MDC seeks a Program Director to lead work to advance early childhood education and child-care equity in the South. MDC enjoys support from national and regional partners in private philanthropy, business, and government. Our vision is a South where all people thrive.
About MDC (Meaning, Dignity, and Community)
Founded in 1967, MDC catalyzes and accelerates economic mobility across thirteen Southern states by activating changemakers, strengthening capacity, framing key issues, and cultivating networks—centering equity through it all.
We currently work in 4 key issue areas:
- Leadership & Philanthropy
- Educational Equity
- Economic Security & Mobility
- Rural Prosperity & Investment
MDC is based in Durham, NC with a staff of 50 and oversight from a national board of directors. Our leadership team is led by our President and CEO, two Vice Presidents, and four Senior Program Directors, each leading one of our four major issue areas.
About the Position
MDC seeks an experienced Program Director to lead our work in early childhood education and child care systems-change. The primary focus of this position is leading MDC’s work on Home-Based Child Care (HBCC), a multi-year strategy that currently includes both a Community of Practice of HBCC networks, and Haven, a HBCC provider leadership development program.
In addition, the Program Director will support strategy development and knowledge building to strengthen approaches to early childhood education and child care equity across MDC’s work. MDC understands the importance of the early years and of thriving childcare ecosystems to support increasing economic mobility in the South. Home-Based Child Care is an essential element of our institutional commitment to building the “infrastructure of opportunity” that Southern communities and states need to help people attain social mobility and to address barriers of equity and opportunity.
The Program Director will guide and support strategic systems change for childcare and early childhood education across NC and the South. The Program Director works in close alignment and partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including our funding partners. Along with two MDC Program Managers, the Program Director will be the face of MDC’s child care and early education strategies. This position is remote with the requirement of attending in-person meetings and events in the Durham, NC area and other locations across the South approximately once a month. The position is supervised by the MDC Senior Program Director for Educational Equity.
Primary Responsibilities and Expectations
For Home-Based Child Care
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- In close collaboration with the HBCC program managers, support the leadership, design and facilitation of the Community of Practice and HBCC Haven programs.
- Ensure the HBCC programs are on track for meeting program deliverables and manage program budgets.
- Work closely with HBCC providers and HBCC networks in our program, program staff, funders and other partners, to identify opportunities to advance and scale systems-change toward HBCC’s goals.
- Support program evaluation and codifying program design for future replication.
- Develop, facilitate, and build the capacity of networks and HBCC providers to implement strategies that help shape local systems-change efforts.
- Scan the state and national landscape for promising practices and recommend new approaches for child care systems-change in NC and the South; stay up to date on developments in the early childhood and child care space in NC and across the South.
- Supervise and collaborate with the HBCC Program Managers and other MDC staff who contribute to early childhood education and child care.
- Support the efforts of Learning for Action, the HBCC evaluation partner.
- Manage funder relationships and collaborate with Senior Program Director in seeking new funding for HBCC; support development work for other educational equity strategies.
- Work closely with MDC’s Director of Learning and Impact and Director of Communications to ensure we track learnings, measure progress, and share our experiences in early childhood education and child care to inform the larger field. This includes writing pieces, speaking on webinars, presenting at conferences, etc.
- Collaborate with the Senior Program Director and other MDC leadership to develop and pursue strategies for expanding MDC’s child care and early childhood education work to states across the South.
Across MDC
- Serve as an expert on early childhood education and child care at MDC.
- Serve as a leader on MDC’s Educational Equity team and support the overall strategy of MDC’s educational equity approach.
- Build productive partnerships with community leaders, academics, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and leaders in the field.
- Integrate lessons of Home-Based Child Care where they are relevant to MDC’s work in family economic security and family support. Provide technical assistance to MDC projects that incorporate an early-childhood and/or child care approaches.
- Other duties as directed by the Senior Program Director for Educational Equity.
Qualifications
MDC seeks a strong leader with at least 7 years of relevant experience. This experience might have come through a variety of roles, including: in-service delivery; program management; state policy; community outreach and advocacy on issues of early childhood education and child care; academic research; and/or the design of major early childhood initiatives.
Other qualifications include:
- Understanding of the child care landscape in North Carolina and of the specific role, benefits and challenges for home-based child care.
- Deep experience leading, designing and/or supporting systems-change efforts that bring together multiple stakeholders; ability to facilitate cross-sector discussion about strategic direction.
- Proven ability to work with diverse group of stakeholders and facilitate groups through challenging conversations and collaborations.
- Proven ability to think and act strategically in a complex and shifting context.
- Ability to identify needs for and to provide capacity building to place-based organizations, such as HBCC networks.
- Ability to work effectively with and gain the confidence and trust of highly diverse constituencies, including child care and other system leaders, funders and other movement leaders — while at the same time holding a clear line on the principles of broad inclusion and engagement of marginalized people and communities of color, and to be trusted by these communities.
- Ability to articulate and advance an equity agenda; understanding and experience with advancing racial equity; highly-developed understanding of inclusion, power, and privilege concepts.
- Ability to analyze and utilize data.
- Ability to manage budgets.
- Excellent management and team leadership skills that fit with MDC’s culture of team-based project staffing and inclusive decision-making.
- A results-driven orientation, with the capacity to forecast, plan, and deliver in a timely fashion.
- Direct experience working in and/or with multiple sectors: nonprofit, philanthropy, public sector, and private sector.
- Comfort working individually and corresponding ability to contribute and thrive in a team-oriented organizational culture where collaboration and mutual accountability are highly valued.
- Excellent facilitation, coaching, and listening skills.
- Excellent verbal, written, and analytical skills.
- Previous experience working in North Carolina child care space preferred, but not required.
- Fluency in Spanish is preferred, but not required.
About the Educational Equity Team
We work in a high-paced environment with full days, but remain dedicated to a strong work/life balance. We strive to produce excellent work toward our individual and collective goals as a program and as part of MDC. Staff members have their own projects but will also be expected to work collaboratively.
- The Educational Equity team currently consists of a senior director, 2 program directors, 1 program support administrator, and 4 program managers.
- Currently, the new program director would supervise two program managers.
- The Educational Equity team meets mandatorily every month virtually for two hours and has at least two retreats per year.
- All MDC staff mandatorily meet monthly for 90 minutes and quarterly (in person in Durham) for 3 hours.
Compensation
The hiring salary range for this position is $80,000 to $90,000 annually, depending on experience. MDC offers an excellent benefits package. This position will report to Magan Gonzales-Smith, Senior Director for Educational Equity. This is a full-time exempt position and is eligible for a full package of benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance; short-term and long-term disability; life insurance; vacation, sick, and personal leave; and matching retirement account contributions.
To Apply
Please send an application package electronically through JazzHR. Application materials should include: (1) cover letter addressed to MDC Program Director Hiring Committee, (2) resume, (3) writing sample, and (4) contact information for three references as three separate PDFs.
Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Deadline for applications is 5:00pm Eastern on Friday April 26, 2024. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to apply early.
MDC is an equal opportunity employer. As an organization committed to diversity and equity, it is our policy to provide an equal employment opportunity to all individuals without regard to age, color, race, religion, national origin, disability, military/veteran status, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation or status in any other group, protected by federal or local law or for any other reason. This position is not eligible for H-1B visa sponsorship. We encourage applications from people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups. Further, MDC values candidates with lived experience relevant to our mission. Reasonable accommodations are available on request.
For more information about MDC, go to www.mdcinc.org and www.stateofthesouth.org.
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