Director of Evaluation and Educational Experience - Ellis Memorial and Eldredge Inc

REPORTS TO: CEO

LOCATION: HYBRID- 58 BERKELEY STREET, BOSTON, MA 02116

Ellis Early Learning, "Ellis," (formerly known as Ellis Memorial) is a vibrant, Boston-based nonprofit with a rich history founded in 1885. Ellis provides the highest quality early education and care for infants, toddlers and preschool children. Ellis is among the most socio-economically, racially, and culturally diverse organizations serving children in Boston and is nationally accredited. Through a partnership with Boston Public Schools, it also operates four high-performing community-based UPK classrooms. Ellis operates two centers in the South End and a third center in Jamaica Plain and serves over 300 children annually. The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) recently granted Ellis a contract to launch a Family Child Care System to expand its impact on children, families, and micro-entrepreneurs. The system will be in place by January 2025. Learn more about us at ellisearlylearning.org.

ELLIS VISION: Every child thrives, and every educator flourishes in an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

ELLIS MISSION: Ellis partners with families to provide high-quality early childhood education in a warm, nurturing environment. A recognized leader in our field, we support children across the socio-economic spectrum, treasure diversity in all forms, and celebrate the joy of childhood.

Position Overview:

Ellis is seeking a Director of Evaluation and Educational Excellence ("Director") to join our team to guide our pursuit of excellence. This is an exciting opportunity to drive the creation of a best-in-class evaluation system at Ellis and play a critical role in measuring the impact of our new Center of Excellence (CoE), and designing and implementing an effective data strategy. The Director will be responsible for developing metrics to assess teacher quality and child outcomes aligned with Ellis's strategic goals. Immediate priorities will include creating an impact measurement plan, establishing baseline data, leveraging existing data, and addressing data gaps.

Additionally, the Director will lead the selection and use of a secure data platform, build data governance policies, and provide input on feedback mechanisms for continuous learning and improvement.

As a result of a transformational gift, Ellis is establishing a first of its kind Center of Excellence (CoE) focused on advancing teacher quality and child outcomes. The Director will be responsible for the impact measurement of the CoE, which may include the partnership and oversight of a local evaluation partner. We see impact measurement of the CoE as an integral part of building the culture and systems for continuous learning at Ellis. We are looking to hire the Director as soon as possible, ideally before the CoE is established and operational, as we expect the Director to play an important role in the CoE design.

The ideal candidate will care deeply about the early education field, educational equity, as well as racial and social justice.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. CoE Impact and Evaluation

• Continuous Improvement: Lead efforts to create a culture of ongoing evaluation that ensures that CoE's goals align with Ellis's strategic vision.
• Baseline Data and Impact Measurement: Establish baseline data and indicators of success focused on measuring teacher quality and child outcomes for the CoE.
• Collaboration with External Partners: Work with local evaluation partners to assess CoE's impact.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Establish and nurture relationships with public and private partners to ensure Ellis's work remains aligned with the broader early childhood policy, advocacy, and community ecosystem.

1. Data Infrastructure and Governance

• Data Platform: Lead the selection, procurement, and implementation of a platform to securely store and manage Ellis's data.
• Data Mapping and Organization: Leverage and transform existing data into valuable insights for operational use and grant reporting, ensuring data gaps are addressed.
• Data Governance: Collaborate with IT and other departments to create policies for data security and governance.

1. Cross-Organizational Collaboration

• Internal Stakeholder Support: Partner with leadership, program directors, and educators to drive data-informed decision-making and enhance program effectiveness.
• Communication of Results: Assist in communicating data and impact to the development team, leadership, and external stakeholders.

The purpose of this description is to provide the major responsibilities of the position. It is not to be considered a complete statement of all elements of the work that may be performed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 4 - 6 years of managerial experience in research and data or knowledge management
• Master's degree strongly preferred
• Thorough knowledge of research design, evaluation, and data tracking/analysis techniques and practices
• Knowledge of the early education field preferred
• Experience building and managing relationships with internal and external collaborators, especially in early childhood education or policy advocacy
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences in writing and orally
• Independent, self-starter, with an entrepreneurial mindset, who can work collaboratively
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred

Competitive salary ($100k - $120k) and benefits package including vacation and sick time, health insurance, dental insurance, 401k, life insurance, LTD and STD insurance. Membership to GBEN (Greater Boston Evaluation Network) is also included in compensation package. Please send your résumé and cover letter to hr@ellisearlylearning.org