Job Announcement

Coordinates and leads the county's school readiness initiatives among county organizations, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), public officials and business groups. Provides leadership for the implementation of the Fairfax County equitable school readiness strategic plan; collaborates with office for children division directors in developing an integrated school readiness component and works to align all programs consistent with school readiness goals. Develops collaborative strategies with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to ensure that school readiness initiatives are consistent with FCPS program of studies. Responsible for leadership collaborative task forces and other groups representing the office for children. Oversees the county’s Virginia Preschool Initiative Program and other state pre-k grants, including oversight of grant subrecipients and contractors. Leads the county’s implementation of Virginia’s unified early childhood system including Virginia quality birth-5 for the northern region. Oversees multiple state early childhood grants including the Virginia Infant & Toddler specialist network for northern Virginia. Leads the Fairfax County school readiness community collaborative. Directs the office for children institute for early learning and other professional learning opportunities and programs available to early childhood educators in the community.

Ensures OFC’s child development associate (CDA) gold standard training certificate is maintained. Coordinates the neighborhood school readiness project in neighborhoods throughout the county. Oversees the development of outcome measures, such as pre- and post-assessments, surveys etc. Evaluates progress of the school readiness initiative at regular intervals, reports outcomes, and recommends improvements. Provides guidance and supervision for school readiness managers and oversees staff development of all school readiness division staff. Oversees and monitors school readiness program budgets, including grant budgets.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)

• Supervises a staff of child care professionals and has overall responsibility for all aspects of their programs;
• Supervises preparation of the division's budget and monitors program expenditures;
• Evaluates the effectiveness of division programs;
• Conducts service needs assessments;
• Represents the agency in meetings with public and private-sector officials and with the general public;
• Provides staff support to the Board of Supervisors.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Extensive knowledge of day care administration and child development programs;
• Demonstrated skills in needs assessment and strategic planning;
• Excellent skills in oral and written communication;
• Demonstrated ability to plan and direct the activities of a large group of child care professionals;
• Ability to plan and conduct staff development programs.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education and experience and training equivalent to the following:

(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Bachelor's degree from and accredited four year college or university in early childhood education, psychology, social work, business or public administration, or a related field; plus at least five years of progressively responsible experience managing a large professional staff engaged in providing direct service to meet the child care needs of working families and their children.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid Driver's License

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in early childhood education or a related field.
• Extensive leadership experience overseeing school readiness initiatives.
• Demonstrated history of successful leadership, collaborative relationships, project management and excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills.
• Experience managing diverse funding streams including state and federal grants.
• In-depth knowledge and strong oral and written communications skills about early learning, child care and school readiness.
• Supervisory experience and providing guidance to staff.
• Ability to make verbal presentations.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a Child Protective Services Registry check, a driving record check, and a credit check to the satisfaction of the employer.

All newly hired employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two weeks after the last required dose) as a condition of employment or obtain approval of a medical or religious exemption prior to their start date. Proof of an exemption or vaccination status will be required during the pre-employment onboarding process. New employees who obtain an exemption from the vaccine mandate for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs may be subject to a weekly testing requirement. Vaccinated employees and employees with a medical or religious exemption will complete the attestation online on their first day of employment or shortly thereafter.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Work is generally sedentary in nature. However, incumbent may be required to do some walking, standing, bending, and carrying items up to 25 pounds. Ability to operate keyboard-driven equipment. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Sufficiently mobile to attend meetings at various locations and make presentations to county staff and community. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel Interview and may include a practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.