Work With Us:

There are a lot of great reasons to work at United Way, but here are just a few highlights (did we mention our generous time off?):

• We trust our people; they have autonomy in accomplishing our shared goals.
• We have a flexible and collaborative culture.
• We advocate for our team members’ growth.
• We celebrate our individual and collective wins.
• We are a hybrid workplace.
• We invest in our people’s personal and professional well-being.
• We have fun together; just because we do serious work, doesn’t mean we’re serious all the time.
• It’s our job to make people’s lives better, which is pretty cool.

Our Benefits:

We offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Health insurance inclusive of medical, dental and voluntary vision benefits
• Retirement Planning through a 403(b) match
• Generous vacation, sick and holiday paid time off
• Parental leave
• And much more

No matter what our individual responsibilities may be, we are all focused on our core values of building community, raising funds and creating change. Learn more about our Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles.

Position Summary:
The Associate Director, Education contributes to the efforts of United Way of Greater Nashville (UWGN) by providing leadership, strategy, and vision for education initiatives within Community Impact to ensure children succeed social emotionally and academically, and teachers, families, and communities thrive. This position is integral in forming and strengthening key organizational partnerships to advance UWGN’s mission of supporting communities through education, listening channels, and empowerment. The Associate Director, Education is responsible for ensuring all education initiatives achieve the scaling of presence and impact within the community and agency partners are supported through the community impact funding allocations process with fidelity, consistent and clear communication, and connection.

Essential Functions: The following are indicative of the essential functions required to perform this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This profile is not intended to be all inclusive of tasks and responsibilities required; it provides a description of the critical responsibilities associated with this position.

Leadership, Strategic Planning and Budgeting

• Work with Director, Education to develop a vision and strategic plan for education initiatives which outline the strategies, tactics, systems, and resources necessary to achieve desired outcomes
• Collaborate with the Director, Education to develop strategic plan for education initiatives to ensure that UWGN can successfully fulfill and sustain its mission into the future
• Ensures a strong return on investment to volunteers, advocates, and donors through continuous educational gains and strengthening partnerships.
• Supervise, manage, and support education initiative managers to ensure the team has knowledge and resources needed to achieve program-level, departmental, and organizational goals.
• Work with Director, Education to ensure community impact funding allocations process is executed with fidelity, delivers consistent and clear communication, and maintains strong connection and relationship with agency partners.
• Oversee and operate within the financial budget for education initiatives to ensure the financial stability of the organization
• Support workplace engagement and marketing to communicate the impact of education initiatives to the community and inspire volunteering, building advocates and ambassadors, and increased giving
• Works to identify and secure grant funding for education initiatives using new and existing resources.
• Stay abreast of best practices, current research, and policy across the early education continuum.
• Represent UWGN at community tables as appropriate and determined by Director, Education.
• Provide leadership to the education team in the absence and at the request of the Director, Education.

Partnership, Network and Professional Development

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with community stakeholders to advance the work of UWGN’s education initiatives and other education related bodies of work.
• Provide direction and support to partner organizations and key community stakeholders in aligning their work to the common agenda.
• Build partnerships that advance UWGN’s goals, increase resources, knowledge, and revenue within the education focus area and positions UWGN to increase its presence and impact in the community.
• Coordinate with other communities to maintain a full understanding of the current landscape of local, regional and national activities in early education and education to inform the local approach to and investment in education initiatives and community partners.

Qualifications:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in early childhood, education, human development, public policy, public administration or a related field.
• Experience:
  • Knowledge of and experience in early care and education (birth to third grade preferred) programs and systems.
  • Leadership skills and experience, including managing teams, volunteer programs or community-based initiatives involving different disciplines, experiences and interests.
  • Collecting, analyzing, and using data to inform planning, implementation, and evaluation.
  • Experience developing and implementing complex strategic plans.
  • Experience with development of funding proposals.
  • Stakeholder engagement and relationship building with community partners.
• Skills:
  • Demonstrate understanding of and commitment to issues of equity, diversity, and cultural competence in early childhood system building.
  • Excellent communications skills, including meeting facilitation, public speaking and presentation skills, and writing skills.
  • Handle and prioritize multiple activities with flexibility to respond to changing circumstances or priorities.
  • Set priorities and support teams in their management of multiple projects and recommend an effective course of action.
  • Strong decision-making skills with use of good judgement in recognizing scope of authority.
  • Proficient computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and the internet.

Competencies:

• Relationship Management: Builds relationships internally and externally with organizational stakeholders in efforts to grow and sustain enthusiasm of UWGN’s work; demonstrates credibility in all interactions; listens effectively, considers the perspective of others and approaches problem solving thoughtfully and from a position of partnership.
• Effective Communication: Ability to effectively communicate through oral, written and technological means; actively listening, collaborating, and expressing oneself clearly, to ensure those that need specific information acquire it; plan and deliver communication that makes an impact and persuades the audience; gives positive and encouraging recognition to those that have contributed.
• Outcome Motivated: Creates and maintains high performance standards that capitalize on opportunities to build support for early education work by developing relationships that drive results.
• Strategy and Planning: Works with Director, Education to develop long-term strategies for UWGN Initiatives that are aligned with UWGNs mission, vision and strategic plan, areas of work led by the education team, and data-informed community need.
• Leadership and Navigation: Exhibits behaviors consistent with organizational culture, fosters collaboration, understands the most effective and efficient way to accomplish tasks and achieve results within the parameters of processes, systems, and policies.
• Program Knowledge: Demonstrates knowledge of techniques, research, skills, procedures, best practices, and resources in the early education field to become a subject matter expert; applies knowledge to provide strategic leadership to the education team, identify issues and internal problems, and continuously improve programs; works to continue to develop professionally and increase knowledge and skills.
• Stress Tolerance: Displays emotional resilience and the ability to withstand pressure on an on-going basis; Deals with difficult situations while maintaining performance; Seeks support from others when necessary and uses appropriate coping techniques.

Environmental Conditions and Physical Demands:

• Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The employee is required to stand, walk, climb and balance.
• Employee spends a time seated; working at a desk in front of a computer monitor. Manual dexterity sufficient to reach/handle items and work with the fingers.
• Well-lighted, heated, and/or air-conditioned indoor office setting with adequate ventilation.

United Way of Greater Nashville is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please send cover letter and resume to angela.ferguson@unitedwaygn.org for consideration.