Strengthening Cradle-to-Career Coordination to Improve Family Outcomes

The City of Birmingham is partnering with Woodlawn United to strengthen place-based coordination that improves cradle-to-career outcomes for children and families in the Woodlawn-Kingston community. The FUSE Executive Fellow will align cross-sector partners around shared priorities, strengthen family navigation and data systems, and build coordination, governance, and collaboration across the partnership. Ultimately, this work will build sustainable partnership infrastructure that enables Birmingham to expand community-centered coordination and drive long-term improvements in outcomes across additional neighborhoods.

Fellowship Dates: October 26, 2026 – October 22, 2027

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. This amount is not representative of market-rate salaries for the experienced professionals in our program but is intended as compensation for a year of public service.

FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and community stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward high-priority local needs. Projects address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities, including affordable housing, economic mobility, climate resilience, public safety, infrastructure, technology, and more.

FUSE conducts a full executive search for each individual project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the community being served.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include thorough data analytics and research, developing enhanced operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building broad coalitions to support project implementation efforts. Executive Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects.

They build strong relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

Throughout the fellowships, Executive Fellows receive training, coaching, and professional support to help achieve their project goals.

Place-based partnerships are essential to strengthening cradle-to-career outcomes and expanding access to opportunity for children and families. These approaches align schools, local governments, community-based organizations, and service providers around shared goals, enabling communities to address complex, interconnected challenges through coordinated action. In neighborhoods where families navigate multiple systems to access education, health, housing, and social supports, strong cross-sector coordination plays a critical role in improving outcomes such as school attendance, academic progress, and long-term economic mobility.

When communities build integrated systems grounded in local leadership, shared data, and consistent engagement, they create the conditions for more connected, responsive, and impactful support for children, caregivers, and intergenerational households.

In Birmingham, AL, the Woodlawn-Kingston community has emerged as a leading example of community-driven revitalization, supported by sustained investment, strong local leadership, and a robust network of partners. Woodlawn United has spent over a decade building an ecosystem that includes schools, youth-serving organizations, housing partners, and city stakeholders working to support children and families across multiple dimensions of well‑being. At the same time, the City of Birmingham is advancing a broader cradle-to-career strategy to improve outcomes for youth and strengthen long-term economic mobility.

As these efforts expand, stakeholders have identified an opportunity to further align existing programs, strengthen coordination across partners, and improve how families connect to available services. Current efforts provide a strong foundation, with growing momentum to enhance shared data practices, deepen cross-sector collaboration, and ensure that resources are deployed in a more coordinated and effective way.

The City of Birmingham will partner with FUSE to accelerate the development of a coordinated, place-based system that strengthens…