Early Head Start Director

Early Head Start Director

Location: Milwaukee, WI

Work type: Hybrid (work from home + site visits)

Salary: $70,000 annually plus great benefits

This is a rare opportunity to build an Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program from the ground up – bringing your vision, expertise, and passion for early childhood to a mission-driven organization that genuinely values the people behind the work.

About WECA

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to building a foundation for lifelong learning for Wisconsin's youngest children. We support early childhood professionals through advocacy, professional development, and quality improvement — and we bring that same intentionality to how we treat our own team.

We believe in work-life balance not just as a policy, but as a practice. Our culture is people-first, collaborative, and deeply mission-driven. When you join WECA, you're joining a team that cares about the work and about each other.

The Role

As Early Head Start Director, you'll lead WECA's Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (CCP) program — a multi-site initiative serving infants and toddlers across the Milwaukee area. This is a hybrid position: you'll have the flexibility to work from home while spending meaningful time visiting and building relationships with community-based child care partner sites.

You'll supervise an Education Manager, Monitoring & Compliance Manager, and Comprehensive Services Manager — guiding a dedicated team to deliver integrated, high-quality services aligned with federal Head Start Performance Standards. Because this program is being built from the ground up, you'll have real ownership over its direction, culture, and outcomes.

What You'll Do

• Own overall program leadership across multiple community partner sites — this is your program to shape and grow
• Develop and sustain strong community partnerships to expand reach and impact for Milwaukee's youngest children
• Ensure full compliance with federal and state regulations and Head Start Performance Standards
• Lead strategic planning and use data to drive continuous program improvement
• Hire, train, coach, and evaluate a passionate, high-performing team
• Manage program budgets in collaboration with the financial team
• Coordinate across education, family services, health, inclusion, and compliance to ensure integrated service delivery
• Lead community needs assessments and translate findings into program planning
• Prepare for and lead federal and state program reviews and audits

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience managing early childhood programs, with deep expertise in infant/toddler development
• Strong knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards and regulatory compliance
• Proven track record in fiscal oversight and strategic program planning
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills
• Based in or able to relocate to the Milwaukee area

Spanish/English bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Benefits

We take care of our people. Here's what you can expect:

• Vacation & Time Off: 10 vacation days in year one, 12 sick days per year (bank up to 240 hrs), plus 13 paid holidays
• Holiday Week: WECA closes the week between Christmas and New Year's — fully paid for all staff
• 401(k) Match: Company matches 100% up to 3% of salary, plus 50% on the next 2%
• Health Insurance: Medical, dental (company paid), and vision insurance
• Income Protection: Life insurance, short-term & long-term disability — all company paid
• Additional Coverage: Accident, critical illness, and hospital insurance options available
• Flexible Spending: FSA and dependent care account options

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association works to build a foundation for a lifetime of learning for Wisconsin’s young children by promoting excellence in early education programs, supporting professionalism in the early childhood workforce, and calling for greater investment in quality early child care. WECA’s mission is to meet the professional needs of adults who nurture and teach Wisconsin’s young children through a rich continuum of services.

WECA does not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, religion, color, handicap, sex, physical condition, developmental disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.