About WestEd
As a community of over 1,400 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact — asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.
WestEd supports individual initiative, excellence, and hard work of all individuals in our hiring and work practices. WestEd complies with all applicable federal and state anti-discrimination laws, as well as OFCCP requirements. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, or status as a protected veteran.
SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although WestEd provides the option of working at one of its facilities for employees, many roles allow employees to choose to work remotely for their own convenience. The decision to allow remote work at the employee's convenience is based on the requirements of the position or project in question.
About the Position
The Center for Early Childhood at WestEd is expanding the Center’s impact and portfolio through strategic business development. The Program Director, Business Development will plan, develop and implement strategies for developing business and managing a portfolio of work focused on early childhood development and learning on the areas of professional learning, technical assistance, research and evaluation, and policy analysis. Reporting to the Center Vice President, the candidate will be a part of a Business Development leadership team focused on increasing WestEd’s visibility and impact nationally. The Center where this position is housed is home to over 350 full and part-time staff who contribute to WestEd’s mission through work that builds the capacity of early childhood educators, caregivers, parents and systems through cross-sector, integrated service delivery, policy guidance, system building efforts and initiatives to support the whole child, whole family, and whole community.
The Program Director has responsibility for developing and supporting the growth of a large portfolio of professional services including research and development, evaluation, and state-wide technical assistance. This includes but is not limited to: This position will develop sole source work and respond to competitive proposals as the lead writer. In this role, the candidate will be expected to use their subject matter expertise and reputation to represent WestEd before federal, state, and local government agencies and other early childhood and adjacent groups. You will also be expected to identify internal/external partnership opportunities consistent with the portfolio’s areas of work and provide project leadership. Developing collaborative working relationships and partnerships with other WestEd leaders is a key component for performance success.
This position combines strategic market development, proposal leadership, and portfolio expansion responsibilities. Success requires proactively creating opportunities—not only responding to them—and partnering across the organization to translate those opportunities into funded work. The Program Director may also strengthen the Center's business development capacity by mentoring proposal teams, supporting strategic capture efforts, and fostering collaborative resource development practices across the organization.
Qualifications and Experience:
As a Program Director, Business Development the candidate must have a strong and proven track record of managing high-quality processes within a governmental, non-profit or corporate setting and demonstrated business development experience. The candidate must have experience providing early childhood technical assistance to states. The candidate must bring a commitment to the mission of WestEd, along with intellectual acuity and the professional experience necessary to grow and refine its high-quality areas of work, which are distinguished by their excellence. In addition, the candidate must have:
- Deep knowledge of and demonstrated leadership, statewide, regionally, and/or nationally in the early childhood development and learning space; credibility to speak to national audiences and advise high-stakes clients on relevant topics.
- Knowledge of current and emerging trends in early childhood systems-based delivery of educational services and leadership experience in policy development and/or management of early childhood initiatives and translating those trends into business opportunities.
- Understanding of and experience in leading and/or collaborating with state, regional, and/or local early childhood agencies and organizations to implement and sustain system improvements.
- Ability to conduct a national market analysis and identify market trends in selected areas of early learning and care and identify key growth drivers and current industry challenges and opportunities.
- Demonstrated experience applying personal passion and commitment to address equity of opportunity and outcomes for young children and their families.
- Successful design and implementation of innovative early childhood systems and services that meet the needs of young children and their families
- Experience working in early childhood educational settings and/or organizations that address the needs of children and families in a variety of early learning contexts
- Experience engaging stakeholders in policy development and decision-making processes.
- Ability to lead resource development efforts and supervise the writing of successful proposals to government agencies, foundations, and/or other funding sources that produce multi-million-dollar awards and/or pursuing entrepreneurial approaches that yield significant contracts.
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate executive-level relationships with state agencies, philanthropic organizations, national partners, and internal leaders that result in strategic collaborations and new business opportunities.
- Excellent organizational, administrative, managerial, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage contracts and budgets and to work collaboratively and effectively with diverse colleagues from across the organization
- Superior communication skills, including excellent writing and presentation skills; the ability to engage with, inspire, and motivate a large and diverse team; the ability to work effectively in large and small groups and with diverse audiences; writing for publication; and writing/presenting to educators as well as the public, non-educators, and policymakers.
- Demonstrated capacity in talent development and management with a particular focus on growing and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.
- An advanced degree in Education, Early Childhood Education, Child/Human Development, Organizational Development/Management, or related areas.
- Willingness to travel.
Work Location
The position is currently remote with optimal presence in a WestEd office/facility 2 times per week. Our offices in California are located in San Francisco, Alameda, Seal Beach, Camarillo, Sacramento, San Diego & Sunnyvale. Other states include: Washington DC, Seattle WA, Phoenix AZ, & Boston MA.
*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
WestEd conducts a criminal background check and education verification for all new hires. Any offers of employment will be contingent on receiving a clear background check in accordance with applicable law.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
The full salary range for this position, WestEd level (14), is $162,800 to $254,400, but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $162,800 to $203,500. The actual offer considers multiple factors, including but not limited to education, experience, internal equity, and other organizational needs.
In addition to the base salary, benefits include:
· 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment and immediately 100% vested
· Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account option
· All health/welfare benefits are effective the first of the month following the hire date
· PTO: 19 days (increases to 21 days beginning the third year of employment), 12 paid holidays
· Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary, max of 500k
· Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives
· Professional development opportunities & mentorship program
For more details about our benefits, go to: https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/#benefits WestEd is a Drug Free Employer and maintains a drug-free workplace. #LI-CA, DC,WA,AZ,MA #Circa-CA,DC,AZ,MA,WA
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
