares reports and records and performs related duties as required.

Examples of important and essential functions of this position include:

Systems and Partnership Level 

Research and remain active in current policy, activities, and trends within the field of early education professional development pathways and policies; apply this information in the context of the workforce initiative grant portfolio and/or direct implementation of workforce support programming.

Work with the Policy & Impact Division for internal/external research, analyze and synthesize trends and opportunities in early education professional development support efforts or related fields to translate into potential opportunities for action and investment.

Develops key emerging strategies and partnerships with higher education institutions and stakeholders in coordination with the Workforce Initiatives Manager.

Engage in professional development and continuous learning, including participating in conferences and meetings, regional networks, and other field-building/professional development opportunities that will enhance leadership development.

Provide guidance to the design and implementation of educational pathways (such as college level coursework) grant programming.

Initiate and sustain collaborative partnerships and activities with staff, City departments, and other early childhood stakeholders at local, regional, state levels to ensure effective implementation of grant portfolio and promote integration with related efforts.  

Integrate and align other Early Learning Division initiatives and efforts as needed; participate in department-wide planning, resource allocation, and organizational development.  

Grantmaking and Support

Lead and manage the grant portfolio for the Professional Development Pathways Initiatives which includes oversight of budget utilization, activities, and the compliance performance of grantees.

Lead in coordinating program design and implementation of crucial early educator professional development pathways programs, including managing and coordinating current and emerging partnerships with non-profit organizations, higher education institutions, provider communities, and other key community stakeholder groups.

Effectively center equity in program solutions and system design approaches, including development of training, coursework and professional development requirements of programming that acknowledges the experiences of the diverse workforce and the need for supports and strategies to increase access to institutions of higher education.

Read, analyze, and interpret common professional publications, research, legislative or policy documents, financial reports and related agency documents and information

Monitor expenditures related to approved budgets, ensure reimbursement of authorized expenses, maintain supporting documentation of related contracts and financial/budgetary analyses to ensure grants stay within scope and cost, and work with the Finance and Operations Division on mid-year and year-end budget reconciliation.  

Oversee and manage the monitoring, compliance, and performance evaluation for each partner agency grant; includes conducting program review visits, supporting evaluation and data collection, tracking Key Performance Indicators/Metrics, and establishing and coordinating other methods and procedures to ensure accountability. 

Manage, support, and/or participate in funding processes, proposal review process, and proposal selection processes. 

Works with identified data system to establish and collect training and professional development reporting, to develop integrated data system tracking that will link quality supports, child outcomes, teacher supports, and other evaluation data while helping to design additional strategic investments in professional development pathways.

Collect data and information and prepare a wide variety of reports, memoranda, and correspondences on initiative progress and status; recommend project or program modifications to assure initiative goal attainment, high quality implementation of services, and contract adherence.  

Develop annual workplan, with guidance from the Workforce Initiatives Manager, to determine short and long-term goals for establishing professional development pathways data collection, analysis, policy and programmatic approaches to address strategies to improve access to and the development of professional development pathways for the ECE workforce. Plan to include assessment of barriers, strategies for mitigating obstacles, and actions to support increasing access to pathways for professional development and training.

Develops, in coordination with the Workforce Initiatives Manager, key emerging strategies that support programming that bolsters access to coursework, student support and professional development attainment efforts, such as degree-facing cohort models for the early educator workforce.

Provide troubleshooting, guidance, and technical support to grantees and participating programs/agencies as needed.

As needed: oversee the work of external consultants; report to senior level and executive management; supervise staff. 

Support and facilitate consultation with organizational and provider/educator grantees; as needed provide technical support to organizations and providers/educators and interested in accessing professional development pathways supports.

 

Other duties as assigned.

This position will require some evening and weekend meetings, including travel regionally and nationally.

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