Help Me Grow (HMG) is not a stand-alone program, but rather a system model that utilizes and builds on existing resources in order to develop and enhance a comprehensive approach to early childhood system-building in any given community. We believe that all children should be able to grow, develop, and thrive to reach their full potential. We are driven by a mission: to ensure the vibrancy of our nation through building intelligent community infrastructures that allow equitable access to family support and child development resources and opportunity. The HMG Affiliate Network represents an ever-growing, powerful coalition of states, communities, and individuals invested in ambitious and resourceful early childhood systems that optimally serve all families and children. Successful implementation of the Help Me Grow model requires communities to identify existing resources, and think creatively about how to make the most of existing opportunities, so as to implement a comprehensive early childhood system model with fidelity to the core components and structural requirements of a Help Me Grow system (www.HelpMeGrowNational.org).

The Associate Director of Policy and Community Change will direct the development and execution of resourceful change through mutually reinforcing and beneficial efforts at the local, state, and national levels that advance early childhood system building through HMG implementation. This position will support a multi-year strategic growth plan for accelerated impact of HMG and prioritize policy and community change efforts that achieve significant growth goals for the National Network and successfully implement the organization's internal and external commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This position will work with and on behalf of affiliates across the HMG National Network (comprised of 118 HMG systems operating in 28 states and the District of Columbia as of 2021) to partner on strategic initiatives that will advance comprehensive, effective, coordinated early childhood systems and secure increased and varied funding to implement and sustain those systems. This role will support National Center Program Directors in expanding revenue sources, including building fee-for-service work, and position the HMG National Center's research activities toward a more proactive orientation. The associate director will develop, own and execute a policy agenda that will advance financial and policy support for early childhood system building efforts across the country through advocacy and strategic partnerships; support the execution of affiliate advocacy strategies and tactics that build power for early childhood system building at the state-level; and explore and advance innovative funding approaches to support early childhood system building nationwide.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop a policy change agenda for the organization and HMG National Affiliate Network including strategic priorities, objectives, and benchmarks:
  
  • Collaborate with leadership of HMG National Center to identify implications to advocacy and policy change efforts for the organization, state leaders, and communities.
  • Work closely with data science, industry partnerships, and organizations to prioritize community-level early childhood system building and funding opportunities.
  • Engage advocacy groups, elected officials, and legislators, acting as both an advocate and an expert, to build beneficial partnerships and unlock more opportunities to build the National Network.
  • Oversee measurement of progress and outcomes related to policy and community change efforts to inform funding initiatives for the HMG National Center and Affiliate Network.
  
  
  • Collaborate with National Center leadership in the development and implementation of a strategy to advocate for new and additional public and private funding to support operation and expansion of the HMG National Center and HMG implementations:
  • Provide strategic support in the HMG National Center's efforts to increase local, state, and federal funding for early childhood system building efforts
  • Oversee deployment of advocacy and public policy expertise to build momentum in key states for sustainable funding models. Activities will include supporting HMG affiliates in leveraging the developing evidence base for the Model in their advocacy efforts. Supporting Associate Directors identify and elevate common needs for national advocacy that surface across the network
  
  
  • Drive Multi-Affiliate Initiatives:
  • Explore and assess the landscape and trends associated with needs, initiatives, successes, challenges, and opportunities related to early childhood system building and the HMG Model across the HMG National Affiliate Network.
  • Partner with HMG affiliate leads and policy change/advocacy partners to explore, identify, consider, and work to leverage high-impact advocacy strategies and tactics as part of multi-affiliate initiatives.
  • Coach and support affiliates and their key policy change/advocacy partners participating in multi-affiliate initiatives on planning, designing, and executing strategies that are integrated with their electoral and policy goals and build long-term power.
  • Support the development, implementation, and review of Continuous System Improvement initiatives related to community change.
  
  
  • Build System-Level Influence:
  • Develop templates, models, toolkits, and trainings on priority advocacy tactics and strategies, including direct lobbying, phone and text actions, lobby days, constituent mobilization, demonstrations and protests, direct mail and other paid media, phone banks, voter contact tactics, and other tactics for the HMG National Affiliate Network.
  • Support affiliate advocacy leadership learning community cohorts through facilitated communities of practice, working groups, meetings, and resource cultivation.
  • Create and iterate on policy and community change playbooks to help scale our efforts across communities.
  • Systematically monitor early childhood system building and improvement developments and standards, identifying and analyzing key issues, and sharing action-oriented analysis.
  • Influence peers and stakeholders in a cross-functional capacity through the organization by surfacing local issues and suggesting solutions.
  
  
  • Complete administrative managerial activities, including standard Office of Community Child Heath human resources policies and budgeting procedures.

Position Specific Role Responsibilities

[Pos_Responsability]

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Directly supervise the Communications and Network Relations Manager and the Policy and Communication specialist whose work includes marketing initiatives, events, local campaigns and written materials (blog posts, fact sheets, etc.)

• A Master's degree or equivalent is required
• Minimum of five years of professional experience in policy, advocacy, and/or government relations and project management.
• At least three years' experience managing, developing, and coaching teams.