POSITION: Department Manager, Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN)

REPORTS TO: Department Director

Base Salary Range: $64,911.00-$77,278.00

Extended Salary Range: $64,911.00-$104,325.00

FLSA Status: Exempt

AGENCY SUMMARY:

BrightSpark Early Learning Services has been at the forefront of the early learning landscape for over 30 years ensuring that all children have equitable access to safe, engaging, and positive early learning experiences that promote school readiness and lifetime success. With a staff of over 140 and a budget of $50 million (99% publicly funded), BrightSpark Early Learning Services provides a broad array of services for families and childcare providers so that they can support the development and well-being of our children.

• This position does require travel in King and Pierce Counties.
• This position includes occasional work commitments on evenings and weekends.
• This is a grant-funded position.

OPPORTUNITY:

The Department Manager, Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) is a member of the Program Leadership Team and reports to the Department Director. They participate as a member of the Early Learning Services Team on systems-wide projects necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of the agency. Specifically, this position is responsible for the strategic development, improvement, and day-to-day management of programs supporting Family Friends and Neighbor caregivers. Approximately 75% of young children are not in formal early learning programs but instead are in informal Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) care: grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, siblings, and parents. FFN care is most often found among communities of color, immigrant and refugee families, families with lower incomes, and those caring for children with special needs.

The FFN Department Manager is responsible for successfully implementing BrightSpark’s FFN programs, supervising the FFN team, and collaborating internally and externally. Current FFN programs include:

• Kaleidoscope Play & Learn (KPL) is an evidence-informed Promising Practice that reaches families in their cultural and neighborhood communities through weekly, facilitated play groups. As the creator of KPL, we provide the training, consultation, evaluation, and tool kits to our KPL Affiliates -- the community-based organizations and institutions that offer groups across WA and in other locations in the US.
• The Brothers & Sisters Program (BSP) was created for youth who care for their younger siblings, cousins, nieces/nephews, and other young children. The 10-week program offers skills and tools to help these youth nurture the appropriate development, school readiness, and safety for the children in their care, as well as self-care and mindfulness for themselves.
• Early Learning Conversations (ELCs) are group discussions for parents and caregivers led by community facilitators who share the same language and culture. These conversations focus on child development, health, safety, nutrition, discipline, and school readiness, and include suggestions for parent/caregiver behaviors or activities at home.

Responsibilities:

Specific responsibilities of the Department Manager, Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) role include, but may not be limited to:

• Program leadership and supervision of the Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) team.
• Lead and guide the operations, organizational integration, and continuous quality assurance of the Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) programs, including direct supervision of 2-4 team members.
• Hire, train, and supervise members of the FFN team. Create a work environment for all team members and managers, including those from other contracted agencies, which upholds the values of the FFN program, promotes access, and is continuously seeking to better serve children, families, and provides.
• Work closely with the funders, government and private entities, and their representatives regarding contract implementation, deliverables, quality improvement, and relationships with families and childcare providers.
• Guide BrightSpark’s work as administrator of the FFN Program and Development. This will include tools development, decision-making, and training of others on the various tools and systems used throughout this FFN program (including case management software, Excel, phone and text apps, communication systems, and a central document storage system). 
• Track progress towards outcomes and deliverables regularly, communicating internally and externally as appropriate. Prepare regular reports and work with the Finance and Accounting departments for necessary invoicing, budget tracking, and compliance requirements.
• Management of various reporting and compliance components of the FFN program.
• Work with the Director to develop and monitor annual budgets and service projections, as well as monitor actuals from specific revenue sources.
• Data management, reporting, and analysis: Ensure that data is entered accurately and promptly and that results are regularly summarized, checked, and analyzed for quality assurance and continuous improvement.
• Guide programmatic challenges, growth opportunities, and capacity-building with a focus on the needs and perspectives of families, providers, and historically excluded communities (people of color, people experiencing low socioeconomic status, people experiencing homelessness, people with special needs, people in rural communities) in a rapidly changing early learning environment.
• Represent and speak on behalf of the FFN providers and families in the community, with advocacy coalitions, and government entities as necessary to promote partnerships and address system challenges with potential adverse impacts on children and families furthest from opportunity.
• Ensure culturally conscious processes, protocols, and services are utilized within the department to best meet the needs of racially and culturally diverse families and FFN providers.
• Manage the communication and process flow between FFN providers, families, and other agency teams.
• Work collaboratively with the Early Learning Services team to integrate partnership offerings with other agency programs and services.
• Develop and maintain relevant external partnerships in King and Pierce counties.
• Other projects and responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

BA degree in early childhood education, child development, child or family counseling, or social service field and 6 years of job experience; or MA degree in early childhood education, child development, child or family counseling, or social service field and 4 years related job experience; or 10 years of equivalent work experience. At least 2 years of the required work experience should be in management and administration, preferably in a team-based environment. A commitment to diversity, cultural relevancy, and inclusion is required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Expertise in child development, early childhood mental health, trauma-informed practices, and/or family case management.
• Excellent supervisory skills that focus on reflective practice, racial equity, and building a culture of continuous improvement.
• Management of complex public and private grants and contracts, including outcomes, deliverables, reporting, and compliance.
• Ability to create and track budgets and revenue sources, and exercise reliable judgment about spending decisions.
• Experience with data management, including collecting, managing, and analyzing data, and putting together reports.
• Ability to utilize qualitative and quantitative data and analysis, using tools and perspectives rooted in equity, to develop program goals and outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience in building trust with individuals from a variety of diverse backgrounds and income levels.
• Excellent agenda-building and facilitation skills that skillfully bring forth and navigate differing perspectives and find common ground with which to move forward.
• Deep understanding of structural and institutional racism and experience keeping equity at the fore in decision-making.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly and kindly with internal and external stakeholders whether in-person, in writing, over the phone, or virtually.
• Proven ability to develop collaborative relationships and partnerships with a focus on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations and communities.
• Experience and confidence working with a variety of software, such as the full MS Office suite, (including strong Excel skills), Adobe Acrobat, OneDrive, SharePoint, ChildPlus, CaseWorthy, and MS Teams. Skill utilizing databases as a user (report pulling, etc.) is strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to provide leadership within a team environment.
• View work with a sense of possibility, see challenges as opportunities for creative problem-solving, and work to find creative solutions.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and assume responsibility for the completion of tasks.
• Flexibility to work occasional evening and weekend hours; Valid Washington driver’s license, insurance, and a reliable vehicle at his/her disposal.

Competencies:

• Core Competencies - 
  • Mission-driven: Demonstrates commitment to the mission and values of the mission.
  • Equity mindset: Demonstrates the values of anti-racist; fosters an inclusive environment that facilitates diversity.
  • Communication: Uses skillful written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening.
  • Adaptability: Adapts and responds to change; proactively seeks opportunities to be supportive of change that serves our mission
  • Ownership and quality of work: Manages own work, and work of teams when relevant, ensuring delivery of successful outcomes.
• Leadership Competencies - 
  • Decision-making: Structures and facilitates decision-making processes; makes decisions responsibly to improve organizational health and impact; gathers and weighs all sorts of data (qualitative, quantitative, historical, etc.)
  • Supports the development and motivation of others: Actively supports the development and motivation of others to maximize individual, team, and agency impact.
  • Continuous-improvement mindset: Identifies strategies to improve the organization’s impact; sets course and drives implementation.

COMPENSATION:

• Base Salary Range: $64,911.00-$79,596.34
• Extended Salary Range: $64,911.00-$104,325.00
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• This is a full-time salaried position requiring work during BrightSpark Early Learning Services Business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm, and requires a willingness to work some evenings and weekends.

The salary range indicated in this posting represents the minimum and maximum of the salary range for this position. Base salary will be used when considering compensation for a new employee.

Actual salary will vary depending on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, knowledge, skill, and education as they relate to the position’s qualifications, in addition to internal racial equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total compensation package.

Other components of the total compensation package may include participation in group life, health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program(s), paid time off, and paid holidays.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. A Resume
2. A cover letter, describing as specifically as you can how your experience, skills, and values fit with BrightSpark Early Learning Services’ goals and mission as described in this announcement.
3. A brief personal equity statement, describing your skills and experience engaging with issues involving diversity, racial equity, and inclusion, and/or in advancing racial equity in organizations. This statement should not exceed 300 words.

BENEFITS:

BrightSpark Early Learning Services’ benefits package includes employer-paid top-tier medical, dental and vision insurance plans for employees, 21 days of PTO per year in addition to 11 paid holidays, 3 paid floating holidays, birthday holiday, and one week-long office closure at year-end, Refresh Fridays in July (BrightSpark Early Learning Services Closure Days), flexible work environment, employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability/illness leave accrual, and 401k with 3% employer match.

WORK LOCATION:

• This position is a Hybrid
• Employees BrightSpark Early Learning Services employees in all types of work positions (hybrid, field, etc.) must attend training, meetings, events, or other work commitments at various BrightSpark Early Learning Services office locations or off-site locations in Washington State including New Employee Orientation in Kent, Washington.

EQUAL EQUITY EMPLOYER:

BrightSpark Early Learning Services is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity among our staff. We strongly encourage people of color, immigrants and refugees, people from the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and people from other historically marginalized groups to apply.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & QUESTIONS

• To learn more about BrightSpark Early Learning Services, please visit BrightSpark.org
• BrightSpark Early Learning Services is a grant-funded nonprofit organization. This and all positions are contingent on grant funding being in place and can end based on the expiration of funding.