Director of Workforce Development

Position

Director of Workforce Development

Mission and Focus

Starting Early works to support, organize, activate, and elevate professionals in the early childhood education provider community by building collaborative relationships throughout the Kansas City region. The initiative focuses on early childhood workforce development, CDA credentialing, shared onboarding, professional development, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship pathways, Residency staffing support, provider engagement, and systems-building for small and mid-sized early childhood providers.

Reports To

Director

Classification

Full-time, salaried; exempt/non-exempt classification to be confirmed by Community Capital Fund and Insperity.

Salary Range

$87,000 annually, plus benefits as budgeted

Employer

This position is employed by Community Capital Fund (CCF) under a fiscal sponsorship relationship and works exclusively on the Starting Early initiative. CCF serves as the legal employer and fiscal sponsor; the position is assigned to Starting Early and supervised day-to-day by the project.

Supervises

Workforce Development Coach; shared training and supervision of Residency staff in partnership with Director of Programs

Position Summary
Starting Early works to support, organize, activate, and elevate professionals in the early childhood education provider community by building collaborative relationships throughout the Kansas City region. The initiative focuses on early childhood workforce development, CDA credentialing, shared onboarding, professional development, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship pathways, Residency staffing support, provider engagement, and systems-building for small and mid-sized early childhood providers.

The Director of Workforce Development leads Starting Early’s external workforce pathway strategy, including pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, school district and CTE partnerships, community college relationships, employer partnerships, and career advancement pathways.

This role helps build clear entry points into the early childhood education workforce for high school students, adults new to the field, and emerging educators seeking credentialing, employment, retention, and advancement.

Essential Responsibilities
Workforce Pathway Strategy

• Lead development and implementation of Starting Early’s workforce pathway strategy.
• Build pathways that support entry, credentialing, placement, retention, and advancement in early childhood education.
• Coordinate pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programming for high school youth, adults new to the sector, and emerging educators.
• Ensure apprenticeship and workforce pathway timelines reflect participant requirements, including high school graduation, CDA eligibility, classroom hours, and observation requirements.
• Support career pathway mapping from entry-level roles to CDA, apprenticeship, lead teacher, mentor, Resident, director, Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, or other advanced early childhood credentials.

External Partnerships

• Develop and maintain relationships with school districts, CTE programs, community colleges, FEC Missouri, MCC, employer partners, workforce organizations, and community-based partners.
• Serve as a primary liaison for school-based, college/career readiness, and workforce development partnerships.
• Help partners understand Starting Early’s pathway model, participant requirements, timelines, and expected outcomes.
• Coordinate with employer and provider partners regarding placement, worksite expectations, documentation, and participant progress.

Program Leadership and Supervision

• Supervise the Workforce Development Coach.
• Work with the Director of Programs to train, coordinate, and support Residency staff.
• Support shared onboarding, CDA, and professional development alignment where workforce pathway participants are involved.
• Coordinate participant support systems with the Operations Manager and program team.

Data, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement

• Track workforce pathway enrollment, completion, placement, retention, and advancement.
• Support data collection and reporting related to apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, CDA-connected pathways, and workforce outcomes.
• Identify participant and system barriers that affect completion and advancement.
• Contribute to grant reports, learning briefs, partner updates, and program evaluation.
• Use data and participant feedback to improve pathway design and implementation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred in education, workforce development, nonprofit leadership, public administration, early childhood education, or related field.
• At least five years of relevant experience in education, workforce development, school systems, early childhood education, nonprofit programming, or partnership management.
• Experience working with school districts, CTE programs, community colleges, workforce systems, or apprenticeship pathways strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of early childhood education systems, CDA credentialing, or educator workforce pathways preferred.
• Strong project management, partnership development, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage staff, coordinate across partners, and move work from concept to implementation.
• Comfort with data systems, participant tracking, reporting, and performance metrics.
Physical and Schedule Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to work in early childhood environments with exposure to childhood illnesses.
• Ability to travel locally to trainings, provider sites, convenings, and partner meetings.
• Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends based on program needs.

Please submit resume and cover letter to Je T'aime Taylor at View email address on info.npconnect.org.

Job Type: Full Time

Salary Range: $75,000 - 99,999