Director, Child Development & Family Support

Mount Hood Community College; Maywood Park (OR); On-site; USD 96,000 - 144,000; Full time

Job summary

Mount Hood Community College seeks an experienced executive to provide strategic and systems-level leadership for the Child Development & Family Services (CDFS) and Head Start programs to strengthen early learning providers, families, and the early childhood workforce. Emphasis on equitable access, workforce development, and continuous quality improvement across the county and division.

The role guides program implementation, ensures shared governance with Policy Council and the Board, and

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Family Studies, or a related field.
• Experience/Training: Minimum 5 years managing early learning systems and/or Head Start/Early Head Start, including 3 years of supervisory experience.
• Experience in program and grant development.
• Experience in budget formulation and administration.
• Experience working with diverse backgrounds; commitment to access and diversity.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of CDFS and Head Start programs.
• Oversees state, federal, and local contracts including Head Start performance standards and regulations.
• Participates in meetings with partners, funders, and governance bodies; supports shared governance with Policy Council and Board.
• Oversees external communications, interagency relationships, and community engagement efforts.
• Directs responsive service delivery and community engagement with equitable, inclusive leadership.
• Leads grant writing, fundraising, and program development to advance sustainability and impact.
• Develops budgets for grants and allocations; manages day-to-day department budget operations.
• Recruits, selects, orients, supervises staff; evaluates performance and provides coaching.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Change management

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Human resources

Interpersonal skills

Mentoring

Education

Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education

Master’s degree in Social Work

Master’s degree in Family Studies

Job description

Job Summary

Provides strategic and systems-level leadership for Child Development & Family Services (CDFS) and Head Start / Early Head Start programs to strengthen early learning providers, families, and the early childhood workforce, with a focus on equitable access to high-quality care and education. Oversees coaching, professional development, licensing navigation, business supports, and technical assistance, ensuring alignment, consistency, and quality across services. Advances coordinated strategies that build provider capacity, support workforce development, and promote continuous quality improvement across the county and division. Recommends and implements the strategic vision and direction for CDFS and Head Start programs, guiding program implementation, ensuring shared governance with Policy Council and the Board, and fostering cross-system collaboration to ensure services are delivered with accountability, integrity, and a strong commitment to equity.

Essential Duties

1. Develops, recommends, updates, and implements department policies and procedures using an equity lens. Provides strategic leadership and support for the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of CDFS and Head Start department programs, services, and community impact initiatives, and carries out strategic initiatives. Assists with the preparation of short- and long-term plans in support of College, CDFS, and Early Learning and Engagement division mission, vision, and goals.


2. Oversees and manages state, federal, and local contracts including Head Start/Early Head Start performance standards and regulations. Ensures consistent and timely delivery of services and that contract provisions are met.


3. Participates in state and local meetings with partners, contract managers, and funders, including work groups, advisory boards, and other initiative-specific groups as appropriate. Participates in and/or leads various College committees, meetings, and workgroups. Partners with the Policy Council and Board to ensure shared governance per Head Start/Early Head Start performance standards. Serves as College representative on various statewide, local, and CDFS committees and attends events as appropriate.


4. Oversees and manages external communications, interagency relationships, community engagement, and partnership development efforts that support CDFS program visibility, strategic initiatives, and community collaborations.


5. Directs responsive service delivery and community engagement efforts while fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and respectful work environment. Ensures concerns, barriers, and service issues regarding low-income children and families are investigated and addressed professionally, equitably, and effectively.


6. Leads grant writing, fundraising, and program development to advance program sustainability, strategic initiatives, and community impact. Develops long-term and short-term budgets for each grant and federal allocation and oversees the management of day-to-day department budget operations, ensuring overall spending within budget allocation.


7. Recruits, selects, orients, schedules, and supervises staff. Evaluates staff performance, helps develop professional goals, and provides coaching and ongoing training; rewards and recognizes employees; holds staff accountable and takes disciplinary action, as needed.


8. Trains, develops, encourages, and motivates employees to enhance individual skills, promote professional growth, and maximize staff performance. Fosters a team environment that encourages and supports teamwork, and models and maintains high standards and performance expectations.

Additional Duties

1. Performs all other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Family Studies, or a related field.

Experience/Training:

• Minimum (5) years of experience managing early learning systems and/or Head Start/Early Head Start programming, including at least (3) years of supervisory experience.


• Experience in program and grant development


• Experience in budget formulation and administration


• Experience working with diverse backgrounds of the College’s community, students, and employees; demonstrated commitment to promoting access and diversity.


• Current driver’s license, insurance, and access to a reliable automobile during work hours. Must have at least three (3) years of driving history.

At the College’s discretion, equivalent combinations of education and experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual skills with oral and written fluency in English and Spanish, Russian, or another language that meets the community/department’s needs.


• Extensive knowledge of Head Start/Early Head Start performance standards, policies, trends, and issues.

Additional Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in the Oregon Central Background Registry prior to beginning employment, and enrollment must be maintained throughout employment.


• Post-offer fitness for duty evaluation (including TB screening and health appraisal) within 30 days of hire date.


• Must complete required Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care Self-Study Trainings within 30 days of hire

Ability to:

• To plan, organize, and direct the work of the CDFS department and Head Start programs.


• To prioritize and perform multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions and changing deadlines.


• To maintain strong customer service relationships with program families, College employees, community members, and other district-wide constituencies.


• To maintain the confidentiality of information.

Skills in:

• Strategic thinking, change management, and project management skills with the ability to anticipate needs and make decisions.


• Strong organizational, communication, human resource, and interpersonal skills, with a team-based approach to leadership.


• Motivating, training, and developing a high-performing staff.


• Building collaboration and sustaining productive and respectful working relationships, both internally and externally with diverse stakeholders.


• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills, including mediation and public speaking skills.


• Computer proficiency (preferably in Microsoft Windows environment) to effectively communicate, gather data, and generate reports.

Knowledge of:

• State, local, and federal early learning childcare programs, including Head Start and Early Head Start standards.


• Institutional budgeting and accounting processes and forecasting.


• Applicable federal, state, and local regulations, licensing requirements, administrative regulations, and Board policies.


• Mandatory child abuse reporting requirements in accordance with Oregon Statute and Head Start procedures.


• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) interpretation and application.


• Information technology best practices to support advancement and division programs.

Job Details

• Employee Group: CDFS Management


• Classification: CDFS Management – Range 10


• Employment Type: Full-Time (1.0 FTE)


• FLSA Status: Exempt (Salaried)


• Compensation: $96,136 – $144,263 Annually


• Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday


• Remote Eligibility: On-Site (Not eligible for remote work)

Working Conditions

• Works assigned schedule and exhibits regular and predictable attendance.


• As necessary to meet workload demands, works outside of typical schedule including evening/weekend hours.


• Work may require travel to off-campus locations.


• Work is sometimes performed in an emotional and stressful environment.


• Work is typically performed in a normal office environment while sitting at a computer terminal, with potential visual eye strain and repetitive hand/wrist motion for data entry and keyboarding functions.

Salary Placement

Initial salary placement will be based on years of applicable education, full-time equivalent experience, and other job-related qualifications at the sole discretion of the College and in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws. Please include all relevant education and full and part-time experience (including unpaid and volunteer experience) in your application that you want the College to review towards potential placement. Hired employees will not have an opportunity to update past experience or appeal initial placement after the time of hire.