SUMMARY

This role is a part of the National Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Center, a federally funded center staffed by a partnership from Child Trends, BUILD, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and ZTT. While a member of the state policy team within ZTT, this position will be fully integrated into the Center’s TA team led by BUILD. The team will provide universal, targeted and individual TA to state and local leaders across all five policy areas of the Center’s conceptual framework: qualifications and educational supports, compensation, work environment supports, data, and financial resources aligned to the ACF priorities of improving the quality, capacity, and sustainability of state and community systems, strategies, policies, and programs to promote career advancement and improve compensation of the ECE professionals across the mixed delivery system. This position will bring a specific focus on the infant-toddler ECE workforce to the TA team.

ABOUT ZERO TO THREE

Founded in 1977, ZERO TO THREE (ZTT) works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the early connections that are critical to their well-being and development. Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. At ZTT, we envision a society with the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential. Our Core Values Statement: We believe that how we do our work is as important as what we do. To learn more about ZTT, please visit our website at zerotothree.org.

The ZTT Policy Center is a nonpartisan, research-based resource for federal and state policymakers and advocates on the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers. We support states and communities in advancing policies, services, and comprehensive systems to meet the needs of expectant families and families with young children. The state policy team, working in partnership with others in the Policy Center and organization, does this through relationship-based technical assistance (TA) projects, research and analysis, and development of resources and tools. ZTT provides support through federally funded TA centers, privately funded TA projects, and rapid response TA as requested.

ZTT is recognized for its relationship-based TA approach. We understand that effective TA enables recipients to think strategically, identify and access promising practices, and devote their time and resources toward the next best steps in achieving their goals. The best TA involves people who are not only knowledgeable about the content, but are exceptional listeners, able motivators, and effective relationship-builders. ZERO TO THREE tailors our TA services to meet the unique needs of recipients. We recognize that there is not a single route to achieving goals, and TA recipients will meet them in diverse ways based on their unique histories, environmental contexts, leadership, resources, and capacities. We also bring a holistic lens to our work, helping TA recipients facilitate connections between and within systems to strengthen infrastructure that will promote sustainability and expansion of their efforts. We are committed to advancing racial equity and help TA recipients understand how strong policies/systems can be a tool to disrupt and dismantle institutional racism, promote equity, and ensure all children get a strong start in life.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

ZTT is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring, advancement, and professional development. It is dedicated to diversity in its work, its staff, and with community partners. This is an exceptional opportunity for a professional who shares our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and supports our mission to enhance outcomes for all children.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the infant-toddler ECE workforce content lead for the Center, ensuring unique challenges/opportunities for the infant-toddler ECE workforce are integrated into the Center’s TA activities.
• Build and strengthen relationships with state and local ECE leaders and Center partners.

• Provide relationship-based intensive and targeted TA re to the Center’s conceptual framework to state and local ECE leaders in a minimum of 3 ACF regions. TA recipients will include individuals and teams with representatives from state agencies administering federally and state-funded ECE programs, local ECE program leaders and staff from the full mixed-delivery ECE system (such as Early Head Start/Head Start, family child care, community-, center- and school-based programs), institutes of higher education, and other cross-sector partners.
• Stay abreast of promising state and local ECE workforce policies, practices, financing, and system-building efforts, with particular focus on the infant-toddler ECE workforce.
• Assist with the development of universal, targeted, and individual TA plans.
• Contribute to development and delivery of targeted and universal TA, such as webinars, virtual and in-person convenings of ECE leaders, peer-to-peer exchanges and development of resources or tools.
• Assist with the development and implementation of educator focus groups with feedback loops to ensure that TA activities and resources are designed, implemented, and monitored to shift policy, practice, and programs and are responsive to early childhood program systems leaders.
• Collaborate with Policy Center state, federal and advocacy teams to share learnings across projects and facilitate feedback loops across work.
• Performs other duties as assigned to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the Policy Center

ESSENTIAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 7 years relevant work experience.
• Deep knowledge of and experience in the ECE field, with emphasis on infant-toddler context.
• Commitment to work with colleagues and partner with leaders across systems to increase opportunity, remove barriers, and redistribute resources to benefit ECE programs and the ECE workforce - intentionally centering those marginalized by existing policies, programs, and practices.

• Experience providing TA or coaching to support others in building their capacity to implement change.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, time management, and project management skills.
• Exceptional listener, able motivator, and effective relationship-builder.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with multiple partners to work toward multiple objectives and interests to achieve a shared goal.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with individuals representing a range of backgrounds and skill levels.
• Comfortable working as a member of a remote team.
• Travel expected – at least four times a year.

ESSENTIAL QUALITES

• Encourages and practices critical thinking
• Is self-reflective and empathic
• Recognizes the influence of workplace relationships on outcomes and results
• Maintains a respectful and accepting approach to others
• Awareness of the influence of the larger context on individual behavior
• Collaboratively and creatively supports the work efforts of colleagues at all levels and in all areas of the organization
• Is curious and interested in exploring various ways of approaching problems and opportunities
• Is committed to racial equity and inclusion

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in public policy, social work, early childhood or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is frequently required to use finger dexterity and sufficient hand dexterity to use a computer keyboard and be capable of reading a computer screen. Also, they may need to remain seated for extended periods, can perform repetitive motions, and reach for objects. An employee is frequently required to hold a writing instrument, communicate verbally, and hear well enough to detect nuances and receive detailed information. They may be required to grasp objects, push, and pull objects, bend, stand, walk, squat, or kneel. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision for data preparation or analysis, and expansive reading. May need to lift up to 30 pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work conditions described here are representative of those an employee encounter while performing this job. Depending on work location, the incumbent will typically work indoors in a heated and air-conditioned office, with a mixture of natural, incandescent, and fluorescent light with low to moderate noise levels or be subject to working conditions conducive to a home environment. When travel is expected, the incumbent will be exposed to outside environmental conditions during those times.

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