Careers

Organization: Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) on behalf of the Virginia Alliance for Family Child Care Associations (VAFCCA) 

Position Status: Exempt, Full-Time (1.0 FTE) Occasional evening/weekends required 

Location: Virginia Early Childhood Foundation offices, Richmond, Virginia 

Reports to: VECF VP of Operations on behalf of VAFCCA Board of Directors 

Salary: Commensurate with experience; anticipated salary range is $85,000-95,000 

Benefits: Valued at more than 25% of salary 

About VAFCCA: VAFCCA is a small provider-led network that supports home-based family child care providers across the Commonwealth of Virginia. VAFCCA is a 501c3 entity and has a 12-member volunteer board. To efficiently access the financial management, human resources, technology, and other infrastructure services needed, VAFCCA will catalyze its growth through an interim relationship with VECF as its fiscal sponsor. Having recently completed a strategic planning process, VAFCCA has a new vision statement and updated mission statement and is looking for a Director to serve as an ambassador to lead the transformation of the organization’s purpose, structure, and objectives. 

Vision: Family Child Care is a sustainable and rewarding profession valued by the state. 

Mission: To promote the growth, sustainability, and quality of Early Childhood Education in the family child care sector. 

Job Overview:  VAFCCA is looking to hire its first full-time Director to implement the internal and programmatic strategic initiatives articulated in the 2024 strategic plan. These initiatives are designed to grow and sustain the organization itself and increase both the depth and reach of the advocacy, professional development and membership efforts for family child care providers in Virginia. This is an exciting time to join the organization as the Director will play an integral role in manifesting the vision articulated during the strategic planning process and make a foundational impact on VAFCCA’s ability to achieve its updated mission. The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to early childhood education, understanding of the Virginia family child care sector and policy ecosystem, be entrepreneurial in nature, highly self-motivated, and comfortable in a fast-moving and adaptive environment. 

 Key Responsibilities: 

  • Works with the VAFCCA Board of Directors and VECF in growing and diversifying the Board, and in planning, facilitating and documenting Board meetings; submits monthly written reports to Board on programmatic and fiscal matters 
  • Prepares and monitors annual operating budget in partnership with Board Treasurer and Fiscal Sponsor staff, and reports regularly to the Board on the organization’s financial position 
  • Creates policies and procedures to support programmatic and operational growth 
  • Builds a fundraising strategy and pursues all appropriate revenue sources including grants and contracts while ensuring compliance with all reporting requirements of all funding agencies
  • Designs and executes recruitment strategies to grow and retain a vibrant membership base. Oversees the membership lifecycle, maintaining strong relationships through regular communication and feedback, and analyze trends to inform retention efforts 
  • Proactively represents the interests of both the organization and the sector in advocacy and policy efforts; uses state administrative data and membership data and input to formulate policy agenda; taps Board and member participation to drive advocacy efforts; communicates the importance of and challenges for the family child care sector to policy makers, legislators, funders, caregivers, journalists, and the business sector 
  • Oversees the planning, implementation and evaluation of programs and services 
  • Manages volunteers, vendors and strategic partnerships to execute programs and realize impact 
  • Remains up-to-date on issues pertinent to the organization through ongoing education, provider, and membership-building engagement 
  • Designs data collection tools and systems to support program design and movement building; regularly analyzes data and shares findings with various audiences 
  • Provides support and guidance to providers on navigating and implementing regulatory changes, ensuring compliance and minimizing disruption 
  • Establishes and sustains strong relationships with regional family child care associations, National Association for Family Child Care, governmental agencies, funders, partners, Ready Regions, the Virginia Promise Partnership and other relevant stakeholders to advance the needs of family child care providers across the State of Virginia 
  • Other duties as deemed necessary 

Skills/Experience: 

  • Ability to build strong and durable relationships with diverse Virginia family child care providers 
  • Ability to identify system and policy barriers and to design new programs that address these barriers 
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience in family child care, early childhood education, home visiting, nonprofit, consulting, grassroots advocacy, and/or social enterprise settings 
  • Sound decision-making by identifying, assessing, understanding, acting on and communicating opportunities and risks 
  • Ability to motivate volunteers and board members to engage in and support the mission of VAFCCA 
  • Demonstrated ability to positively influence others to achieve results, empowers and inspires others 
  • Strong verbal communication skills, including ability to communicate complex issues clearly to varied audiences and communicate strategically to achieve objectives 
  • Understanding of national, regional and local legislative and policy shifts and the impacts on family child care providers 
  • Ability to analyze data and use analysis to demonstrate need and/or promote change 
  • Cultural competence, empathy, and the ability to support diverse stakeholders 
  • Familiarity with nonprofit organization policies and systems 
  • Remote work capability 
  • Familiarity with contract oversight 
  • Excellent written communication skills for diverse audiences 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and online meeting platforms, such as Zoom 
  • Ability to work independently, manage projects end-to-end, and handle multiple projects simultaneously 

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to jobs@vecf.org by October 11. 

Download PDF of job listing.

VECF, serving as the fiscal sponsor, is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

VECF maintains a drug free workplace. 

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) is a statewide non-profit public-private partnership with the vision that every region in Virginia will ensure equitable opportunities for all families with young children to thrive. Our mission is to serve as the non-partisan steward of Virginia’s promise for early childhood success. In partnership with key state agencies, VECF supports the work of local communities and regions in strengthening their early childhood systems. Headquartered in Richmond, VA, with a team of approximately 20 full-time staff, VECF provides competitive grants and technical assistance to local early childhood initiatives formed to build capacity and infrastructure in local communities for delivery of high-quality early childhood programs.

We are seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide technology services that will support our operations and help us achieve our mission more effectively.

Project Objectives:

This RFP is for selecting a vendor to provide IT support, network management, cybersecurity services, etc. The selected vendor will work closely with our team to provide the technology tools and services for an efficient daily work experience.

Scope of Work:

The scope of the Technology Services is for comprehensive IT management and support for VECF which includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Existing Technical Environment

  • Servers and Workstations: 1 server, 1 access control computer, 22 active workstations, 2 spare workstations and 120 additional FastTrack program workstations
  • Network and Cloud Environment: Two switches, Firewall, Microsoft365
  • Telecommunications: VoIP system, Simplicity
  • Equipment: 1 scanner/copier, 2 desktop printers, 1 shredder, 2 UPS

Equipment Management

  • Manage hardware inventory and lifecycle management
  • Provide advanced email filtering, software security and back up services
  • Provide recommendations for hardware upgrades and manage procurement, installation, and configuration of new hardware

Customer Support

  • Ensure consistent and timely responses to all customer needs, with clearly defined SLAs and support tiers
  • Actively communicate any changes, updates, or issues to keep the organization informed
  • Provide comprehensive solutions that address both immediate needs and long-term goals

General Maintenance

  • Document software/hardware changes
  • Monitor and report on backups, systems, and server services
  • Provide regular system updates, including service packs, patches, and hotfixes
  • Monitor server logs, disk space, and perform necessary maintenance
  • Provide incident response and disaster recovery planning
  • Review and implement current IT-related policies and offer suggested revisions
  • Provide password management support

Network Maintenance

  • Oversee regular monitoring of router logs, DSU/TSU, switches, hubs, and internet connectivity
  • Conduct performance monitoring, capacity planning, and minor software/hardware upgrades
  • Maintain office connectivity to the internet

Security Maintenance

  • Perform regular checks of firewall logs and antivirus updates
  • Complete backups and management of directories, shares, security groups, and user accounts
  • Conduct user training for security practices
  • Support organization with SOC 2 Type 2 compliance

Application Support

  • Management of Exchange users/mailboxes, directory and WINS replication, and basic SQL server administration
  • Ensure functionality of Microsoft 365 applications
  • Administer SharePoint and support organization with recommendations for best practices, including permissions and file system management

Proposal Submission Guidelines:

Interested vendors are requested to submit their proposals addressing the following points:

Company Overview

  • Provide a brief overview of your company, including your experience in delivering technology services to clients with similar needs.

Approach and Methodology

  • Describe your proposed approach and methodology.
  • Please include your approach for building awareness and understanding of our organizational culture to meet our needs and expectations for services.
  • Highlight any innovative or unique strategies that set your proposal apart.

Service Plan

  • Provide a detailed outline of the services you will offer.
  • Include a timeline and a clear communication plan to ensure a smooth transition from our current IT services provider.
  • Describe your approach to ongoing customer support, including a comprehensive response, onsite support, response times, support tiers, and how you will ensure consistent, high-quality service.

Team and Expertise

  • Introduce the key members of your team, including their qualifications and relevant experience.
  • Specify any specialized expertise, such as SharePoint administration, and list relevant certifications.

Cost and Timeline

  • Provide a comprehensive cost breakdown, including any licensing fees or third-party costs.
  • Outline the estimated timeline for transitioning from the current contracted services to your proposed services.

References

  • Provide at least three references from clients, preferably similar in size and sector (e.g., nonprofit organizations).
  • Include contact information for each reference.

Timeline

  • Proposal Submission Deadline: October 15, 2024
  • Vendor Selection: November 15, 2024
  • Transition Start Date: December 1, 2024
  • Desired Transition Completion Date: January 10, 2025

Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated experience and expertise in providing technology services, particularly to organizations similar in size and scope.
  • The effectiveness and clarity of the proposed approach and methodology in meeting the organization’s technology needs, including any innovative or unique strategies that add value.
  • The comprehensiveness and feasibility of the service plan, including the transition timeline and communication strategy.
  • The qualifications, relevant experience, and specialized expertise of the key team members.
  • Cost-effectiveness and overall value for money, including the transparency and detail of the cost breakdown.
  • Strength and relevance of references and client testimonials, especially from similar-sized organizations and within the nonprofit sector.

Contact Information:

Please address all inquiries and submit proposals to:

Bridget King
Vice President of Operations
Virginia Early Childhood Foundation
Bridget@vecf.org
804.358.8323 x133

We look forward to receiving your proposal and collaborating to enhance our technology services allowing us to achieve our organizational goals.

Download PDF of RFP.