Executive Director, CSCCE

The CSCCE Executive Director provides programmatic and operational leadership for the Center.

• Provide overall leadership and stewardship of CSCCE, ensuring alignment of vision, strategy, operations, and culture with purpose-driven goals.
• Guide and drive the broad research priorities and agenda of the Center in collaboration with the research directors.
• Assume responsibility for the Center’s programmatic, financial, personnel, and overall organizational structure and sustainability.
• Work collaboratively with senior staff to refine and implement CSCCE’s long‑term strategic vision.
• Manage cross-functional operations and staffing across CSCCE.
• Embody and strengthen CSCCE’s justice and equity frame for change.

• Ensure CSCCE’s continued leadership as the national leader in ECE workforce policy and research.
• Build and maintain high-level partnerships with educator groups, advocacy groups, policy and research organizations, philanthropic institutions, and policy leaders in collaboration with staff.
• Represent CSCCE in national forums and high‑visibility spaces, advancing its influence in ECE, labor, and economic well‑being spaces.
• Drive national conversations about equity, policy, and systems‑level change.

• Lead fund development strategies currently focused on raising $6 – $8 million annually in philanthropic, fee for service, and public funding to support and expand CSCCE’s research, policy, and field‑facing efforts.
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with existing funders, and cultivate relationships with new funders who are aligned with the values of CSCCE, providing regular updates on CSCCE’s work.
• Collaborate with senior staff to ensure that fundraising goals are met, and work with Directors to raise funds.

• Coordinate with IRLE and campus departments to ensure activities align with campus requirements and the mission of the University.
• Identify and implement student engagement opportunities.
• Lead CSCCE’s interdepartmental collaboration efforts.

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent international degree

• PhD in a related field
• 7–10 years of experience in an academic, policy‑making or research environment
• Evidence of ability to raise external research funds and ability to maintain external relations.
• Academic background, demonstrative research accomplishments, and expertise in the field of childcare employment.
• Leadership experience in academic, nonprofit or government agencies.
• Demonstrated experience with effective planning and execution of research projects and publications.
• Demonstrated expertise with program building and administrative, budgetary, human resources and financial principles and practices.
• Experience developing and improving internal processes, workflows and team communications.
• Expert oral and written communication skills.
• Experience leading a team, training and coaching, morale building and creating opportunities and resources for employee professional development.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills; ability to research and analyze complex situations critically, act decisively, and clearly convey information to others.
• Expert ability to effectively interact with a broad community of faculty, researchers, staff, funding agencies and other constituents.
• Demonstrated expertise with research methods and literature in one or more relevant fields.
• Ability to develop frameworks and networks for collaborative research projects.
• Experience leading fundraising strategies.
• Proficiency in using computer software and technology