Early Childhood Coach

Reports To:

Early Childhood Coaching Manager

Job Location:

Fort Collins, CO (Hybrid Remote)

Work Schedule:

Full-time; salaried (40 hours/week). May require occasional evening or weekend hours.

Hiring Range: $56,000-$63,000 annually depending on qualifications and experience

Northern Colorado Kids Thrive is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every young child in our community has access to quality early childhood experiences. We manage significant public and private investments that support families, early childhood educators, and child care providers across Larimer County.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Early Childhood Coach supports quality improvement work connected to state systems, including Colorado Shines, PDIS, coaching credentials, environmental rating scales, and other CDEC-aligned quality efforts. This role also supports locally designed quality improvement strategies connected to No

Co Kids Thrive’s 1B public funding responsibilities. This may include coaching, provider support, quality improvement planning, and implementation support that are specific to local priorities, provider needs, family access, workforce stability, and broader early childhood system goals.

This position requires strong knowledge of early care and education, adult learning, early childhood quality practices, child care licensing, social-emotional development, classroom environments, and family child care and center-based program operations. The Early Childhood Coach works as part of the Specialist Consultation portfolio, helping ensure that providers experience No

Co Kids Thrive as a coordinated, responsive, and practical partner.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Understand, promote, and implement quality improvement initiatives that meet the evolving needs of early childhood programs, educators, children and families.

Provide coaching and technical assistance that supports high-quality early care and education, including classroom practice, learning environments, adult-child interactions, program operations, and continuous quality improvement.

Support quality improvement work connected to Colorado Shines, Professional Development Information System (PDIS) and CDEC-aligned systems, as appropriate.

Assist early childhood programs in developing and implementing quality improvement plans that are strengths-based and aligned with early childhood programs/provider goals.

Provide information and referrals to resources that support early childhood programs, educators, children, and families.

Communicate clear, respectful, and actionable guidance to early childhood educators on elements high-quality care and best practices

Deliver practical guidance based on early childhood research, proven classroom strategies, and flexible learning methods

Support program administrators and owners in navigating quality improvement systems, including Colorado Shines, PDIS, quality improvement funding, and locally available supports.

Build respectful, strengths-based partnerships with diverse early childhood providers rooted in open communication, honest reflection, and confidential, practical problem-solving

Support early childhood professionals in navigating the PDIS, credentialing, and professional development pathways to foster long-term career and program growth

Interact regularly with professionals in centers and family child care settings to understand their strengths, needs, barriers, goals, and operating realities.

Recognize the unique qualities of family child care homes, center-based programs, and other early childhood settings to ensure optimal outcomes for children and families.

Use basic budget and financial information including spreadsheets, expenditure tracking and documentation related to child care grants or quality improvement funds.

Identify and participate in training to strengthen coaching practice, early childhood knowledge, and understanding of local and state quality systems.

Obtain and maintain coaching certifications, credentials, and assessment tool reliability as required.

Bachelor’s Degree and a minimum of 2 years of experience in early childhood

Level 3 (or higher) Early Childhood Credential

Ability to obtain a Coaching Credential, and…