JOB POSTING: Operations Director & Chief of Staff

Location

Washington, D.C. (hybrid; remote work Monday and Friday; in-office work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

This position supports First Five Years Fund and its related 501(c)(4) social advocacy arm, First Five Action Fund. 

About First Five Years Fund

At First Five Years Fund* (FFYF), our mission is to ensure that all children, especially those from low-income families, have equitable access to a continuum of affordable, comprehensive, high-quality early care and education (ECE) to support their healthy development and help them reach their full potential. To achieve our mission, we work to sustain and expand bipartisan support for early learning, while identifying and advancing new and innovative ways to increase access to high-quality early childhood education for children from low-income families. With so many children from birth through the age of five living in poverty, there is a tremendous need for greater investments and policies that expand access to high-quality opportunities that lay the foundation for a healthy and productive future. 

FFYF was founded to be singularly dedicated to early childhood issues – and, more specifically, federal ECE advocacy. FFYF is unique and effective because of our: 

• Integration across the work 

We employ three core divisions of labor – communications and public relations, policy and partnerships, and government relations and outreach – that are intentionally integrated, each playing a central role. 

• Proactive, bipartisan consensus-building 

We engage in strategic consensus-building and seek to guide productive conversations to protect the issue from polarization. We identify areas of agreement, as well as where to engage and push. We lead conversations with what is persuasive to entry in the moment, considering all relevant context. We meet people where they are and help them get to where we want them to be. 

• Simultaneous short- and long-term approach 

We create opportunities for strategic victories – great and small – that build toward our long-term goal, while employing careful discipline to ensure short-term political or policy victories do not compromise long-term support and funding for early learning and care from birth through age five. 

• Proactive advocacy while responsive to Washington’s current/changing agenda 

We strategically account for, and take advantage of, the external environment including the realities of the legislative schedule and the political environment. 

In 2020, FFYF launched a 501(c)(4) social advocacy arm – First Five Action Fund (FFAF) – to provide additional support for ongoing federal-advocacy efforts by increasing our Hill-facing capacity, expanding our reach, and expediting our education of Congressional offices. To learn more, please visit www.ffyf.org and www.firstfiveaction.org.  

*FFYF is an independent project of Start Early. 

Position Summary 

The Operations Director & Chief of Staff provides strategic, analytical, and operational support to FFYF’s Executive Director, and co-leads efforts with FFYF’s senior leadership to develop, operationalize, and drive effective implementation of FFYF’s strategic plans. 

The Operations Director & Chief of Staff ensures the strategic priorities of FFYF and its funders are being met and articulated effectively and cohesively, manages daily operations, develops and implements policies and procedures, oversees financial management, ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, collaborates with key stakeholders, and serves as primary liaison to Start Early shared services teams (i.e., development, compliance, finance, IT, HR). 

The Operations Director & Chief of Staff reports to FFYF’s Executive Director, and is the direct supervisor for FFYF’s Operations & Facilities Associate. 

Duties & Responsibilities 

Business Operations 

• Manages and supports Executive Office initiatives. 
• Provides conflict resolution and problem-solving services to the FFYF team. 
• Explores and resolves non-binding legal issues, complaints, and conflicts by making both binding and non-binding recommendations and bring systemic concerns to the Executive Director’s attention for resolution. 
• Serves as primary liaison to Start Early’s shared services teams (i.e., development, compliance, finance, IT, people and culture), and to outside legal counsel working on issues such as political law, nonprofit administration, lobbying, and trademarks.  

• Leads:  
  • Annual budgeting process, including proactive management of annual budget to ensure effective stewardship of grant funds. 
  • Procurement and contract management, including oversight of consultant contracts; processing and maintaining contracts and records; managing outsourced vendor work; and monitoring consultant contracts to ensure completion of contract requirements. 
  • DEIB programming.  
  • Financial reporting on private grants and compliance with federal requirements for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations regarding reporting on lobbying activities. 
  • Infrastructure and IT improvements. 

Process Monitoring 

• Collaborates with FFYF and Start Early leadership to assess and improve the efficiency and quality of systems for managing FFYF processes and day-to-day work.  
• Oversees priority operations and executive initiatives aimed at ensuring FFYF can operate with ease, efficiency, and effectiveness.  
• Defines, recommends, and implements internal processes to break down silos, standardize work, and improve operations. 

External Collaboration 

• Supports external relationship and partner cultivation, with a primary focus on FFYF’s Executive Policy Council and First Five Action’s Board of Directors.  
• Drives the planning and execution of annual meetings, regular check-ins, and other written communications.  
• Meets current obligations and partnerships. 

Development 

• Partners with FFYF’s Executive Director and Start Early’s development team to develop strategy for annual donor prospecting, cultivation, and ongoing stewardship, including: 
• Providing guidance on funder meeting agendas, reviewing prep and follow-up materials, and contributing content and talking points as needed and requested. 
• Reviewing all FFYF funder reports and proposals, and contributing content and impact data as needed and requested. 
• Participating in meetings related to funder reports and proposals as needed and requested. 
• Providing routine status updates to FFYF’s Executive Director on progress of funder report and proposal submissions. 
• Serving as the FFYF lead on the development of grant budgets in partnership with Start Early’s finance and development teams. 
• Proactively monitoring grant budgets to inform reports to funders. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Organizational Management, Finance, or related field required. Juris Doctorate or Master’s Degree in Business or Organizational Management (or related field) highly preferred. 
• A minimum of seven years’ experience with progressive responsibility in various aspects of nonprofit operations, including development, budgeting, and reporting. In-depth experience interacting with executive leadership, senior staff, donors, and key stakeholders. 
• Ability to function effectively leading and managing teams.  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; knowledge of or experience with grant or funder proposal development processes preferred.  
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact with senior staff leadership, donors, and other key internal and external stakeholders in a professional manner. 
• Deep commitment to advancing DEIB and incorporating it into organizational routines and practices. 
• Comfort and experience handling risk and uncertainty to move work forward. 
• Demonstrated timely follow-through and ability to work independently at a rigorous and efficient pact, exercising independent judgment to meet deadlines and budgets, set realistic expectations, prioritize multiple complex assignments, and produce deliverables. 
• Ability to process, protect, and exercise discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information and materials in a professional manner. 
• Organized, strategic thinker with exceptional attention to detail. 
• Ability to promote and maintain effective internal and external communication between divisions, offices, and staff. 
• Strong project management skills with the ability to efficiently manage and prioritize multiple tasks and meet often competing deadlines in a fast paced environment. 
• Proven experience in budget development and effective budget management. 
• Knowledge of c3, c4, and PAC operations, including legal obligations and risk management. 
• Ability to organize complex tasks, prioritize multiple assignments, exercise independent judgment, and to remain flexible and adapt to changing needs and priorities. 
• Ability to meet deadlines and develop and move projects forward with independence. 
• Ability to think strategically and analytically with an ability to see the big picture while managing details. 
• Ability to process and protect confidential information in a professional manner. 
• Required to sit at a desk and focus on a computer screen for the majority of the day. 
• Frequently required to talk and listen to other individuals. 
• Must be able to use repetitive wrist, hand and finger movements to operate computers and mechanical equipment regularly. 
• Must be able to lift objects up to 20 lbs. in weight. 
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function. 

Work Environment 

General office conditions, with exposure to moderate noise levels. 

Salary Range 

Starting salary is $160,000, with the possibility of more commensurate with experience. 

How to Apply 

Please send a cover letter (including salary requirements) and resume to Jessica Sarra at jsarra@ffyf.org.  

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We recognize that few candidates might meet every single piece of knowledge, experience, or education listed here. Research shows that women and people of color, among many other historically excluded groups, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. FFYF is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your qualifications don’t perfectly align with everything in the job description, we still encourage you to apply! 

FFYF is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.