Deputy Executive Director, Department Of Early Childhood

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is committed to building a Colorado For All, a place where everyone has an opportunity to succeed and live the Colorado way of life. Governor Polis is focused on lowering health care costs for hardworking Coloradans, transitioning the state to renewable energy sources, ensuring every Colorado child gets a quality education, and building an economy that works for everyone.

We offer a generous benefits package including:

• Optional 401(k) and 457 plans
• Training and professional development
• State paid life insurance policy
• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
• Choice of 2 retirement plans (defined benefit or defined contribution)
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• State paid short-term disability coverage
• Credit Union membership
• Additional optional life and disability plans

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits.
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) ensures the delivery of a comprehensive, community-informed, data-driven, high-quality, and equitable early childhood system that supports the care, education and well-being of all Colorado's young children, their families and early childhood professionals in all settings. CDEC provides access to collaborative, coordinated, quality early childhood programs and support to children, families, and early care professionals in an effort to best prepare Coloradans for future success. CDEC works with many partners, including parents, schools, child care providers, Early Childhood Councils, counties, Community Centered Boards, early intervention service providers, family resources centers, county human services, county public health, businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders to provide high-quality early childhood and family support programs.

The Deputy Executive Director supports the ED with advancing equity as a mission-critical facet of senior leadership, including substantial employee engagement; inclusive behaviors and organizational culture; identification, coaching, and management of equity-related competencies and skills in the workplace; and ensuring that CDEC is recruiting a workforce that is diverse by gender, race, class, and sexual orientation, among other important group identities.

• Oversees and monitors the development and implementation of agency’s plans, reports, and strategies to include the Strategic Plan, Wildly Important Goals (WIGS) and Legislative Appropriations Request
• Collaborates among executive management in the analysis of the statutory impact and other issues affecting the offices.
• Responds to incoming correspondence and queries, under the direction of the Executive Director
• Represents the Department before legislative committees, local officials, executives and senior managers of other agencies concerning program activities.
• Provides day to day operational leadership for the Department.
• Represents the Department in various settings, including in front of the legislature, stakeholders (families, providers, school districts, and advocacy groups), other state departments, the Governor’s office, and other settings
• Assists in guiding all aspects of the Department’s programs and in creating policies and procedures, ensuring that administrative, statutory compliance, revenue and other functions are taken into consideration.
• Responsible for leadership of direct reports including, but not limited to, oversight of performance, performance management, and employee development. Ensures leadership team establishes and maintains leadership techniques focused on employee engagement and accountability, ensuring a positive culture and effective performance management.

Minimum Qualifications:

AND

• Demonstrated experience in goal setting, priority management, project management, and performance measurement against goals.
• Proven, expert level verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in managing individuals and creating collaborative, supportive cultures where employees and leaders thrive.
• Demonstrated ability to embed equity in all organizational internal practices and culture, as well as our programs.
• Demonstrated experience in succeeding and thriving in environments with competing and changing priorities.
• Reputation for bringing openness and engagement to personal, professional, and organization-wide learning on race, class, gender, justice, and equity.
• Demonstrable knowledge of Project Management best practices.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, relationship building and collaboration skills at the senior leadership level.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application and in the supplemental questions. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section and supplemental questions of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.
** Substitutions: Additional related experience may substitute for the education on a year-for-year basis. Additional education in a related field may substitute for the experience requirement on a year-for-year basis.
DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Work that involves exercising discretion, analytical skill, judgment, and personal accountability, and responsibility for creating, developing, integrating, applying, and sharing an organized body of knowledge that characteristically is uniquely acquired through an intense education or training regimen at a recognized college or university; equivalent to the curriculum requirements for a bachelor's or higher degree with major study in or pertinent to the specialized field; and continuously studied to explore, extend, and use additional discoveries, interpretations, and application and to improve data, materials, equipment, applications and methods.
Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in state government
• Experience in early childhood administration
• Master’s or doctorate degree in related field
• Experience with change management in a large organization
• Knowledge of Colorado rules and regulations related to early education.
• Bilingual - English/Spanish
• Experience in working with the legislature and the generation of fiscal notes associated with proposed legislation and in writing rules, statutes, and legal policies.
• Demonstrated experience working closely with senior executives to achieve organizational vision, mission, and goals/objectives
• Knowledge and understanding of state early education policy
• Knowledge of how race, racism, class, classism, gender, sexism, power and privilege, and related equity issues show up in the work of mission-driven organizations and their programs and experience helping organizations progress on their journey to become more equitable and inclusive.
• Experience in a public service environment at the state, county, and local levels.
• Experience with the development and proper execution of program budgets to meet business operational requirements
• The ability to think creatively, and develop innovative strategies and solutions that address complex challenges

Highly Desirable Competencies:

• Ability to think at a systems level and see the big picture
• A proven ability to work within a complex political environment and governmental system.
• Ability to analyze financial, budgetary, administrative, legal, and organizational data to recommend appropriate action.
• Ability to be responsible and effective and values excellence in terms of conduct, integrity, and attitude.
• Outstanding written and oral communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to interface with key constituents and stakeholders.
• Ability to understand the different aspects of performance measurement and to create approaches to develop meaningful performance measures; ability to effectively analyze and organize performance data and use performance data to draw conclusions/make recommendations.
• Ability to think critically and to coach others in critical thinking
• Ability to assess the relative importance of activities and assignments; adjusts priorities when appropriate; manages several tasks at once.
• Ability to see connections between multiple, complex, cross organizational streams of work
• Ability to translate broad strategies into specific objectives and action plans and to align the organization to support strategic objectives. Ability to operationalize high level strategic initiatives, projects and objectives.
• Ability to build and cultivate relationships up, down and across a large organization to facilitate collaboration, overcome barriers, and achieve goals.
• Ability to understand the role and interrelationship of each organizational function and outside drivers (e.g., economy, politics, social) and apply this understanding to develop/shape and implement strategy
• High emotional intelligence and professional execution at the most senior levels of state government.
• Ability to analyze information and use facts and available information to develop logical assumptions and differentiate between important and unimportant details, recognize inconsistencies between facts and/or data and draw correct inferences from information (includes differentiating, comparing, contrasting, linking, researching)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Applicants must pass a thorough background check prior to employment.
• Employees who have been disciplinary terminated, resigned in lieu of disciplinary termination, or negotiated their termination from the State of Colorado must disclose this information on the application.
• Local in-state travel is required and occasional national travel.

Supplemental Information
A cover letter and resume or CV must be submitted with the application for consideration. Your resume must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
ADAAA Accommodations: The Colorado Department of Early Childhood is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our Director of Human Resources: [email protected].
The Department does not offer sponsored visas for employment purposes.
Technical Assistance
If you experience difficulty in uploading or attaching documents to your online application, or for any other technical difficulties, call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 anytime between 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).