Director of Contracted Slots Program

Hively; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

403(b) plan

Tuition reimbursement

Paid holidays

Job summary

Hively seeks a Contracted Slots Program Director to lead the Measure C subsidized child care initiative in Alameda County. The role launches a major program, expanding access to high-quality slots for children birth to five, with a six-month ramp-up and collaboration with First 5 Alameda County and providers.

You will oversee eligibility, enrollment, contracting, compliance, and reporting, build a high-performing team, and ensure equitable access for priority populations, while managing budgets

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Social Services, or related field.
• 10+ years in complex public-sector/nonprofit/early childhood subsidy programs.
• Experience leading large, diverse teams with inclusive culture.
• Direct experience with CA childcare subsidies: CalWORKs, CAPP, CCTR, CSPP, Title 5/22.
• Strong operations, financial controls, compliance, risk management, and audit knowledge.
• Translate policy into practical operational systems.
• Project management with multitasking and deadlines.
• Commitment to equity-centered program design for multilingual communities.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Sound judgment in evolving program environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation, scaling, and refinement of Contracted Slots adding ~1,400 subsidized slots.
• Translate requirements from First 5 Alameda County into policies and SOPs.
• Establish decision-making, escalation, and accountability structures.
• Lead a program team, ensuring high performance and professional growth.
• Oversee full slot lifecycle: outreach, eligibility, enrollment, contracting, compliance, renewal, exit.
• Develop and execute initial slot allocation strategy.
• Prioritize priority populations: infants/toddlers, disabilities, after-hours care, homelessness, welfare-involved.
• Manage subcontracts with AP agencies and technology partners.
• Design accessible provider experience across language and tech access.
• Provide training and technical assistance for providers.
• Partner with Finance/Compliance for fiscal controls and documentation.
• Oversee budget tracking, forecasting, reconciliation, expenditure monitoring.
• Ensure compliance with First 5 and Hively policies.
• Coordinate with Operating Grants for overall budget fit.
• Use funding of last resort approach for contracted slots.
• Establish data flows for eligibility, utilization, payments, compliance, reporting.
• Report against RBA framework and drive continuous improvement.
• Analyze outcomes by geography, provider type, language, demographics.
• Engage in user testing and transition to third-party CEE system.
• Support communications with Marketing/Development and external partners.
• Build relationships with community organizations and providers.
• Represent Hively in meetings, forums, and planning sessions.
• Develop strategies to incorporate provider and community feedback.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Social Services, or related field

10+ years managing complex public-sector/nonprofit programs

Leadership of large, diverse teams

Policy translation into operational systems

Operations, financial controls, compliance, risk management

Project management with multiple priorities

Equity-centered program design

Strong written and verbal communication

Sound judgment in evolving programs

Job description

Who We Are Hively’s mission is to build meaningful connections with families and communities, ensuring access to resources every child in Alameda County needs to thrive. Our vision is to transform the lives of children and families to benefit all communities and ensure a promising future for generations to come. We believe that through subsidized child care, mental health support, and community services centered in families of all types and backgrounds, we can profoundly impact the communities we serve. If this resonates with you, we invite you to apply to join our team.

Our Team & Culture

Our Team at Hively is a passionate and diverse group of individuals from a wide range of different lived experiences, backgrounds and professional expertise. We strive every day to create an environment for families and staff that is inclusive and welcoming of different experiences and perspectives. We prioritize learning, listening, and growing together and to foster a culture of respect.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the VP of New Ventures, the Contracted Slots Program Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for a major component of Hively’s administration of the Measure C Subsidized Child Care and Minimum Wage Floor Administrator program, overseen by First 5 Alameda County. The Contracted Slots program (one arm of the initiative) is designed to expand access to high-quality, subsidized child care by funding openings, also called “slots,” at licensed centers and Family Child Care providers (FCCs). This program is anticipated to have an annual budget of $35 million and support new subsidized child care slots for an estimated 1,400 children, from birth to age five, across Alameda County. As a core leader of this new initiative, the Contracted Slots Program Director will be accountable for spearheading the launch of this initiative, which will include an intensive ramp-up period for 6+ months, as the team grows and early pilots are conducted. In addition, the Director will be responsible for the continuous improvement of the program as it grows over time. This includes overseeing the child care provider and family experience from outreach and enrollment through eligibility determination, placement, contracting, slot utilization, payment, compliance, renewal, and exit, as well as liaising with partner organizations and community groups.

The ideal candidate is an experienced public-program leader who can operationalize complex policy into clear, equitable, and workable systems. They are equally comfortable working at the strategic level with public sector and community partners and in the operational details required to administer a high-volume, high-accountability funding program.

What you will do:

Program Leadership and Strategy

• Lead the implementation, scaling and refinement of the Contracted Slots program, which will add approximately 1,400 subsidized slots to the Alameda County early child care landscape.
• Translate contractual and implementation requirements and guidance from First 5 Alameda County into clear program policies, workflows and standard operating procedures.
• Establish clear decision-making, escalation, and accountability structures for the Contracted Slots program.
• Lead and develop a team of program staff, fostering high performance, accountability, and professional growth while overseeing priorities and resolving complex operational issues.
• Oversee the full slot lifecycle, including family and child care provider outreach, eligibility, enrollment, placement, contracting, compliance, appeals, renewal, and closeout.
• Develop and execute the initial slot allocation strategy as defined by the contract.
• Ensure allocations and enrollment strategies advance priority populations, including infant and young toddler care, children with disabilities, after-hours/non-traditional care, families experiencing homelessness, and families involved with child welfare systems.
• Support the development and management of subcontracts with Alternative Payment (AP) agencies and technology partner(s).
• Support the design of an accessible, equitable, and low-barrier provider experience that accommodates differences in language, abilities, technology access, and digital literacy.
• Identify and oversee the long-term implementation of complementary training and technical assistance offered to providers, in support of the program.

Financial Oversight and Compliance

• Partner with Finance, Compliance, and program leadership to establish strong fiscal controls, accurate payment processes and audit-ready documentation.
• Oversee budget tracking, forecasting, reconciliation, and expenditure monitoring for Contracted Slots funds.
• Ensure compliance with applicable First 5 requirements, Hively policies and procedures and contractual obligations.
• Track slot allocation alongside Program Area 2 (Operating Grants) to ensure total implementation fits overall budget thresholds
• Establish processes to ensure Measure C contracted slots are used as “funding of last resort” after existing state and federal subsidized funding sources have been exhausted.

Data, Technology & Reporting

• Partner with internal teams and an external technology partner to establish secure, reliable, and timely data flows supporting eligibility, utilization, payments, compliance, and reporting.
• Report against a First 5-provided Results-Based Accountability (RBA) framework to assess program performance and inform continuous improvement.
• Analyze and report program outcomes across relevant dimensions, including geography, provider type, language, and other appropriate demographic or equity indicators.
• Participate in user testing, workflow integration, and eventual transition of family matchmaking processes to the third-party CEE system.

Communications, Partnerships and Community Engagement

• Support program communications, in collaboration with Hively’s Marketing, Communications and Development team and in accordance with First 5 communications guidance.
• Build strong working relationships with community-based organizations, child care providers, government partners, and other interest groups.
• Represent Hively in workgroups, planning sessions, provider meetings and convenings, public forums, and other external settings.
• Develop strategies for obtaining provider and community feedback, and incorporating meaningful insights into program design and continuous improvement.

What you should bring:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Social Services, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience managing complex public-sector, nonprofit, early childhood education, subsidy, or benefits programs.
• Experience leading and developing large, diverse teams while fostering an inclusive and high-performing environment.
• Direct experience with California state child care subsidy mechanisms, including:
• CalWORKs, CAPP
• CCTR and CSPP
• Title 5/Title 22 licensing standards.
• Strong understanding of program operations, financial controls, compliance, risk management, and audit processes.
• Experience translating complex policies, regulations, or funding requirements into practical operational systems and procedures.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, dependencies, and competing stakeholder needs.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity-centered program design, including experience developing accessible, service-delivery processes for diverse, multilingual, and historically under-resourced communities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, navigate ambiguity, identify risks, and make timely decisions in a complex and evolving program environment.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Experience providing strategic leadership, aligning teams with organizational goals, and leading change.
• Flexible, curious, and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Experience administering or implementing technology platforms used for grants, benefits, case management, eligibility determination, or other public programs.
• Knowledge of Alameda County’s early care and education ecosystem, First 5 Alameda County, and key systems and partners.
• Experience administering programs involving child care slots or vouchers, paid by subsidy/alternative payment sources.
• Experience working with multilingual communities and designing culturally responsive provider engagement strategies.
• Experience administering publicly funded programs subject to rigorous audit, documentation, privacy, and reporting requirements.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit at a desk, conference table or in meeting rooms of various configurations for extended amounts of time
• Ability to stand for extended amounts of time
• Manual dexterity to use a telephone and computer
• Facility to hear and understand speech at normal room levels, and to hear and understand speech on the telephone
• Facility to speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in normal conversations and over the telephone
• Physical agility to lift and carry up to 20 pounds and to bend, stoop, walk and reach overhead
• Physical agility to push/pull, squat, twist and turn
• Mental acuity to perform the essential functions of this position in an accurate and timely fashion; to make good judgments and decisions; and to evaluate the results of decisions and judgments

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plans covered at 100% for the employee
• Health & Dependent Care FSA
• 14 Paid Holidays + 4 flex holidays, including your birthday!
• Generous paid time off policy (over 3 weeks per year)
• Tuition Reimbursement ($1,000/year)
• Employee Appreciation Program
• Life & Long Term Disability Insurance covered 100% by Hively
• 403(b) plan
• SEP-IRA plan with an employer contribution of 5% of annual salary
• Learning & Development Opportunities
• Financial wellness program with unlimited access to personal financial advisors
• Industry competitive salary ranges
• Note: Benefits described apply to full-time, permanent positions only. Internships, temporary, part-time, or contract roles are not generally eligible for most benefits.

Welcoming Candidates from All Backgrounds

Hively is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of any educational background, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, disability, and veteran status.

Please note that applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Salary ranges are based on industry data, and final employment offer will be determined based upon factors including but not limited to an applicant's experience, specialized skills, and internal alignment.