Impact & Stories | Info Sessions | Investing Early: prenatal to 5 years | Jobs

We’re hiring a Prenatal to Five Team Lead!

March 24, 2025

The application deadline is April 14, 2025 at 11:59 pm Pacific.

We’re hiring a Prenatal to Five Team Lead (Project/Program Manager IV)! This role provides strategic leadership and oversight of programs that reach children and families in their prenatal to five years, ensuring access to high-quality services in homes, child care settings, and community spaces.

Job duties

Program Leadership:

Lead a diverse, multilingual, and collaborative team focused on family-centered, strengths-based best practices.
Foster innovation through qualitative and quantitative data, cross-system partnerships, and a commitment to equity, social justice, and trauma-informed care.
Ensure that all programs align with King County’s Equity and Social Justice Plan, working closely with the Prenatal to Five team.

Program Improvement:

Set annual goals to align these programs within prenatal-to-five services in the Community Health Services (CHS) Division.
Manage program budgets, ensure effective spending, and oversee program evaluation efforts in partnership with Public Health’s Assessment, Policy, Development, and Evaluation unit.
Work closely with partners to continuously improve services based on feedback.
Ensure compliance with contracting, fiscal, and program monitoring requirements.

Coordinating and Systems Building:

Strengthen cross-departmental partnerships to improve how families access services, particularly through Help Me Grow and broader Public Health initiatives. Identify areas for continuous quality improvement to ensure a seamless experience for community members.

Partnership, Communications, and Community Engagement:

Represent Best Starts for Kids in coalitions, committees, and workgroups at local and state levels.
Build and maintain strong relationships with community organizations, service providers, government agencies, and advocacy groups to align efforts and leverage resources.
Develop reports, communications, and presentations to keep interested parties informed.
Design and facilitate meetings that engage diverse partners—including families and grassroots organizations—to ensure services are culturally responsive and reflect community needs.

Policy Research and Development:

Conduct policy analysis and research relevant to the program areas.
Track and provide feedback on state policy during legislative sessions.
Brief Public Health leadership and participate in policy discussions with community coalitions.
Partner with Maternal and Parent-Child Policy and System Lead, Policy Director, and Public Health leadership to identify opportunities for policy alignment.

Innovation and Dissemination:

Document and share best practices in Prenatal to Five programs at local, state, and national levels.
Represent Best Starts for Kids and Public Health – Seattle & King County in professional networks and forums.

Team Building:

Create a collaborative and supportive work environment that promotes open communication, teamwork, and continuous learning.
Act as a thought partner to team members, helping them navigate challenges and opportunities.

Other Duties as Assigned:

Perform additional related duties as needed.

Experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills

Ideal Candidate:
The ideal candidate possesses the core skills and experience needed for this role, including:

Deep understanding of equity and social justice, including how place, race, and policy impact communities.
Experience in early childhood systems, such as prenatal-to-five programs, early learning, social services, child welfare, child care, or home-based services.
Expertise in implementation science and/or program design, particularly in evaluating and improving services.
Strong interpersonal skills, including negotiation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
Proven ability to build authentic relationships with community members and grassroots organizations to ensure programs are responsive to community needs.
Demonstrated experience working at the intersection of public and private institutions, including cross-sector collaboration to advance program goals.
Experience using data to drive program improvements, inform decision-making, and engage stakeholders.
Supervisory experience, with at least two years of leading and supporting a team.
Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a focus on long-term systems change.
Excellent communication skills, including writing, presenting, and facilitating discussions with diverse audiences.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, navigating complex systems and building consensus.

Desired Candidate:
In addition to meeting the ideal qualifications, the desired candidate will have:

Knowledge of county and state government operations, with experience working across sectors to improve outcomes.
Familiarity with King County and Washington State early learning systems, including established relationships with local organizations.
Experience coordinating, implementing, and monitoring grant- or contract-funded services.
Project and resource management expertise, including budgeting, planning, and analysis.

Learn more and apply here!

Best Starts for Kids

Building on the deep knowledge, connections, and skills within King County communities, and backed by what science and research tells us about human development, the Best Starts for Kids King County initiative meets children and families with the right services at the right time. The first Best Starts for Kids levy, approved by King County voters in 2015, reached 490,000 of King County’s youngest children and their families and 40,000 youth and young adults, catalyzing strong starts in a child’s earliest years, and sustaining those gains through to adulthood. In August 2021, King County voters chose to renew the levy with over 62% approval for another six years. The plan for the second Best Starts for Kids levy will maintain current Best Starts for Kids investments in promotion, prevention, and early intervention, while deepening our investments to address critical needs in our community. View the Best Starts for Kids Implementation Plan: 2022 – 2027.