Director of Program Incubation and Start-Up (SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR)

Essential Functions

• Serves as the Director of Program Incubation and Start-Up for IDEC.
• Serves as a full line supervisor.
• Directs the establishment, formulation, interpretation, and implementation that governs child care license-exempt programs.
• Develops quality assurance processes designed to support the growth and development of new child care programs, particularly startups.
• Represents the CQSO and/or Secretary before other state agencies and governmental entities, private and public organizations, and other community and professional groups to discuss issues and develop plans related to child care business incubation and to explain and interpret agency policies, programs, and objectives.
• Plans, develops, and prepares the budget for area of oversight for the CQSO.
• 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 of college in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, or a related field.
• Requires four (4) years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or business organization.
• Requires four (4) years of professional experience managing economic development programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three (3) years of professional experience managing or conducting program monitoring.
• Three (3) years of experience supervising professional staff.
• Three (3) years of professional experience evaluating program and personnel performance in a public or private organization.
• Three (3) years of professional experience in the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
• Three (3) years of professional experience conducting community outreach as a representative of a public or private organization. 

Conditions of Employment

• Requires a criminal history check through the Illinois State Police.
• 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 may require 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.