Position Title: Early Childhood Project Coordinator
Department: Community Health & Engagement
Reports To: Early Childhood Policy Director
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Manages Others: No
Posting date: 12/21/23
Salary range: $58,458.40 – $60,000
Organizational setting:
Founded in 1974, Common Ground Health is one of the nation’s oldest and most effective regional health planning organizations. Located in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts, the nonprofit serves the nine-county Finger Lakes region. We bring together leaders from health care, education, business, government and other sectors to find common ground on health challenges. Using the region’s most comprehensive health data, together we hammer out strategies for better care, smarter spending and healthier people. Through all of these activities, Common Ground Health seeks to promote population health improvement and reduce health care disparities in the Finger Lakes region.
Healthi Kids is an initiative of Common Ground Health. With our 90+ member coalition, Healthi Kids advocates for whole child health in early care and education, schools and communities.
General Purpose:
The project coordinator is primarily responsible for coordinating and executing Healthi Kids’ initiatives to advance infant and early childhood mental health throughout the Finger Lakes region. The project coordinator will also support other projects within the Building Foundations for Health in Early Childhood portfolio, including those addressing early intervention and preschool special education. They will work closely with the Early Childhood Policy Director and Parent Engagement Specialist to develop strategies and tactics that center the importance of early child-caregiver relationships for lifelong health and wellbeing. They will conduct landscape assessments of infant and early childhood mental health-informed services and supports in Monroe and Wayne Counties, provide research assistance, conduct stakeholder interviews, coordinate logistics for Healthi Kids’ Building Foundations Workgroup and focus groups, support awareness building activities and special projects. They will also conduct outreach at community events, interface with Healthi Kids partners and attend both internal and external meetings related to whole child health. The successful coordinator builds strong and positive relationships with partners and stakeholders, works closely with the Healthi Kids team to ensure alignment with overall initiative direction, and contributes directly to the completion of deliverables. This position requires flexibility in day to day activities, a keen attention to detail, and a collaborative approach.
It is Common Ground Health’s intention that employees receive training/professional development necessary to achieve the development of skills, knowledge, abilities and attitudes related to their job duties and individual development, and to the overall agency and its work plan deliverables. The project coordinator demonstrates a commitment to the mission, vision and values of Common Ground Health.
Responsibilities/Accountabilities:
- Shows commitment to Common Ground Health’s vision to become America’s healthiest community with health equity for all people in our region.
- Oversees implementation of the project and ensures that key deliverables are met.
- Develops expertise and shares knowledge with stakeholders from multiple sectors.
- Becomes a trusted resource in the professional community in early childhood health.
- Builds and maintains relationships with decision-makers, community organizational partners, and parents.
- Develops project plans that advance the strategies developed by the Healthi Kids team and Early Childhood Workgroup.
- Works with project team to ensure key project deliverables are met and tracks execution against deliverables.
- Informs and produces written documents and develops presentations to advance the work of our early childhood-focused initiatives.
- Develops effective ways to communicate with grassroots stakeholders and gather input to inform strategies and tactics.
- Effectively manages projects and activities as assigned.
- Schedules and coordinates project-related meetings.
- Represents Common Ground Health at community tables, events, conferences and with media.
Competencies:
- Strategic thinker who can see the big picture, balance short and long-term objectives, and identify action plans for their successful implementation.
- Strong project management and organizational skills that deliver products on time and within agreed upon scope.
- Must have a collaborative work style that is responsive to and supportive of the needs of others.
- Must be adept at working in community-based settings and be able to develop rapport and credibility with youth, families and residents.
- Must have exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate with diverse populations.
- A persuasive, encouraging, and motivating approach to encourage others to engage in advocacy and become agents of change.
- Demonstrated competence working with diverse teams and stakeholder groups.
- The ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and demonstrated flexibility and adaptability during times of change.
- Experience developing work plans with key outcomes, deliverables, and performance measures.
- Knowledge of best practices and tools related to family and community engagement in both urban and rural settings.
- Ability to learn, understand, and apply new tools to assess child and family-serving systems and identify gaps and project needs.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to demonstrate initiative, creativity, and integrity.
- Effective problem-solving, analytical skills and attention to detail that supports and enables sound decision making.
- Proficient with technology and adopting new systems.
Minimum Qualifications:
- A bachelor’s degree in public health, maternal-child health, mental health, early childhood education, health policy, or a related field. An equivalent amount of work experience that demonstrates a high level of expertise in the field will be considered.
- At least 2-3 years of experience working in the field of public health, maternal-child health, mental health, early childhood education, health policy, or a related field.
- Proven ability to develop project plans and track record of success moving a team toward successful execution against deliverables.
- Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships/partnerships with diverse stakeholder groups and superior networking skills to establish and maintain productive relationships in the community.
- Strong written and oral communication skills with a history of presenting material to diverse audiences.
- Experience in leading or supporting committees and workgroups.
- Ability to speak Spanish a plus.
- Must be able to work flexible hours as needed for meetings and events, such as early mornings and evenings, and occasional weekends.
- Proficiency in Microsoft office products (Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint). Experience in developing graphic presentations that include charts, tables and graphs preferred.
- Experience using web based video conferencing systems such as Zoom preferred.
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to work remotely.
- Ability and willingness to travel regionally, as needed.
- Sits for long periods. Works long hours on a computer. Uses a keyboard. Reads printed materials or from a computer monitor.
- Occasionally required to climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. In support of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this job description lists only those requirements and qualifications deemed essential to the position
Common Ground Health – Employee Culture Statement
Our Work
We build relationships among health care and human service providers, insurers, community-based organizations, community members, families and other partners to find common ground on our area’s most pressing health challenges. Together, using health and community data, we develop strategies for better care, smarter spending and healthier people. By helping people work together to reach a solution, we improve outcomes through policy, systems and environmental change. The goal is to give every person a chance to be heard and part of the process. Through all of these activities, Common Ground Health seeks to improve population health, promote health equity and reduce health disparities in the Finger Lakes region.
Our Culture
Our foundation at Common Ground Health is built on our relationships with one another. We are learners, listeners, engagers, advocates, coaches, mentors, conveners, and more. Our staff is the most valuable resource the organization has for advancing our mission.
We create and maintain a physically, emotionally, and socially healthy work environment. We share our experience as a healthy and collaborative workplace as an example for others. We want our colleagues to look forward to coming to work each day to deliver the highest quality of work possible.
Our organization and our stories are ever-changing, growing, and improving. Everyone brings a unique perspective that enhances our collective work. We will embrace these differences as part of the process to achieve high quality outcomes. We celebrate “teachable moments” even, and especially when, they may be uncomfortable. We approach our relationships at Common Ground Health with integrity, transparency and objectivity. We value the unique contributions of our individual staff and volunteers and recognize the importance of both context and content expertise.
Working Here
Common Ground Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We offer competitive salaries and a wide range of benefits that include:
- A flexible benefits plan that includes comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance, a flexible spending account, and AFLAC policies
- A generous time off package that includes PTO (paid time off), volunteer time off and paid agency holidays
- A flexible and friendly hybrid work environment
- 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution
- Professional development opportunities
- Agency paid life insurance, and short & long-term disability
- Employee assistance program (EAP) and discounts through my Better Benefits (mBB)
