Job Title: Executive Director, Early Matters El Paso
Location: El Paso, Texas (hybrid/remote; regional travel required)
Reports To: El Paso Community Foundation (Fiscal Sponsor)
Compensation: $80,000 - $100,000 commensurate with experience

Organizational Overview
Early Matters El Paso is a coalition of cross-sector leaders advancing economic mobility through policies and practices supporting children birth to age 8 in El Paso County. EMEP convenes 54 members across 27 organizations—ISDs, childcare providers, nonprofits, workforce development, and higher education—to improve early education through data-driven advocacy and strategic partnerships.

El Paso’s unique border context—Fort Bliss military families, binational ties with Ciudad Juárez, proximity to Las Cruces—creates distinctive ECE opportunities. EMEP positions early childhood as essential workforce development infrastructure, connecting local advocacy to statewide Early Matters Texas policy priorities. EMEP is positioned for transformational growth with enhanced advocacy capacity and sustainable infrastructure

Position Overview
The Executive Director serves as strategic leader and convener of Early Matters El Paso, building and aligning diverse stakeholders around a shared vision for early childhood success. This senior-level position shapes EMEP’s future as an independent organization capable of influencing local and state policy while establishing business and civic partnerships essential for sustainability.

The Director will guide EMEP’s 3-5 year strategic planning, establish a Business Advisory Council with influential El Paso champions, manage organizational transition to EPCF fiscal sponsorship, and position EMEP as the authoritative voice for regional ECE advocacy. This role requires systems leadership, coalition-building skills, proven fundraising success, and commitment to equity-driven, data-informed, results-focused collaboration. The Director represents EMEP in the statewide Early Matters Texas network, coordinating regional advocacy with state legislative priorities.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Lead development and execution of EMEP’s 3-5 year strategic plan with Steering Committee and membership
• Guide organizational restructure building sustainable governance and operational systems
• Employ collective impact principles: shared measurement, continuous communication, and mutually reinforcing activities

Stakeholder Engagement & Coalition Building

• Maintain and grow EMEP’s network of 54 members across 27 organizations through regular convenings and active workgroups
• Establish Business Advisory Council with senior El Paso business leaders recognizing ECE as workforce development strategy
• Cultivate relationships with Mayor’s office, County Commissioners, elected officials, business executives, and education leaders
• Facilitate ISD-childcare provider partnerships; engage Fort Bliss military families; coordinate with Las Cruces ECE initiatives

Operations & Backbone Functions

• Provide core infrastructure: facilitation, data support, project management, communications
• Oversee ECE data collection/analysis including compensation studies and enrollment trends; ensure partners have timely access
• Manage professional development academies and pre-K enrollment campaigns
• Oversee organizational budget with EPCF administrative support

Policy & Systems Alignment

• Strengthen local policy advocacy while maintaining nonpartisan, data-driven positioning
• Collaborate with Early Matters Texas on statewide legislative priorities; monitor state education statutes impacting EMEP goals
• Represent EMEP at public forums, conferences, task force meetings as credible spokesperson
• Translate complex ECE data into accessible policy briefs and advocacy tools for business leaders, policymakers, stakeholders

Resource Development & Sustainability

• Develop and execute comprehensive funding strategy: foundation grants, corporate partnerships, government contracts
• Secure major grants and cultivate individual donors; explore diversified revenue (membership, fee-for-service, conference income)
• Collaborate with EPCF and Steering Committee on fundraising initiatives

Qualifications Essential: Bachelor’s degree in public policy, early childhood education, social work, public health, or related field (Master’s preferred); 5-7+ years progressive leadership experience; bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.

Systems Leadership & Communication

• Strategic planning capability; experience guiding organizational transitions and building governance structures
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills for collaborative decision-making
• Compelling public speaker and credible spokesperson; excellent written communication for grants, policy briefs, reports

Proven Fundraising & Coalition Leadership

• Track record securing sustainable funding through grants, partnerships, public-private investment
• Experience leading cross-sector collaboratives or collective impact initiatives
• Ability to articulate ECE investment as economic development and workforce strategy

Business & Policy Engagement

• Proven ability recruiting/engaging senior business executives and civic leaders as ECE champions
• Experience strengthening policy initiatives while maintaining nonpartisan positioning
• Ability translating research into accessible policy briefs and advocacy tools

Early Childhood Experience

• Understanding of early childhood systems and policy or demonstrated ability to quickly and deeply learn key concepts
• Capacity to gather, understand and communicate early childhood data and trends to diverse audiences in accessible, compelling language
• Openness and demonstrated ability for continuous learning in the early childhood field

We encourage candidates with proven leadership, fundraising, and external engagement experience to apply. If you excel in those areas and are genuinely interested in early childhood education, don’t self-select out.

Desired: Existing El Paso relationships; Early Matters network experience; knowledge of Texas ECE policy landscape; understanding of border region dynamics and military community needs

Compensation and Benefits
Salary: $80,000 - $100,000 commensurate with experience
Benefits: Comprehensive package including health/dental/vision insurance, retirement plan, generous PTO and holidays
Work Arrangement: Flexible hybrid/remote based in El Paso; occasional evening/weekend commitments
Support: EPCF back-office support (accounting, HR, grants management); active Steering Committee; Early Matters Texas network integration; professional development opportunities

To Apply
Submit cover letter (max 2 pages), resume/CV, and three professional references to Stephanie Otero, sotero@epcf.org

Cover letter should address: Your interest in EMEP; relevant experience with early childhood education, fundraising, advocacy, and/or coalition leadership; approach to building business/civic partnerships for ECE priorities; existing El Paso connections.

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. First-round interviews virtual; finalist interviews in-person with Steering Committee and key stakeholders in El Paso. Questions? Contact Stephanie Otero, sotero@epcf.org