State & Territorial Child Care Systems Lead

Mathematica, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Mathematica, Inc. is seeking a Managing Consultant for State and Territory Child Care Systems to oversee multi-disciplinary engagements, provide technical assistance, and partner with agencies to strengthen CCDF program implementation.

The role emphasizes leadership, change management, and capacity building across state systems. Required qualifications include a Master’s degree and 6+ years of experience in complex project management within child care policy, with strong communication and

Qualifications

• Master's degree in early childhood education, human services, public policy, public administration, or related field.
• Six or more years of experience managing complex projects or tasks.
• In-depth knowledge of the CCDBG Act, the CCDF program requirements, CCDF Plan processes, and other related state and territory early childhood programs.
• Strong operational knowledge and experience with administration of the CCDF program within states and territories, including reporting requirements.
• Strong operational knowledge and expertise of the full range of issues, services, and innovations within the child care field.
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate change management and/or continuous improvement processes that use participatory and human-centered design approaches.
• Data-integration and other issues related to program integration and systems building at the state and territory level.
• Knowledge of a wide variety of early childhood funding streams and options for using them in a coordinated manner at the state and local levels.
• In-depth knowledge/understanding of state early childhood system policies, mixed delivery systems, and governance structures for ECE programs and for data systems.
• Knowledge of current research and best practices regarding child development, the needs of families and strategies for family engagement, the challenges faced by the child care workforce and relevant supports for the workforce, child care markets and rate rates, child care supply and demand, and mixed.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to explain management issues to stakeholder audiences including Mathematica executives and clients.
• Strong organizational skills and high level of attention to detail as well as the flexibility to manage multiple priorities, sometimes simultaneously, under deadlines.

Responsibilities

• May serve as task leaders, project manager, deputy project directors (DPD), or project directors (PD). The specific role depends on project's complexity and size.
• Builds and maintains highly collaborative, trusting relationships with clients and other partners in a way that centers their experience in the work and strengthens their capacity.
• Collaborates with federal, state, and other clients to develop and implement program improvement strategies or technical assistance plans based on available data and subject matter expertise.
• Leads or participates actively and thoughtfully in multidisciplinary teams to implement, monitor, and advise on state and federal policy and programs.
• Considers and manages multiple perspectives and thinks creatively to design solutions that meet client needs.
• Provides the initiative, direction, organization, and quality control needed to help keep work on time and on budget.
• Plans and executes webinars or small group discussions with government clients, and/or other entities and individuals.
• Authors or reviews a variety of technical assistance tools to ensure quality and facilitate program improvement such as memos, standard operating procedures, data dictionaries, implementation guides, and webinar slides.
• Additional duties may be assigned as needed.

Skills

Project management

Policy analysis

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in early childhood education, human services, public policy, public administration, or related field

Job description

Mathematica, Inc. is seeking a Managing Consultant for State and Territory Child Care Systems to oversee multi-disciplinary engagements, provide technical assistance, and partner with agencies to strengthen CCDF program implementation.

The role emphasizes leadership, change management, and capacity building across state systems. Required qualifications include a Master’s degree and 6+ years of experience in complex project management within child care policy, with strong communication and