Senior Program Associate In Maternal And Child Mental/Behavioral Health

About WestEd

As a community of over 1000 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.

Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to who we are and how we work. We are committed to working with our clients to illuminate and address disparities, value and elevate diverse voices, and ensure equitable access to our resources and services. Please review our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our Careers page at wested.org. Come and join us!

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.

The Opportunity

The Senior Program Associate in Maternal and Child Mental and Behavioral Health is a senior leadership position on the Early Childhood Intervention, Mental Health, and Inclusion (ECIMHI) content area team. This position will focus on project development and growth for research, technical assistance and professional development related to the developmental and mental health needs of infants, toddlers and young children (birth to age eight) at environmental risk for negative health, learning and/or developmental outcomes, specifically children who have been maltreated, are in the foster care system, or have been exposed to multiple family and community risks such as maternal depression, parental substance use, violence and poverty. The successful candidate will have worked within or in close consultation with the major domestic and global maternal and child health public health agencies (e.g., State Health Department/Title V Programs, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, federal-level programs or funded technical assistance centers) and demonstrated success in proposal writing and oversight of large state or federal grants and contracts. The candidate will be expected to collaborate and support external grant submissions and research projects led by colleagues both internal and external to the ECIMHI content area. The candidate will also be expected to develop or continue their own externally funded independent programs or projects in maternal and child mental and behavioral health.

In the role of Senior Program Associate, you will have the opportunity to bring your expertise in mental and behavioral health and early childhood systems to lead and contribute to complex, highly visible, and meaningful technical assistance, professional development, research and evaluation projects.

Areas of Focus

What we're looking for

• Our ideal candidate brings deep expertise in cross-disciplinary work in infant, family, and early childhood mental health. including but not limited to trauma-informed practices and resilience, parent-child relationships, family and community engagement, reflective practice, and infant-preschool mental health consultation.
• Our ideal candidate is an excellent and efficient writer, demonstrated by the receipt of large state and/or federal grants.
• Our ideal candidate can convey complex, technical ideas clearly and effectively to early childhood program and agency leaders, policymakers, and other key partners. The candidate must be skilled in providing technical assistance and professional development with demonstrated experience reflected on their resume.
• Our ideal candidate is a critical and a strategic thinker, with an ability to assess funding opportunities, solve problems, identify opportunities, and generate next steps.
• Our ideal candidate brings both education and experience to this role. This likely means that the candidate has a doctoral degree in psychology, maternal and child health, social work, child development, public health, or a related field. The preferred candidate will also hold an endorsement or certification in infant and early childhood mental health.

• Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The full salary range for this position, WestEd level I, is $133,360 to $200,000 but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $133,360 to $166,700. The actual offer takes into account 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

• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts

• All health/welfare benefits are effective first of the month following hire date

• PTO: 3 weeks vacation (increases to 4 weeks beginning the 4th year of employment), paid holidays, and 12 days paid sick leave per year

• Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary

• Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives

• Professional development opportunities & mentorship program

For more detail about our benefits, go to:

https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/benefits/

Committed to the diversity of race, ethnicities, perspectives, and opportunities, WestEd offers a variety of social and professional learning communities, such as Employee Resource groups, the Data Intelligence, Insights, and Innovation PLC, and the WestEd Parent Community, just to name a few. We hope you’ll consider joining us to build better schools, communities, learning pathways, and more! #LI-Remote #LI-Hybrid

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)