Director, Early Childhood Education Finance, Operations and Growth

About this role

How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter through the Workable online portal. https://apply.workable.com/social-impact-partners/j/EFFDE0516B/
Applications submitted through any other channel(s) will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Role Purpose
The Director works directly with executive directors and senior teams at early childhood education (ECE) programs across Connecticut that participate in Social Impact Partners; (SIP’s) ECE Growth Accelerator to strengthen financial and operating models and implement priority changes that support growth and the conditions for high-quality early education. The role combines strategic advising with hands-on analysis, helping organizations prioritize opportunities, make sound decisions, and carry out practical solutions through implementation. The Director also identifies recurring field-level challenges and develops practical solutions in partnership with program leaders that can benefit Connecticut’s broader ECE system.
A Pivotal Moment
Connecticut is investing in early childhood education through a historic ECE Endowment and a statewide goal to expand affordable, high-quality child care. Since 2020, SIP has supported this work through partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, contributions to the Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care, Child Care for CT, and direct support to ECE organizations. This role brings finance and operations expertise to organizations that are essential to Connecticut’s children, families, workforce, and communities.
Opportunity to Apply Your Expertise for Impact
We welcome candidates from the private, public, or nonprofit sectors who want to apply finance and operations experience to direct, meaningful social impact. This role offers the opportunity to help mission-driven organizations become stronger, more sustainable, and better positioned to serve children and families. Deep ECE experience is not required; curiosity about the sector and the ability to quickly understand the economics of complex, labor-intensive organizations are more important.
Position Type: Employee or consulting/contractor engagement; structure and level of commitment may be tailored based on the candidate’s experience and availability.
Location: Hybrid, Connecticut statewide travel required.
About Social Impact Partners
Social Impact Partners is a Connecticut nonprofit working to close the opportunity divide and increase economic mobility. We partner with government, business, education, and nonprofit leaders to advance equitable education and workforce systems, from early learning through meaningful employment. SIP works locally and statewide to help partners understand complex problems, develop strategies, and carry out work through implementation.
Requirements
The Successful Candidate
The successful candidate will bring strong finance and operations experience, analytical rigor, curiosity, interpersonal judgment, and a low-ego, partnership-oriented approach. They may come from business, consulting, finance, operations, the nonprofit sector, or across sectors, and will be energized by applying their expertise in a mission-driven context. This role is best suited to someone comfortable moving between executive-level advising and hands-on work, including financial analysis, modeling, tools, research, facilitation, and implementation support.
Key Responsibilities
Executive Advising and Decision Support
· Build trusted relationships with ECE executive directors, senior teams, finance and operations leaders, and boards; provide clear objectives, practical analysis, candid counsel, and accountability.
· Help leaders clarify complex problems, evaluate tradeoffs, pressure-test assumptions, and make strategic decisions about sustainability and growth.
Financial and Operational Strategy
· Conduct financial and operational diagnostics across revenue, staffing, utilization, facilities, administrative costs, and other key operating drivers.
· Develop financial models, scenarios, dashboards, decision tools, and recommendations that help leaders and boards assess options and plan for changing funding and operating conditions.
Implementation and Change Management
· Support leaders in moving from analysis to action by advising on implementation plans, risks, resources, stakeholder alignment, progress tracking, and needed adjustments.
· Engage specialized staff, volunteers, or external expertise when additional capacity is needed.
Field Learning and Scalable Solutions
· Identify recurring financial and operational challenges across ECE organizations and develop shared solutions, partnerships, pilots, business cases, or tools in collaboration with providers.
· Translate provider-level insights into practical resources that strengthen future SIP Growth Accelerator cohorts and inform SIP’s broader ECE work.
Initial Priorities
During the first 12–18 months of the role or engagement, the Director will establish an advisory model, complete financial and operational diagnostics, help organizations advance priority implementation goals, and identify at least one cross-organizational pilot, partnership, or funding strategy.
The Successful Candidate
The successful candidate will bring strong finance and operations experience, analytical rigor, curiosity, interpersonal judgment, and a low-ego, partnership-oriented approach. They may come from business, consulting, finance, operations, the nonprofit sector, or across sectors, and will be energized by applying their expertise in a mission-driven context. This role is best suited to someone comfortable moving between executive-level advising and hands-on work, including financial analysis, modeling, tools, research, facilitation, and implementation support.
Qualifications
· 6+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance, operations, management consulting, business strategy, business-unit leadership,…