Career Center

SWHD’s goal is a positive future for every child. This position is a great opportunity for an innovative and forward-thinking leader to join the team at an exciting time.

The Position
The Director will lead all aspects of the Head Start and Early Head Start Department, with oversight of all aspects of its programs in accordance with state and federal Head Start regulations.

Responsibilities:

High-Quality Service Delivery: Provide leadership in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating program standards and procedures to ensure excellence and success for the Head Start, Early Head Start, Early Head Start Childcare Partnerships, and Educare Arizona programs.

• Direct, administer and manage the day-to-day program operations including all fiscal, legal, and programmatic aspects.
• Design, implement, and ensure practices and systems are in place to maintain the highest quality of education and support services to children and their families in compliance with Head Start performance standards.
• Develop and implement systems and procedures to deliver high-quality early childhood education and family engagement through a comprehensive two-generation approach.
• Conduct long- and short-term planning, including assessment of community needs and resources.
• Serve as the management liaison with the Head Start Policy Council, organizing and supporting the Council, attending all Council meetings, and training Council members.
• Provides ongoing monitoring and activity reports and regular formal presentations to the SWHD Board of Directors; Attends SWHD Board of Directors meetings.

Collaboration and Systems-Building: As a key member of the Southwest Human Development Executive Leadership team, the Director will participate in agency planning and development activities as well as a variety of intra-agency collaboration and professional development projects. This role will also focus on building collaborative relationships with community partners to advocate for and develop policies, programs, and service delivery systems that meet the needs of young children and their families.

Strategic Departmental Management: Developing and driving a strategic, and future-focused vision to help the Head Start and Early Head Start Department pursue opportunities for growth and to reflect and incorporate current trends and best practices from the early childhood field. Providing leadership to and managing the efforts of the department team members through mentorship, guidance, and professional development.

Essential Qualifications:

• At least 8 years of direct experience in Head Start and Early Head Start programs supporting young children ages 0-5 years.
• At least 8 years of experience in program development, supervision, program management, and fiscal administration (including budget development/oversight), in Head Start.

• At least 8 years of experience in a senior leadership position.
• Master’s degree in early childhood education, special education, or related field.
• Knowledge and commitment to family-centered, team-based, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed service delivery models for this population.
• Leadership capacity to work with a multidisciplinary and multicultural staff around transformational program change.

• Knowledge of the Head Start Performance Standards

Compensation: DOE

About Southwest Human Development:

Southwest Human Development (SWHD) is Arizona's largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development, with a mission to strengthen the foundation Arizona’s children need for a great start in life.

SWHD’s vision is a positive future for every child, with a goal of helping children establish a healthy foundation by preventing problems before they arise, or when they already exist, intervening as early and effectively as possible. The agency, with a staff of almost 900 serving 140,000 young children and their families each year, has long been recognized as a leader in providing comprehensive services for children ages birth through five and their families in six primary categories: Child Development and Mental Health; Easterseals Disabilities Services; Early Communication, Language and Literacy; Head Start and Early Head Start; Family Support and Child Welfare; and Professional Education and Training.

Southwest Human Development’s Core Values embody the agency’s commitment to services that uplift the lives of children, families and other care providers, and the communities in which they live. These values are intended to guide the professional development, ethical conduct and skilled practice of all of our staff, whatever their specific role within the agency. All staff are valued as making essential contributions to strengthening the foundation that Arizona’s children need for a great start in life.

Core Values:

• High Quality and Ethical Services
• Learning as a Lifelong Process
• Promoting Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion
• Working in Partnership with Families, Caregivers and Community Providers
• Reflective Practice in Support of Relationship-Based Work
• Innovative Responsiveness to Community Needs
• Responsible Stewardship

About Southwest Human Development

Southwest Human Development strengthens the foundation Arizona’s children need for a great start in life. The first five years of life are the most critical in a child’s development. At Southwest Human Development, our services improve lives and help families by supporting young children and their caregivers during this important time. In partnership with families, we provide children with the care, attention and support needed to set them on a path to success in school and life, and help them reach their fullest capabilities. We are Arizona’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to early childhood development and our 900 staff members provide 40 programs and services to 140,000 children, families and professionals each year in the areas of: -Child Development and Mental Health -Easterseals Disabilities Services -Early Literacy -Head Start and Early Head Start -Family Support and Child Welfare -Professional Development and Training

Connections working at Southwest Human Development