Executive Director, Early Childhood Innovation Center

Salary: $135,000 annually

Position Description

The Executive Director provides the vision, strategic leadership, and day-to-day direction of the Early Childhood Innovation Center. The position leads the ECIC’s work to strengthen Delaware’s early childhood education workforce by expanding access to the Child Development Associate (CDA®) Credential, post-secondary degrees, professional learning, and career advancement opportunities.

The Executive Director leads ECIC staff, oversees program strategy and implementation, manages organizational resources and a multi-million-dollar budget, builds partnerships, and works with early childhood professionals, institutions of higher education, state agencies, school districts, policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders to advance the ECIC’s statewide mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision and leadership for the ECIC and its statewide workforce initiatives
• Develop ambitious goals and strategies to increase the number of early childhood professionals earning CDA® Credentials and post-secondary degrees
• Lead and develop a diverse team while establishing a culture of accountability, inclusion, learning, and high performance
• Build and maintain partnerships with the Delaware Department of Education, other state agencies, school districts, institutions of higher education, community organizations, policymakers, advocates, and workforce partners
• Oversee ECIC programs, grantees, contractors, quality assurance, compliance, and continuous improvement
• Plan, implement, and manage a multi-million-dollar budget while monitoring expenditures and ensuring fiscal integrity
• Use data to assess program performance, identify needs, guide decision-making, and inform future direction
• Lead external communications and serve as a spokesperson for the ECIC when appropriate
• Ensure ECIC programming remains accessible, responsive, and aligned with the needs of Delaware’s early childhood workforce

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated leadership, execution, consensus-building, organizational, and strategic-planning skills
• Strong knowledge of early childhood development, the early childhood workforce, and competency-based preparation
• Demonstrated experience with grant or proposal development, organizational planning, and budgeting
• Excellent written, verbal, public-speaking, analytical, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to develop trusting and collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders and communities
• Strong staff leadership, performance-management, and team-development skills
• Ability to establish priorities and manage multiple complex projects within established timelines
• Ability to manage and analyze data using Excel and learn new technologies
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends and travel to represent the ECIC

Qualifications

• Minimum master’s degree in a related field required, preferably in Educational Leadership and/or Early Childhood Education; doctoral degree preferred
• Five years of experience providing or leading early childhood education serving children from birth through Grade 3
• Minimum of five years of experience supervising employees in early childhood-related settings
• Minimum of five years of experience developing and implementing adult education or workforce development within an early childhood education context
• Experience serving populations traditionally excluded from pathways to advancement and working with diverse communities

Child Development Associate Program Officer

Salary: $95,000 annually

Position Description

The Child Development Associate (CDA®) Programs Officer provides active, day-to-day leadership for the ECIC’s statewide CDA® programs and serves as a member of the ECIC Leadership Team. The position is accountable for consistent program implementation, coaching quality, cohort delivery, educator progress, credential completion, staff performance, partner coordination, and continuous improvement.

The CDA® Programs Officer directly supervises the CDA® Coordinator and CDA® Coaches and leads programmatic partnerships with Delaware Teacher Academy Career and Technical Education programs, school districts, institutions of higher education, and other education and workforce partners to strengthen early childhood career pathways and expand the future educator pipeline.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead statewide implementation of CDA® coaching, cohort models, portfolio preparation, credential-readiness supports, and related workforce initiatives
• Directly supervise, coach, support, and evaluate the CDA® Coordinator and CDA® Coaches
• Establish performance expectations, workloads, service standards, deadlines, and accountability measures
• Monitor educator participation, coaching quality, cohort activity, credential progress, completion, and unresolved barriers
• Ensure consistent program implementation across coaches, cohorts, service models, and locations
• Develop and maintain partnerships with Teacher Academy CTE programs, school districts, institutions of higher education, apprenticeship partners, employers, and workforce organizations
• Analyze program and participant data to identify trends, risks, service gaps, and opportunities for continuous improvement
• Coordinate with ECIC leadership and Operations on program implementation, reporting, compliance, staffing, contracts, and related organizational needs

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of Delaware’s early childhood education system, workforce-development initiatives, educator-preparation pathways, and the needs of the early childhood workforce
• Comprehensive knowledge of the CDA® credentialing process, adult-learning principles, coaching and mentoring practices, Practice-Based Coaching, portfolio development, and credential readiness
• Demonstrated ability to supervise professional staff, establish clear expectations, delegate effectively, evaluate performance, and support staff development
• Ability to lead a statewide program and move complex priorities from planning through implementation, monitoring, correction, and completion
• Strong project-management, organizational, strategic-planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to analyze program and participant data and make timely, evidence-informed decisions
• Ability to build collaborative partnerships across education, government, higher education, workforce, and community organizations
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, presentation, meeting-leadership, and interpersonal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, project-management platforms, virtual meeting tools, learning-management systems, and program data systems

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Adult Education, Workforce Development, or a closely related field preferred
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in early childhood education, including teaching, program leadership, workforce development, educator preparation, adult learning, coaching, or a combination of these areas preferred
• Minimum of three years of experience directly supervising professional employees in early childhood education, education, workforce development, or a closely related setting preferred

Operations Navigator – Finance and Office Operations

Salary: $65,000 annually

Position Description

The Operations Navigator – Finance and Office Operations supports the financial and administrative operations of the ECIC. This role helps manage financial processes, contracts, administrative workflows, vendor and payment activities, and office operations while supporting compliance with University, state, grant, and program requirements.

Key Requirements

• Ability to manage financial, contract, administrative, and operational workflows
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to interpret and apply University, state, and grant-related policies and procedures
• Experience supporting financial documentation, payments, vendors, contracts, or related operational processes
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and data management skills

Qualifications

• Associate degree required
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field preferred
• Three or more years of experience in financial operations, contracts, administrative management, or related work preferred
• Experience with state, university, or grant-funded programs preferred

Operations Navigator – Application and Program Operations

Salary: $65,000 annually

Position Description

The Operations Navigator – Application and Program Operations coordinates application processing, participant approvals, stipend processing, participant records, and program operations across ECIC initiatives. The position helps ensure application, enrollment, stipend, and participant tracking processes are completed accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with established requirements.

Key Requirements

• Experience with application processing, program operations, data management, or participant tracking
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines and operational workflows
• Ability to maintain accurate participant records, program rosters, and documentation
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Microsoft Excel
• Ability to work with databases, tracking systems, Monday.com, Microsoft Teams, and related operational platforms
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills

Qualifications

• Associate degree required
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, or a related field preferred
• Three or more years of experience in operations, data management, program administration, or a related field preferred
• Experience with databases, tracking systems, or state systems preferred

Child Development Associate Coach

Salary: $60,000 annually

Position Description

The Child Development Associate (CDA®) Coach provides individualized coaching, mentoring, and professional support to early childhood professionals participating in the ECIC’s CDA® credentialing initiatives. The Coach supports scholars throughout the credentialing process, including completion of required training hours, portfolio development, preparation for the CDA® exam and verification visit, and continued progress toward earning the credential.

Key Requirements

• Knowledge of the CDA® credentialing process and Council for Professional Recognition requirements
• Experience with coaching, mentoring, adult learning, or professional development
• Ability to provide individual and group coaching in virtual and in-person settings
• Ability to travel throughout Delaware for coaching, site visits, professional learning, and ECIC activities
• Strong communication, organization, documentation, and relationship-building skills
• Valid driver’s license that meets Delaware State University requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Human Services, Early Childhood Administration, Education, or a closely related field required
• Minimum of two years of professional experience in early childhood education, coaching, mentoring, adult education, technical assistance, or professional development
• Experience with the Child Development Associate (CDA®) credential process preferred

Program Support Associate

Salary: $45,000 annually

Position Description

The Program Support Associate provides administrative, operational, customer service, and logistical support for the ECIC and its statewide workforce initiatives. The position supports communication, scheduling, document management, meetings and events, participant activities, data entry, workflow tracking, application processes, and general office operations.

Key Requirements

• Strong administrative, organizational, and customer service skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records and documentation
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Outlook, Teams, and Excel
• Ability to learn and use operational tracking systems such as Monday.com
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work collaboratively across multiple program areas

Qualifications

• Associate degree preferred in Business Administration, Office Administration, Public Administration, Communications, or a related field
• One or more years of experience in administrative support, office operations, customer service, program support, or a related field preferred
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit organizations, workforce development, or grant-funded programs preferred