Director of Community Systems Development (SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR)

Essential Functions

• Serves as the Director of Community Systems Development for the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC).
• Facilitates collaboration between IDEC and its partners using Collective Impact principles to build aligned, effective early childhood systems.
• Serves as a full line supervisor.
• Utilizes data analysis to identify gaps, evaluate community needs, and appropriately allocate resources.
• Convenes and facilitates stakeholder groups at state, county, and local levels to foster collaboration and shared accountability.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to completion of four (4) years college with course work in education, child development, business administration, and/or public administration.
• Requires four (4) years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or private organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Four (4) years of professional experience utilizing community systems development methods to enhance early childhood initiatives.
• Three (3) years of professional experience interpreting and implementing policies, procedures and goals for early childhood services.
• Three (3) years of professional supervisory experience assigning work, providing guidance to subordinates, recommending counseling and/or discipline following collective bargaining agreements, training staff, and approving time off.
• Three (3) years of professional experience communicating with both internal and external stakeholders daily ensuring detailed and critical analysis of work performed.
• Three (3) years of professional experience coordinating resources and fostering partnerships with internal and external partners.
• Three (3) years of professional experience making informed decisions to enhance community engagement with specified initiatives.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires a criminal history check through the Illinois State Police.
• Requires the ability to use agency-supplied equipment, such as a laptop, work cell phone, etc.
• Requires the ability to work regularly on site at the designated work location.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate. Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime, including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime. This requires the ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.

*The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency:

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) was signed into law in June of 2024 with the focus of making early childhood education and care services simpler, better and fairer for families with young children across the state. During fiscal years FY25 and FY26, IDEC will be working through transitioning data, programs and services from three state agencies – the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), – to IDEC in order to be fully operational by July 2026. Illinois strives to be the best state in the nation to raise a family with young children and IDEC is committed to continue putting children and families center while reducing complexities and finding efficiencies in the system and advancing equity.