Manager- Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) creates and coordinates services that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. Driven by the needs of residents, DHSP’s extensive services and programs touch almost every sector in the city: from newborns to older adults, from school-aged children to homeless families, from non-profit organizations to local employers. ABOUT THE ROLE: The Agenda for Children Literacy Manager will lead City efforts to help children enter school ready to learn how to read and write by educating and supporting their parents and caregivers. This role uses the Social Determinants of Health framework to address factors like economic stability, education, and racism that affect community well-being. As manager of this initiative of the City of Cambridge, the Manager will balance the interests of many stakeholders and will be responsible for maintaining and developing strong collaborations with City and community partners. The Manager will also be responsible for the ongoing development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive and innovative programing. Examples of programs include Let’s Talk, Pathways to Family Success and Cambridge Dads, a unique partnership between Center for Families and AFC. This critical role will also help connect early literacy development directly to the broader maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes for families in Cambridge. Day-to-day supervision for the position will be shared between the Department of Human Services and the Cambridge Public Health Department.ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:Specific duties include but are not limited to the following:Collaborate with the Office of Early Childhood to provide leadership and support for city-wide strategic planning and advocacy efforts focused on children from birth to age eightPlan, organize, supervise, implement, and expand parent education programming that teaches parents how to support their children’s literacy development, including workshops, home visits, playgroups, family events and Book BikeEngage the community, and specifically the families that the Agenda is designed to serve, in the planning and evaluation of Agenda activitiesDevelops and implements strategies for ensuring that the Agenda’s programming equitably serves Cambridge’s diverse community, particularly for low-income individuals and families and residents from historically marginalized communitiesConduct ongoing programmatic evaluation to ensure that the Agenda’s activities are meeting programmatic goals and effectively serving Cambridge families. Evaluation should include the development of clear and specific program goals, related metrics, and evaluation activities designed to measure the extent to which goals are being metDevelop and monitor program budgetsActively promote the professional growth and development of program staff to support them in working effectively with families in ways that are consistent with best practices in adult learning and family engagementSupervise program staff, including the Early Literacy Program Supervisor, Pathways to Family Success Coordinator, Cambridge Dads Coordinator and 6-8 Literacy AmbassadorsLead strategic planning efforts across city departments to embed the Agenda’s goals and priorities into with city and community partner initiatives including the Department of Public Health’s Maternal and Child Health OutcomesReasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Education and Experience:Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience may be consideredDemonstrated program experience working in early education, public health, or social service demonstrated focus on maternal and child well-being, family support, or early childhood developmentDemonstrated experience in developing and monitoring budgetsDemonstrated experience building consensus among stakeholders with different agendasKnowledge, Skills, and Abilities:Proven knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) as they impact low-income and immigrant families and Maternal and Child Health principlesStrong leadership and supervisory experience, with the ability to manage staff and multiple concurrent projects.Strong analytical and evaluation skillsStrong oral and written communication skillsStrong public speaking, training and facilitation skillsDemonstrated commitment to working with diverse communities representing different ethnic, racial, socio-economic, cultural and educational backgroundsThe City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:Master’s degreeKnowledge of issues facing Cambridge children, youth, families, and service systems preferredPHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORK FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOMODATIONS:General office environment with air conditioning and fluorescent lighting.Must have sufficient mobility to travel to different sites within the City on a regular basis.Employee must occasionally transport materials including boxes of books weighing up to 50 pounds from one site to another.This position may be eligible for hybrid work under the City’s Telework Policy depending on operational needs.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.SUMMARY OF BENEFITS:Competitive health, dental, and vision insuranceVacation and Sick leave eligiblePaid parental leaveSick Incentive Pay Eligible3 Personal days14 Paid HolidaysManagement Allowance, $2,700/yearCity employee commuter benefits (T-Pass reimbursement Bluebikes membership, EZRide Shuttle membership)REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:Please upload the following documents to complete your application:ResumeCover Letter