Strategy and Policy Manager (Consultant)

Title: CPAC Strategy and Policy Manager (Consultant)

Reports To: CPAC Chair and Executive Committee

Location: San Francisco

Compensation: $125 hourly. This is a consultant position and not eligible for health and other benefits.

Classification: Consultant, 24 hours/week

Schedule: Monday-Friday with occasional weekends, must be in-person in San Francisco for meetings.

Application Deadline: December 20, 2024 (interviews will be rolling as we receive applicants)

To Apply: Email a cover letter and your resume and cover letter to cpacsanfrancisco@gmail.com with “CPAC Strategy and Policy Manager” in the subject line. The Hiring Committee will be conducting rolling interviews.

About the San Francisco Child Care Planning and Advisory Council (CPAC):

This position is the lead consultant for the San Francisco Child Care Planning and Advisory Council’s (CPAC) strategy and policy work for city-wide childcare issues and the Universal PreKindergarten Workgroup. CPAC is a county entity that is required by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to plan for childcare and development services based on the needs of families in the local community. Local Planning Councils (LPCs, as defined by the state) are intended to serve as a forum to address the childcare needs of all families in the community for all types of childcare, both subsidized and unsubsidized.

San Francisco’s CPAC (aka LPC) serves as a representative advisory and planning body with a membership of 25 appointments by the Board of Supervisors, and Board of Education, to maintain, expand, and improve local Early Care and Education (ECE) services. More for information, visit https://sfcpac.org.

Consultant Summary:

Working with the CPAC Chair, Committees, Members, Administrative Coordinator, and private and public partners, the Strategy and Policy Manager acts as the primary face and liaison for CPAC to activate its members, track local, state, and federal childcare legislation, support the work of the local childcare and planning council, and coordinate and advance the work of the Universal PreK (UPK) workgroup.

The consultant should have legislative/ policy and coalition-building experience. The consultant should also have strong project management and communications skills. They will manage complex relationships, conduct policy analysis, and help build coalitions.

Under direction, the CPAC Strategy and Policy Manager will assess, represent, and advance child care needs across San Francisco County, through collaboration, leadership, and advocacy. The Manager will collaborate with external partners in the early learning and out-of-school time (OST) ecosystem to understand related policies and initiatives, provide leadership with updates, and lead for equity. The Manager is also responsible for managing the deliverables and reporting aspects of UPK grants.

Scope of Work

Organizing/Advocacy:

Serve as “the face of CPAC” at public organizing events, speaking on behalf of ECE, OST and CPAC

Organize and lead site visits and meetings with Board of Supervisors

Presentations to other organizations/bodies on behalf of CPAC

Collaborate with San Francisco City Departments, e.g., the Department of Early Childhood (DEC) and Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF)

Recruit for vacant CPAC seats, build relationships with CPAC Members

Plan and participate in advocacy coalitions and rallies

Track and communicate about relevant ECE & OST legislation

Draft letters of support on behalf of CPAC

Collaborate with partners and stakeholders on Policy Retreat, Mayoral Candidate forums, and similar events

With Committee Chairs, plan, and co-facilitate CPAC committee meetings

Administration:

Track and monitor UPK budget (actuals vs. projections, share monthly and quarterly reports with CPAC UPK Committee Co-Chairs)

Draft reports, budget revisions, and budget narratives for CDE/CDSS requirements

Manage any consultants/vendors engaged to support the process

Support fundraising efforts and grant proposals

Project management and logistical support for UPK Committee Co-Chairs

Create and distribute surveys and gather data as needed.

Coordination and Facilitation:

Convene and facilitate UPK workgroups/focus groups; document notes and action items;

Manage the recruitment of the Working Group in alignment with CDE requirements

Ensure UPK Working Group has the data and information it needs to make recommendations

Community Relations:

Design and implement the dissemination of UPK resources to the San Francisco community ecosystem that supports families with young children, including local elected officials, school district administrators, leadership at center-based agencies, family-serving organizations

Prepare UPK-related content for annual policy retreat for ECE community or other UPK roll-out related events

Represent San Francisco CPAC at local and state UPK convenings

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

Four (4) years of experience working in education, child development, or childcare programs

At least two (2) years full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level in policy, lobbying, legislative/policy analysis, or advocacy

Experience developing and tracking an annual budget

Exceptional organizational, administrative, and time-management skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to work independently to move projects and the scope of work forward

Desirable Qualifications

Ability to communicate and maintain positive relationships with a wide variety of people

Ability to identify challenges and create solutions

Working knowledge of the early care and education field

Master's degree or higher preferred

Hybrid: This scope of work can be done 50% remotely with a few weekly onsite San Francisco meetings as needed. You must be local to the San Francisco Bay Area for in-person meetings. The monthly CPAC Full Membership meetings will require your in-person attendance. April-June is “budget season” for California and San Francisco and will require more frequent presence in San Francisco or Sacramento to build relationships with legislators and participate in advocacy with the Early Care and Education community (e.g., rallies, site visits, in-person Supervisor meetings).