Director, Rural Early Childhood Systems

Partner for Rural Impact's (PRI) work began more than 30 years ago with a place-based partnership in Appalachian Kentucky, where we’ve shown demographics don’t have to determine destiny. Today, we partner with rural leaders and allies across the country to share that work and build local partnerships that put young people on a path to economic mobility.

The Director, Rural Early Childhood Systems, reporting to the Chief of Staff
- Level II, provides operational leadership and day-to-day management for PRI's Rural Early Childhood Initiative. The Director is responsible for translating the initiative's strategic priorities into effective implementation plans and coordinating the people, partnerships, processes, and resources necessary to achieve established goals.

The Director manages the implementation of complex, cross-sector initiatives while supporting the development of the organizational infrastructure, partnerships, staff capacity, learning agenda, and funding strategy necessary for long-term success. Working collaboratively across PRI and with community partners, philanthropic organizations, government agencies, and higher education institutions, this position advances systems-level solutions that elevate family leadership, strengthen trusted caregiver networks, promote continuous learning, and improve outcomes for children and families in rural communities.

This is a grant-funded position with an initial funding period of two years. Continued employment is dependent upon future funding and organizational needs.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements of the position are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required, with regular and predictable attendance essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Program & Implementation Management:

• Translate established strategic priorities into annual and project-level implementation plans, timelines, milestones and deliverables

• Manage day-to-day implementation across the initiative's core focus areas

• Coordinate activities across projects and work streams to ensure alignment with established portfolio goals

• Monitor project goals, budgets, timelines, contracts, deliverables, compliance requirements, and reporting obligations

• Track implementation progress, identify operational risks and barriers, and develop solutions or elevate issues requiring senior-level decisions

• Coordinate staff, partners, consultants, and other resources necessary for successful project delivery

Partnership Development & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Manage implementation-focused relationships with community partners, school districts, higher education institutions, government agencies, philanthropic partners, and other stakeholders

• Coordinate partner engagement activities necessary to achieve project goals and deliverables

• Support the cultivation of new partnerships by providing implementation expertise, project information, and relationship coordination

• Participate in meetings, convenings, and other external engagements related to assigned initiatives

• Support organizational leadership in funding development activities by contributing program information, implementation plans, data, and other materials

Learning, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement:

• Coordinate implementation of established evaluation, continuous improvement, and learning processes across assigned initiatives

• Ensure implementation experiences, outcomes, challenges, and lessons learned are appropriately documented

• Develop and coordinate practical tools, resources, and learning products based on…