The Organization
The Alliance for Early Success is a national nonprofit that works with early childhood policy advocates at the state level to ensure that every child, birth through eight, has an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.
Position Overview
The Alliance for Early Success is seeking a policy director/senior policy director who is passionate about the early years and is eager to help advocates across the country advance state policies that improve outcomes for all young children. We’re looking for someone to join a team that’s committed to continually becoming a more antiracist organization and believes the only way we’ll be successful is through policy changes that dismantle the structural racism and sexism that causes disparity from the beginning.
The Alliance for Early Success convenes and supports a community of early-childhood advocates spanning all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which ensures these allies have the connections and resources they need to secure the crucial state funding and policies that provide children what they need in the early years to realize their full potential for a lifetime. We provide our state allies the latest strategy, research, and expertise from our national allies. We organize peer learning opportunities that help them replicate success and avoid pitfalls. We provide almost $8 million in annual grants to help them build capacity and stability. And – above all – we listen to where they are, where they’re trying to go, and how we can fuel that mission.
Funded by many of the leading investors in early childhood philanthropy, the Alliance’s unique support of state advocacy is crucial to the field.
About the role:
In this role, you will cultivate authentic partnerships within our network, seize opportunities, champion equity, guide strategy, foster connections, help grantees apply for and execute Alliance grants, and leverage your issue-area expertise – all in pursuit of state policies that expand funding and improve outcomes for young children and their families.
In this job you will:
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- Collaborate with the Alliance team to create a powerful community of early childhood advocates – one that secures equitable state policies and investments that are essential for every child in every state to succeed
- Connect our state allies with resources and expertise from national expert organizations within and beyond the Alliance network so they can accelerate and amplify their efficacy
- Provide strategic consultation and manage peer learning opportunities on policy issues and advocacy strategies
- Manage a portfolio of grantees that represent both state and national allies
- Be a part of the team that decides grant allocations that are strategic and effective to maximize the impact of the investments
- Provide expertise on prioritized policy issues so that the Alliance and its allies have current, sound, and actionable guidance
Some benefits of working at the Alliance include:
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- Strong remote culture — we were virtual long before COVID – that provides flexibility, promotes connections without proximity, and prioritizes regular opportunities for in-person connection
- The opportunity to work with a team of high-impact, low-ego pros who are passionate about progress
- A flexible vacation policy that includes all federal holidays and the last week of the year
- A generous retirement plan
To be successful in the role, you’ll need:
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- A self-managed and entrepreneurial workstyle that thrives in a less structured but highly accountable organizational culture
- A demonstrated interest in and ability to understand and address the needs of diverse communities (experience implementing/facilitating racial equity work is a plus)
- A proven track record of working effectively across political parties in advocacy, policy, or government entities
- A relentless focus on outcomes and the ability to pivot when opportunity strikes
- The ability to cultivate community by building personal relationships
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- The ability to travel regularly (when safe travel is again possible)
- A minimum of five years’ experience in policy areas related to Alliance policy framework (expertise in family economic security, maternal and child health, and/or child welfare is a plus)
- A bachelor’s degree (a master’s degree is a plus)
The Alliance for Early Success understands diversity strengthens organizational decision making. We are working to diversify our team and strongly encourage members of traditionally under-represented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ-identified people, gender-nonconforming people, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people who speak a language in addition to English.
Position Type: Full Time, Permanent, Remote
Compensation: Competitive and Commensurate with Experience
Reports to: Executive Director
To Apply:
Send a cover letter that highlights your ability to be successful in the role along with a resume to careers@earlysuccess.org. Also, we’d love to hear where you heard about this position.