Supporting Educational Initiatives

United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County (UWSA) is dedicated to improving people’s lives and creating community-level change. They work towards this goal by leading cross-sector collaborations, advocating for public policy changes, and investing in programs that prevent problems from happening in the first place. UWSA focuses on four impact areas: preparing children for kindergarten, empowering students to graduate and reach their full potential, helping individuals and families become self-sufficient, and providing a safety net of services for those in crisis.

Benefits

UWSA offers a range of benefits to its employees, including:

• Employer-subsidized healthcare plan with employer-funded HRA
• Group dental, vision, life insurance, and other insurance products
• Paid holidays, personal and sick leave time
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching

Job Summary

UWSA is currently seeking a Director of Education Initiatives to lead the overall success of early childhood education goals. This role involves leading the Building Quality Initiative and collaborating with local partners, stakeholders, providers, and parents. The Director will be responsible for increasing the number of quality early childhood education centers in Bexar County and ensuring that all children are ready to enter kindergarten.

The ideal candidate for this position will have experience in leading collaborative, cross-sector nonprofit partnerships and be familiar with Results-Based Accountability. They should have the ability to work and communicate effectively with a diverse set of stakeholders. The successful candidate will be flexible, self-motivated, and able to work both independently and collaboratively.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Director of Education Initiatives will have the following responsibilities:

1. Collaborate with partner organizations to promote an aligned approach to increasing the number of quality certified early childhood education programs.
2. Manage and maintain data and performance metrics to quantify the impact of quality early childhood education efforts.
3. Ensure tasks related to the alignment of quality early childhood education efforts are completed in accordance with established indicators and strategies.
4. Communicate effectively with the Early Matters San Antonio team regarding UWSA’s work progression with the Family Engagement priority and other related progress.
5. Partner with community organizations engaged in mapping community funding investments, needs, and assets.
6. Support and strengthen partnerships between early childhood-focused entities in Bexar County to reduce duplication of services and streamline efforts.
7. Work with United Way’s ReadyKidSA (RKSA) staff lead to inform regular convenings of the RKSA Coalition and RKSA Help Me Grow initiative.
8. Create strong feedback mechanisms to ensure community input continues to inform early childhood education initiatives at UWSA.
9. Establish strong partnerships with Region 20 and local Independent School Districts to support formal and informal partnerships between early childhood education centers and ISDs.
10. Identify opportunities to share success stories around UWSA’s work in early childhood education and collaborate with the Marketing department to develop public-facing materials.
11. Engage and partner with higher education institutions working within the early childhood education arena to build a talent pipeline of quality early childhood educators.
12. Manage additional opportunities supporting early childhood education initiatives.

Education and Experience

The ideal candidate for this position should have the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Health & Human Services, Public Policy, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Five or more years of experience in the human services field.
• Experience in program evaluation.
• Strategic leadership of collective impact efforts.
• Experience in working effectively in multicultural environments.
• Strong relationships in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.
• Staff and volunteer management experience.
• Budget and fiscal management experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

The Director of Education Initiatives should possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Knowledge of the nonprofit arena and the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, community partners, donors, and volunteers.
• Ability to identify and build opportunities and assist in educating and mobilizing networks of individuals, associations, agencies, and institutions to support UWSA’s impact agenda.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Professional demeanor, confident, and goal-oriented.
• Self-motivated and creative.
• Dynamic, authentic leadership and team-building skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities and problem-solve issues as they arise.
• Strategic thinking ability.
• Demonstrated independent decision-making and problem-solving ability.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Facilitation and presentation skills and experience.
• Knowledge of Results-Based Accountability™ preferred.
• Data utilization expertise related to community issues.
• Budget management experience.
• Committee-level volunteer management.
• Relationship management with a broad array of individuals and organizations.
• Attention to detail in a multitasking environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Competent with Adobe Products Suite preferred.

Work Environment

The work environment for the Director of Education Initiatives is as follows:

• Normal nonprofit office environment with little exposure to dust, noise, and extreme temperatures.
• Extended work on personal computing equipment, telephone, multi-functioning printer, and calculator.
• Reliable transportation required for local and occasional state and national travel.
• Monday-Friday, 8:15 am to 4:45 pm work week with occasional evening and weekend hours.

Physical Demands

The physical demands for the Director of Education Initiatives include:

• Sedentary work on a PC, sitting for extended periods of time.
• Movement within the office and during external meetings and events.
• Bends, stoops, and twists occasionally.
• Exerts up to 25 lbs. of force occasionally.
• Facilitates, presents, and collaboratively interacts with others routinely.
• Performs repetitive tasks, such as typing and texting, routinely.

The Director of Education Initiatives plays a crucial role in supporting educational initiatives in the San Antonio and Bexar County community. With a focus on early childhood education, this position requires strong leadership, collaboration, and strategic thinking skills. If you are passionate about improving the lives of children and families through education, this may be the perfect opportunity for you. Apply today to join the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County team and make a difference in your community.