Early Childhood Advocacy Coordinator

DESCRIPTION:

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:

Think Small, Minnesota's leader in early learning, is dedicated to advancing early childhood care and education. We are still committed to the principles that gave rise to our organization 50 years ago - that the quality of a child's early experiences greatly influences his or her success later in life and there is much that can be done to improve the quality of early childhood settings to optimize a child's development.

This position will help raise the voices of those closest to young children. The Early Childhood Advocacy Coordinator will support the work of the Data, Research, and Policy Team by educating and recruiting parents and other caregivers of children ages 0-5 who align with Think Small’s policy priorities. They will help amplify family voice in a variety of ways including via (social and traditional) media and communications with state legislators in order to advance policies that support young children.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop and distribute family advocacy content via email, social media, and the Think Small blog
Identify and collect stories from diverse families who are using or seeking quality childcare
Support families to advocate with elected officials in order to educate them about the importance of quality childcare
Identify targeted communities, individuals and leaders for outreach initiatives
Act as a liaison between families and administrators
Coordinate a Parent Advisory Group, and support efforts to collect and share family feedback
Build and maintain relationships with families and partner organizations to advance policy efforts
Prepare semi-annual Advocacy Engagement Plans to target families with timely resources and advocacy opportunities based on Data, Research, and Policy Team goals
Work with Data Team to create and compile data report to share with ELT, and as requested by partners on regular basis
Perform all job duties to department expectations and standards

REQUIREMENTS: 

Associate’s degree in early childhood, social work, communications, public policy, or a related field or 5 years of experience in the field of early childhood
1 year experience community organizing or parent engagement
Understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), anti-racism and anti-bias principles
Strong written and oral communication skills
Ability to communicate with diverse audiences
Strong influencing capabilities
Ability to handle a variety of assignments simultaneously and work under deadline pressure
Knowledge of child development and/or the Minnesota child care field preferred
Working knowledge of basic MS Office programs (Outlook, Word, Excel) and working knowledge of social media
This position is moderately active with requirements to travel around metro area frequently
Valid driver’s license, reliable personal vehicle and proof of insurance is required for metro area travel

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  

This position is available immediately. The salary rate range is $46,000-$54,000. Salary rate is dependent on qualifications.

BENEFITS

Comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, short- and long-term disability, life, vision, pet, critical illness, and long-term care insurance.
Medical and dependent care flex spending accounts, Health Savings Account (HS), legal and ID protection plans.
Pre-tax and ROTH 401k with employer match.
Generous paid time off: 23 days of sick/vacation time earned the first year PLUS 9 scheduled holidays and 4 floating holidays for those whose needs don't conform to the federal holiday calendar.
6 weeks paid parent leave and infants-at-work program (available after 1 year of employment)

Join us in our mission to make a difference in the community and the lives of young children. If you have a passion and desire to drive organizational success, we encourage you to apply.

Think Small is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. 