Director of Responsive Support (Fully Remote)
Posted: April 7, 2026
The Alliance for Early Success is seeking a Director to lead the Responsive Support functions of the organization, maximizing customized engagements between national subject matter experts and anyone working at the state level to improve state early childhood policies. The ideal candidate is energized by facilitating connections, building systems to cultivate community, and leading with equity and responsiveness in pursuit of the Alliance mission and vision.
The Alliance for Early Success convenes, funds, and supports a community of early-childhood state policy advocates spanning all 50 states and the District of Columbia. By creating this community, the Alliance accelerates progress in securing crucial state funding and policies that provide children with what they need in the early years to realize their full potential for a lifetime. The Alliance also provides state advocates with access to a robust network of national responsive support providers, policy and strategy experts who can expand their capacity by providing customized support based on their situation, need, and political landscape. The Alliance challenges and supports grantees as they look inward and outward in order to become more equitable and anti-racist advocates. Above all, the Alliance listens to where they are, where they’re trying to go, and how we can fuel that mission.
Funded by many of the leading investors in early childhood philanthropy, the Alliance’s unique support of state early childhood advocacy makes us a national leader in accelerating the effectiveness of policy advocacy for young children across the country.
About the role:
The Director of Responsive Support will lead efforts to strengthen the connection between those working to improve state early childhood policy and the national Responsive Support (RS) subject matter experts funded to build their capacity. This role directs a portfolio of Responsive Support grants to ensure state early childhood advocates receive timely, customized assistance, and that the Alliance is responsive toevolving state advocacy needs. The Director will collaborate regularly with Directors of state grantee portfolios to monitor and address demand for Responsive Support, identify potential new grantees to fill gaps, assess effectiveness of existing grantees, implement strategies to improve the Responsive Support processes, and lead the grant application and reporting process. The Director will report to the Deputy Director of Advocacy and Impact.
In this role you will:
Shape the direction of the Responsive Support grantee portfolio and steward key relationships.
- Direct a portfolio of Responsive Support grantees, end-to-end. This includes monitoring demand, ensuring quality engagement with state advocates, and regularly assessing and adjusting the portfolio as needed.
- Ensure state advocates are aware of the expertise they can access from Responsive Support grantees by hosting office hours, communicating examples of available expertise and funded Responsive Support projects, and updating website content related to Responsive Support.
- Monitor the Alliance’s listserv, identifying unmet needs, facilitating timely connections to RS expertise, and sharing existing resources from the network.
- Onboard new RS grantees, ensuring a clear and welcoming introduction to the Alliance network.
Facilitate alignment between Responsive Support investments and strategic priorities
- Represent the Responsive Support strategy in team planning discussions and contribute to broader organizational initiatives.
- Analyze quarterly Responsive Support reports, state grantee satisfaction surveys, listserv activity, and staff feedback.
- Regularly brief Alliance staff on trends, challenges, and successes. Turn data into actionable intelligence for internal learning and external reporting.
- Elevate Responsive Support engagements that help illustrate the “Alliance Effect” for grantees, funders, and other key audiences
To be successful in the role, you’ll need:
- Knowledge of early childhood policy (early learning, family economic security, and/or maternal and child health), the role of advocacy in the policy process, and the major national organizations that support state advocates.
- Demonstrated relationship management skills, with a focus on responsiveness, trust-building, and clarity.
- Experience cultivating community with a network of members, affiliates, or grantees.
- Outstanding organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to execute work independently and collaboratively.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to distill complex information clearly and succinctly.
- Commitment to advancing equity.
- Experience working effectively across lines of difference.
- A minimum of 8 years of experience in early childhood policy or advocacy; 3 years in a leadership role.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience working at the state level and/or multi-state networks
- Experience with CRM systems (such as Insightly) and knowledge management platforms.
- Experience managing grants.
- Experience working in fully remote team settings.
Some benefits of working at the Alliance include:
- Strong remote culture—we’ve been virtual since our start in 2005—that provides flexibility, promotes connections without proximity, and prioritizes regular opportunities for in-person connection
- The opportunity to work with a team of high-impact, low-ego professionals who are passionate about progress
- A flexible vacation policy that includes all federal holidays, your birthday off, and a full office closure the last week of the year.
- A generous health reimbursement account and retirement plan
- Dependent care benefits to support child and family care needs
- Fully paid group life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage
- Access to confidential counseling and coaching services
- An annual professional development stipend
Position Type: Full Time, Permanent
Location: This is a fully remote role that may be performed anywhere in the 50 United States.
Work Authorization: Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The Alliance is not
sponsoring employment visas for this role.
Classification: Exempt
Compensation: $122,000 – $176,000. Final salary is set according to market data and the Alliance’s established salary range
Reports to: Deputy Director of Advocacy and Impact
The Alliance for Early Success understands diversity strengthens organizational decision making. We are working to diversify our team and strongly encourage members of traditionally under-represented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ-identified people, gender-nonconforming people, people with disabilities, veterans, and people who speak a language in addition to English.
How to Apply:
Upload a resume, along with a cover letter that highlights your work in early childhood policy.