Assistant Chief of Programs

About this role

First 5 Alameda County | Hybrid | Alameda County, CA | Salary: $175,000 – $232,750 | Exempt, Full-Time

About First 5 Alameda County

First 5 Alameda County advances the healthy development of children from prenatal through age five. With the passage of Measure C, a landmark voter-approved initiative to fund childcare and preschool across the county, First 5 is in a transformational moment. As the administrator of these funds, the agency is executing one of the most ambitious early care and education investments in the country, positioning Alameda County as a national leader in early childhood equity.

The Opportunity

First 5 Alameda County is seeking an Assistant Chief of Programs — a senior leader who will help drive strategic execution, operational alignment, and cross-functional leadership across the agency’s programs division. Reporting directly to the Chief of Programs, and working in close collaboration with Agency and program leadership, this leader will drive alignment across programmatic areas, provide day-to-day leadership of the Early Care and Education (ECE) portfolio, and serve as a key thought partner to executive leadership.

This is a high-stakes, high-impact role for a leader who is comfortable leading from vision to execution. The incoming leader will step into a large, expert program team navigating a systems-change moment, building the coordinated, equity-driven ECE infrastructure that Alameda County's children and families deserve. They will provide stability and direction, earn the trust of a seasoned staff, and drive execution on significant Measure C implementation milestones.

What You'll Do

ECE Systems Leadership

• Partner with the Chief of Programs and agency leadership to integrate efforts across divisions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and cohesive service delivery.

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for ECE programs, working in close partnership with agency and program leadership to strengthen coordination, drive system-building efforts from strategy through implementation, and ensure accountability for results aligned with broader agency priorities.

• Utilize an equity-centered, systems-building approach - leveraging qualitative and quantitative data to ensure responsiveness to community need and to identify where strategies must adapt to produce more equitable outcomes.

• Drive Measure C implementation, including expanding access to quality childcare, improving workforce development initiatives, and disbursing facilities improvement grants across Alameda County.

• Navigate a complex multi-stakeholder environment - county agencies, community partners, grantees, policymakers - with diplomatic credibility and institutional savvy.

• Understand fiscal policy and partner with agency leadership, finance, and policy staff to sustain current investments and identify opportunities to scale and increase resources in support of an evolving early childhood system.

Executive Partnership & Cross-Program Coordination

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to the Chief of Programs, demonstrating strategic anticipation, advancing priorities, extending reach, and driving alignment across the division.

• Represent the Chief of Programs in internal and external meetings; facilitate cross-program leadership sessions to promote shared learning and coordinated action.

• Hold accountability and support agency alignment through clear oral communication and strong policy writing, ensuring decision-makers and teams are consistently informed and oriented toward shared goals.

• Manage up effectively: surface issues early, propose solutions, and keep leadership informed.

Team & Operational Leadership

• Provide direct supervision and support to senior-level staff and support other Directors; bring clarity, structure, and direction to a high-capacity team in a period of growth and change.

• Oversee complex, multi-layered teams with a demonstrated track record of leading complex public policy initiatives from design through delivery.

• Build cultures of accountability and collaboration simultaneously - a team player who is highly collaborative and willing to roll up their sleeves and step in where needed.

• Foster management practices that promote clear oral communication, strong policy writing, performance accountability, and team cohesion.

Analytics & Decision Support

• Use data and performance analysis, qualitative and quantitative, to drive executive decision-making, continuous improvement, and program accountability.

• Produce high-quality written work products - policy memos, briefings, and analytical reports - calibrated for commissioners, policymakers, and community partners.

• Lead and manage complex, cross-functional projects with precision, tracking multiple priorities and delivering under deadline.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in program development, policy and systems building, or grantmaking with at least 4 years of direct supervision.

• Deep substantive experience in ECE, public health, public policy, or community development systems, particularly at the county or regional level.

• Demonstrated track record of leading complex public policy initiatives and overseeing complex, multi-layered teams through change and performance challenges.

• Strong analytical and data skills; able to read program performance data, surface insights, and produce executive-ready recommendations.

• Clear oral communication and strong policy writing skills: concise, audience-calibrated, and analytically grounded.

• Experience as a senior leader; demonstrated ability to lead and develop program design.

• Demonstrated initiative and comfort operating in fast-paced environments where priorities shift and decisions must be made quickly.

• Bachelor's degree in public policy, public health, public or business administration, ECE, or a related field (may substitute for 4 years of required experience

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