Executive Director of Child Care Operations (Director of Department of Education)

Introduction

\r\nThe Maryland State Department of Education is dedicated to supporting a world-class educational system that prepares all students for college and�career success in the 21st century. With excellent stewardship from our�divisions, we oversee State and federal programs that support the needs of�a diverse population – students, teachers, principals, and other educators�throughout Maryland.\r\n

GRADE

\r\nState\r\nSalary Grade 25\r\nSalary\r\nRange: $120,722 - $190,376�\r\n*State\r\nSalary Guidelines apply for current State employees.\r\n\r\n�\r\nSTATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS\r\n\r\n

LOCATION OF POSITION

Nancy\r\nS. Grasmick Education Building\r\n200\r\nWest Baltimore Street\r\nBaltimore,\r\nMD 21201\r\n

Main Purpose of Job

The Executive\r\nDirector (ED) of the Child Care Operations Bureau (CCOB) provides statewide\r\nleadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for Maryland’s Child\r\nCare Licensing (CCL) and Child Care Scholarship (CCS) programs. The ED ensures\r\nstatewide consistency, equity, responsiveness, and high-quality customer\r\nservice for families, child care providers, and community partners. The ED\r\noversees all regulatory, operational, policy, fiscal, and workforce components\r\nof the Bureau while driving modernization, customer-centered service delivery,\r\nand continuous improvement aligned with the Office of Early Childhood’s\r\nstrategic vision.\r\n\r\n\r\nA core\r\nresponsibility of the ED is leading a comprehensive statewide restructuring of\r\nthe Child Care Licensing system to improve responsiveness, reduce the time\r\nneeded to license new programs, strengthen provider capacity-building, and\r\nmodernize operations. This includes evaluating national models, designing a\r\ndual-director structure (inspections/compliance and capacity-building/technical\r\nassistance), and implementing a data-driven, evidence-based, user-centered\r\ndesign process involving regional offices, licensing staff, unions, providers,\r\nChild Care Resource Centers (CCRCs), and interest holders.�The ED ensures\r\nalignment with HB 477 (2025), which directs MSDE to analyze and propose updates\r\nto child care licensing rules—covering staffing, ratios, physical standards,\r\nprofitability, and cross-state benchmarks—with interim and final reports due in\r\n2026.�\r\n\r\n\r\nWhile the ED does\r\nnot oversee IT systems directly, they work in continuous partnership with the\r\nExecutive Director of Finance and IT Systems to ensure that CCOB’s business\r\nrequirements, data needs, workflows, and user experiences inform the design,\r\nprocurement, enhancement, and implementation of IT systems that support\r\nlicensing and scholarship operations.��\r\n\r\n\r\nThe ED ensures CCS\r\nprogram operations meet federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)\r\ncompliance expectations and collaborates with the CCS Director and the ED of\r\nFinance and IT Systems to strengthen processes, improve data use, enhance\r\npayment accuracy, and reduce improper payments. The ED serves as MSDE’s lead\r\nfor monthly statewide child care provider meetings, ensuring transparency,\r\nfeedback, and partnership.�\r\n\r\n\r\nAs a key member of\r\nthe Office of Early Childhood leadership team, the ED leads statewide efforts\r\nto ensure safe, developmentally supportive, and high-quality child care for all\r\nMaryland children while improving outcomes for families and child care providers.\r\n

POSITION DUTIES

Provides\r\nstatewide executive leadership for CCOB to ensure unified, consistent\r\nimplementation of licensing and scholarship operations.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Leads Bureau participation in statewide\r\n initiatives including the CCDF State Plan, Preschool Development Grant (PDG),\r\n Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, COMAR modernization, and HB 477 alignment.\r\n Develops annual Bureau and Branch\r\n workplans with KPIs tied to inspection timeliness, licensing throughput,\r\n provider capacity-building, scholarship processing timelines, payment accuracy,\r\n and customer service\r\n �\r\n Directs the use of evidence-based\r\n operational practices such as risk-based monitoring, efficient licensing\r\n pathways, and improved provider business supports.\r\n Ensures coordinated work across CCRCs and\r\n Local Early Childhood Advisory Council (LECACs) to assess local child care\r\n needs, support provider start-up and expansion, and strengthen early childhood\r\n infrastructure.\r\n Oversees operational and fiscal\r\n management of CCOB contracts, grants, procurements, and vendor relationships\r\n with strong internal controls.\r\n Leads data-driven continuous improvement\r\n initiatives using Lean processes, human-centered design, and real-time feedback\r\n from staff and providers.\r\n Ensures compliance with state laws,\r\n federal regulations, fiscal policies, audit requirements, and proactive risk\r\n management.\r\n Leads the statewide restructuring of the\r\n Child Care Licensing system, designing and implementing a modern dual-director\r\n model to support health and safety inspections, compliance, provider\r\n capacity-building, technical assistance, and root-cause resolution for\r\n non-compliance.\r\n Leads statewide communication on child\r\n care licensing, CCS, regulatory changes, and operational updates.�\r\n Incorporates user experience and\r\n customer-centered design principles into Bureau operations through structured\r\n feedback loops with families, providers, and staff.\r\n Serves as the primary liaison with CCRCs\r\n to align technical assistance, provider training, business supports, and\r\n recruitment/retention initiatives with statewide goals.\r\n Ensures consistent implementation and\r\n interpretation of child care licensing and scholarship policies statewide.�\r\n Leads modernization of CCS and licensing\r\n regulations (COMAR), including HB 477 implementation and related stakeholder\r\n engagement and change management.\r\n Directs data-informed monitoring and\r\n evaluation systems to track inspection timeliness, compliance trends, licensing\r\n throughput, CCS processing, fiscal integrity, and provider capacity.\r\n Leads statewide communication on child\r\n care licensing, CCS, regulatory changes, and operational updates.\r\n\r\n\r\n

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s\r\ndegree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration,\r\nBusiness Administration, Education, Early Childhood Education, Human Services,\r\nCommunity Engagement, Social Work, Public Policy, Organizational Leadership, or\r\na related field.\r\n\r\n\r\nEXPERIENCE: Five (5)\r\nyears of progressively responsible management experience in early childhood\r\neducation, childcare administration, human services, regulatory operations,\r\npublic administration, or a related field -and- At least five (5) years of\r\nsenior-level leadership experience overseeing multiple programs, divisions, or\r\noperational units with responsibility for strategic planning, policy\r\nimplementation, fiscal management, and workforce supervision.\r\n

DESIRED OR PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preference will be given to applicants who possess the\r\nfollowing preferred qualification(s). Please include clear and specific\r\ninformation on your application regarding your qualifications.\r\n\r\n\r\nExperience:\r\n\r\n\r\n Experience\r\n leading statewide childcare licensing, childcare subsidy/scholarship, early\r\n childhood education, or regulatory compliance programs.\r\n Experience\r\n implementing large-scale organizational restructuring, business process\r\n redesign, or operational modernization initiatives.�\r\n Experience\r\n designing and implementing customer-centered service delivery models,\r\n human-centered design strategies, or Lean process improvement methodologies.\r\n Experience\r\n overseeing childcare licensing systems, inspections, compliance monitoring,\r\n technical assistance, provider capacity-building, or quality improvement\r\n initiatives.�\r\n Experience\r\n developing or revising regulations, policies, or administrative rules,\r\n including stakeholder engagement and change management processes.�\r\n Experience\r\n administering federal grant-funded programs, including Child Care and\r\n Development Fund (CCDF), Preschool Development Grants (PDG), or similar\r\n federally funded initiatives.\r\n Experience with\r\n organizational readiness for regulatory reviews, licensing inspections, and\r\n funding-related monitoring.�\r\n Experience\r\n presenting policy recommendations, legislative analyses, or operational reports\r\n to executive leadership, governing boards, or legislative bodies.�\r\n Experience managing large-scale, interdependent operational programs\r\n involving regulatory compliance, service delivery, grants, contracts, or public\r\n benefit programs.\r\n Experience managing budgets, contracts, procurements, and fiscal\r\n accountability processes.\r\n Experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including\r\n government agencies, community organizations, service providers, advocacy\r\n groups, and the public.�\r\n\r\n\r\n� � � �Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:�\r\n\r\n\r\n Extensive\r\n knowledge of childcare licensing regulations, subsidy administration, early\r\n childhood systems, and national best practices in regulatory modernization.\r\n Knowledge of\r\n state and federal early childhood funding streams, fiscal accountability\r\n requirements, and program integrity standards.\r\n Skill in leading\r\n complex, statewide change initiatives involving multiple stakeholder groups and\r\n competing priorities.\r\n Ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholder\r\n groups while maintaining accountability for outcomes.\r\n Ability to drive innovation, operational excellence,\r\n and customer-focused service delivery across a statewide organization.\r\n\r\n\r\n

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Applicants\r\nmust consent to State and FBI (CJIS) background check as a routine procedure\r\nfor all employees.\r\n

SELECTION PROCESS

Please make sure that\r\nyou provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet\r\nthe qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your\r\nqualifications must be submitted by the closing date. Successful candidates\r\nwill be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified. The resulting\r\nlist of qualified candidates will be in effect for at least one year.\r\n

BENEFITS

STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS\r\n

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants\r\nmust complete the MD State Government online application for employment and submit\r\ntheir professional resume. The application and resume must clearly\r\ndemonstrate that the applicant satisfies the minimum qualifications for the\r\nposition. Applications must be complete to be considered including all related\r\njob duties, even if those are also listed on an attached resume. Additional\r\nrequired materials may be uploaded with the online application, submitted to\r\nthe fax number, or mailed to the address listed.\r\n\r\n\r\nIf you are\r\nunable to apply online, paper applications can be obtained from the link below\r\nand be faxed to 410-333-8950 or mailed to MSDE Office of Human Resources, 200\r\nW. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. If there is a supplemental\r\nquestionnaire, this must be completed and sent in with your paper application.\r\nPostmarks will not be accepted.�\r\n\r\n\r\nInquiries\r\ncan be made to 410-767-0019, TDD 410-333-3045. Appropriate accommodations can\r\nbe made for individuals with disabilities. If you have difficulty with your\r\nuser account or have general questions about this online application system,\r\nplease contact the MD Department of Budget and Management, Recruitment and\r\nExamination Division at 410-767-4850. TTY Users: Call via Maryland Relay.\r\n\r\n\r\nProof of\r\neligibility to work is required in compliance with the Immigration Reform and\r\nControl Act. Any misrepresentation of academic or experience requirements for\r\nthis position may result in non-selection or termination of employment.\r\n\r\n\r\nAs an equal\r\nopportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruiting, retaining, and\r\npromoting employees who are reflective of the State’s diversity. Individuals\r\nwith disabilities and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. We thank\r\nour Veterans for their service to our country.�\r\n\r\n\r\nAll\r\napplication materials must be received in our office by the Closing Date.�\r\n\r\n\r\nAppropriate accommodations\r\nfor individuals with disabilities are available upon request.\r\n