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Contractor Role Description
Child Care Business Liaison
Position Status: Independent Contractor
Reports to: President & CEO, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce
Works collaboratively with Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) and Ready Region Blue Ridge (RRBR) staff
Interested contractors should send a cover letter expressing interest and relevant skills, along with a resume/bio to Chris Quinn at chris@hrchamber.org
Organization:
The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit community organization. The Chamber exists to connect area businesses into a powerful network. Since 1916, the Chamber has been influencing public policy on behalf of the business community and helping the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area become a thriving and dynamic marketplace of opportunities. Recently, the Chamber has heard increasing concerns and interest from area businesses/employers in ensuring that their labor force can find and afford high-quality child care so that families can be successful with employment and their businesses can be productive and profitable.
Position Background/Description:
Ready Region Blue Ridge has an insufficient supply of high-quality child care, impacting the available workforce and the well-being of children and families. Many businesses understand the importance of high-quality, affordable child care for their employees but are uncertain how and whether they can assist their employees in securing childcare services. There is an identified need for businesses, local governments, and philanthropic and community organizations to work together to develop strategies and resources to increase child care options for families. The Child Care Business Liaison will lead a new initiative with a goal of increasing access to high quality child care for working families in RRBR. The Child Care Business Liaison will convene all relevant stakeholders, conduct a robust assessment of the childcare needs for families in the region, and apply an economic and business lens to address the supply needs to meet demand.
Duties/Responsibilities:
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce maintains a drug-free workplace
Child Care Business Liaison
Position Status: Independent Contractor
Reports to: President & CEO, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce
Works collaboratively with Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) and Ready Region Blue Ridge (RRBR) staff
Interested contractors should send a cover letter expressing interest and relevant skills, along with a resume/bio to Chris Quinn at chris@hrchamber.org
Organization:
The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit community organization. The Chamber exists to connect area businesses into a powerful network. Since 1916, the Chamber has been influencing public policy on behalf of the business community and helping the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area become a thriving and dynamic marketplace of opportunities. Recently, the Chamber has heard increasing concerns and interest from area businesses/employers in ensuring that their labor force can find and afford high-quality child care so that families can be successful with employment and their businesses can be productive and profitable.
Position Background/Description:
Ready Region Blue Ridge has an insufficient supply of high-quality child care, impacting the available workforce and the well-being of children and families. Many businesses understand the importance of high-quality, affordable child care for their employees but are uncertain how and whether they can assist their employees in securing childcare services. There is an identified need for businesses, local governments, and philanthropic and community organizations to work together to develop strategies and resources to increase child care options for families. The Child Care Business Liaison will lead a new initiative with a goal of increasing access to high quality child care for working families in RRBR. The Child Care Business Liaison will convene all relevant stakeholders, conduct a robust assessment of the childcare needs for families in the region, and apply an economic and business lens to address the supply needs to meet demand.
Duties/Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with the RRBR lead agency (the United Way of Greater Charlottesville), build a regional coalition of business, local/regional chamber, economic development, philanthropy, and early childhood care and education leaders.
- Conduct a comprehensive childcare needs assessment, including data source gathering, and develop a needs statement.
- Develop and implement a regional Strategic Supply Building Plan, including soliciting and integrating resources for facility development or renovations, workforce development, funding for childcare services, economic development project/planning incorporating child care, and improving business conditions to attract new child care operators.
- Research existing successful efforts (in Virginia and nationally) and identify meaningful ways to engage and incentivize employers to build infrastructure for quality early childhood education, leveraging resources for businesses and policy opportunities.
- Use resources such as VECF’s Integrated Financing Guide to help the region gain access to and plan to integrate funding streams that support childcare access.
- Potentially broaden reach of efforts incorporating one or more additional Chambers of Commerce within the region.
- Provide quarterly reports to VECF demonstrating the progress and success of the initiative.
- 3+ years in economic development or other relevant field
- Familiarity with the child care industry
- Proven success in building relationships across sectors
- Ability to summarize data, policies and procedures into actionable recommendations for program stakeholders
- Ability to convey and/ or present information clearly and concisely to groups or individuals both orally and in writing, both in person and via virtual platforms
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with business executives and liaisons
- Proficient in MS Office, including Word, Powerpoint and Excel
- 7+ years in economic development or similar field
- Experience working with businesses and/or other stakeholders within the RRBR geographic footprint
- Familiarity with state and/or federal funding that can be leveraged to support childcare access
- Leadership experience in government and/or nonprofit sector
- Bachelors or Masters in relevant field
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce maintains a drug-free workplace
