About Children First
Children First, formerly Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), is a dynamic child advocacy organization focused on improving the lives of children by building support and momentum to improve local, state and/or federal policies that can promote racial and economic equity for children as they grow up in southeastern Pennsylvania. Our small staff is a group of highly motivated individuals who are passionate about improving the lives of children and youth. Through bipartisan advocacy, we have a record of winning scale level changes that do just that. To be successful at Children First you must enjoy collaborating and helping coworkers do their best and contribute to a respectful workplace that values a commitment to racial diversity, having fun, and making an impact.
Children First has 1 open position:
Early Childhood Education Policy Director
Position Summary
Children First plays a leadership role in setting and advancing local and state policy priorities to create a high quality of system of supports for children under the age of five in Philadelphia and the surrounding Pennsylvania counties. We are seeking to add a leader to our team with a proven track record of effectively leading stakeholder processes and coalitions to effect public will to improve public policy.
Key Duties:
- Lead the development and implementation of advocacy strategies to advance state and local policy priorities that meet the needs of infants, toddlers, and pre-school aged children by developing messaging documents, recruiting community leaders to participate in our advocacy, and creating and expanding broad based coalitions.
- Mobilize people in Children First’s early childhood networks and parents/caregivers to shape health policy through civic engagement
- Communicate with key policymakers about early childhood priorities
- Monitor trends and collect and analyze data on early childhood policy in order to identify unmet needs and persistent challenges, and establish priority issues
- Write and execute plans for dissemination of compelling reports that advance our early childhood policy goals
- Supervise the early childhood team including the Racial Equity Coordinator, Provider Council Coordinator, and Advocacy Associate
Qualifications, Education, Experience & Skills:
- Knowledge of major PA state early childhood policy issues including Keystone Stars, Pre-K affordability and access, wages in the childcare sector, paid family leave, and racial equity
- Experience understanding and advancing legislative goals and leading coalitions
- Ability to organize, mobilize and facilitate widespread community participation
- Proficiency in data analysis associated with health statistics, demographic analysis and related data-related research
- Advanced written and oral communication skills
- At least three years management experience with supervisory responsibilities
- Experience using social media tools to boost advocacy impact
- Strong desire to lead the early childhood team with a spirit of collaboration and empowering your team to help achieve team goals
Important Skills:
- Ability to work independently and with others in a hybrid work environment
- Works well under pressure while prioritizing and managing multiple projects
- Detail oriented with the ability to collect, interpret, and simplify large datasets
- Very strong written and oral communication skills
- Ability to travel to communities across the region – must have driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle
- Proficient in excel, word, google and social media platforms
Reports To: Executive Director
Salary: Between $100,000-110,000 depending on experience
Apply: Resume and cover letter to info@childrenfirstpa.org.
Internships
Children First interns gain knowledge and experience in child advocacy and public policy. Interns participate in all aspects of our work including attending rallies, conducting research on children’s issues and creating materials to support our mission of providing better lives and life chances for children in southeastern Pennsylvania. At this time, we are only able to offer unpaid internships that are needed as part of college course requirements. For more information, contact: info at childrenfirstpa.org
Children First is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring.