Assistant Chief of Programs

About the role

First 5 Alameda County is seeking an Assistant Chief of Programs - a senior executive who will serve as a strategic and operational anchor for the agency's programs division. Reporting directly to the Chief of Programs, this leader will drive alignment across programmatic areas, provide day-to-day leadership of the Early Care and Education (ECE) portfolio, and serve as a key thought partner to executive leadership. This is a high-stakes, high-impact role. The incoming leader will step into a large, expert program team navigating a systems-change moment, building the coordinated, equity-driven ECE infrastructure that Alameda County's children and families deserve. They will provide stability and direction, earn the trust of a seasoned staff, and drive execution on significant Measure C implementation milestones, expanding subsidized childcare slots, raising ECE educator wages, and strengthening the early childhood ecosystem at scale.

Responsibilities

• ECE Systems Leadership
• Provide strategic oversight of the ECE portfolio, from system design through implementation, ensuring initiatives are aligned, high-impact, and accountable to measurable outcomes.
• Drive Measure C implementation, including expanding access to quality childcare, increasing educator compensation, and disbursing facilities improvement grants with geographic and demographic equity.
• Navigate a complex multi-stakeholder environment - county agencies, community partners, grantees, policymakers - with diplomatic credibility and institutional savvy.
• Executive Partnership & Cross-Program Coordination
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to the Chief of Programs - absorbing priorities, extending their reach, and driving alignment across a division larger and more complex than most comparable agencies.
• Represent the Chief of Programs in internal and external meetings; facilitate cross-program leadership sessions to promote shared learning and coordinated action.
• Manage up effectively: surface issues early, propose solutions, and keep decision-makers informed without creating noise.
• Team & Operational Leadership
• Provide direct supervision and support to Director-level staff and the Assistant Director layer; bring clarity, structure, and direction to a high-capacity team in a period of growth and change.
• Build cultures of accountability and collaboration simultaneously.
• Foster management practices that promote clear communication, performance accountability, and team cohesion.
• Analytics & Decision Support
• Use data and performance analysis to drive executive decision-making, continuous improvement, and program accountability.
• Produce high-quality written work products - policy memos, briefings, and analytical reports - calibrated for commissioners, policymakers, and community partners.
• Lead and manage complex, cross-functional projects with precision, tracking multiple priorities and delivering under deadline.

Requirements

• Required Qualifications
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in program development, policy and systems building, or grantmaking, with at least 4 years of direct supervision.
• Deep substantive experience in ECE, public health, public policy, or community development systems, particularly at the county or regional level.
• Demonstrated track record managing large, multi-layered teams through change and performance challenges.
• Strong analytical and data skills; able to read program performance data, surface insights, and produce executive-ready recommendations.
• Policy memo-quality writing: clear, concise, audience-calibrated, and analytically grounded.
• Experience as a deputy, chief of staff, or number-two to a senior program executive.
• Comfort operating in hierarchical, fast-paced environments where priorities shift and decisions must be made quickly.
• Bachelor's degree in public policy, public health, public or business administration, ECE, or a related field (may s

Benefits

Additional Information

Assistant Chief of Programs First 5 Alameda County | Hybrid Onsite: Alameda County, CA | Salary: $175,000 - $232,750 | Exempt, Full-Time About First 5 Alameda County First 5 Alameda County advances the healthy development of children from prenatal through age five. With the passage of Measure C, a landmark voter-approved initiative to fund childcare and preschool across the county, First 5 is in a transformational moment. As the administrator of these funds, the agency is executing one of the most ambitious early care and education investments in the country, positioning Alameda County as a national leader in early childhood equity.

Your Match

How well this role fits your profile.

Company Intel

What employees say

Worked at brightmode? Share your experience