Economic Development Coordinator Jobs in Rochester, IN

Since 1997, The Community Foundation of Pulaski County (CFoPC) has worked to engage leaders and residents throughout the community for the purpose of inspiring generosity and enriching the lives of all those who live in, and visit, Pulaski County, IN.

We are currently seeking a full time Regional Childcare Collaborative Director to join our growing team! This contract position serves all of the counties in the collaborative and is hired, supervised, and housed through CFoPC. The Collaborative Director is responsible for day-to-day implementation of the collaborative's work: building relationships with child care providers and employers, managing shared services, coordinating across partner foundations, establishing funding partnerships, and telling the story of the collaborative's impact.

How we can invest in YOU:

Pay: $55,000-$70,000/year depending on experience

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Paid Sick Time

Flexibility

This is a contract position for up to three (3) years.

Key Responsibilities:

Collaborative Coordination and Governance

Serve as the primary staff support to the Regional Leadership Council (quarterly) and Regional Steering Committee (monthly), including agenda preparation, meeting facilitation, and follow-up.

Manage the Collaborative's shared decision-making processes, including grant review cycles, provider stability grant administration, and hub program oversight.

Coordinate with Transform Consulting Group during the startup and governance establishment phase.

Provider Outreach and Catalytic Programs

Build and maintain direct relationships with child care providers across the counties, serving as the primary point of contact for providers engaging with the Collaborative.

Conduct and maintain a regional child care supply/demand assessment to map providers, capacity gaps, commuting patterns, and access deserts.

Develop and manage catalytic programs.

Communications and Visibility

Develop, maintain, and represent the Collaborative's brand identity via website, social media, newsletters, press releases, and annual impact reports, in addition to attending community events, chamber meetings, and regional convenings.

Data, Evaluation, and Reporting

Track and report key performance indicators, manage grant reporting requirements for the Lilly Endowment GIFT IX grant and any supplemental funding, and compile and present quarterly progress reports to the Regional Steering Committee and partner community foundations

Employer Engagement and Business Partnerships

Build relationships with employers, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations across the eight-county region to make the workforce case for child care investment.

Design and facilitate employer listening sessions to understand workforce child care needs and shape the Collaborative's employer value proposition.

Manage the employer partnership program, including member communications, benefits fulfillment, and annual renewal.

Fund Development and Sustainability

Actively pursue supplemental state and federal funding opportunities as available, support CFoPC in developing and growing the regional ECE endowment, and build toward the Collaborative's sustainability target.

Qualifications

Required:

Bachelor's degree in early childhood education, public administration, nonprofit management, social work, business, or a related field.

Minimum three years of experience in early childhood education, community development, nonprofit leadership, economic development, or a closely related field.

Demonstrated experience building relationships with diverse stakeholders including employers, community organizations, and/or government partners.

Strong project management skills with the ability to independently manage multiple priorities across multiple counties.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort presenting to boards, business leaders, and community groups.

Proficiency with technology tools including Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, social media platforms, and virtual meeting software.

Valid driver's license and reliable transportation; regular travel across the counties is required.

Preferred:

Experience working in or with rural communities, particularly in northcentral Indiana.

Background in early care and education program quality, provider coaching, or childcare business sustainability.

Experience with employer engagement, workforce development, or business community relations.

Familiarity with Indiana's early childhood system, including Paths to QUALITY, CCDF, and Early Learning Indiana resources.

Experience managing grants or administering mini-grant programs.

About the Collaborative

The Rural Regional Early Care and Education (ECE) Collaborative is a multi-county initiative led by the Community Foundation of Pulaski County (CFoPC), in partnership with community foundations serving Fulton, Jasper, Marshall, Miami, Newton, Starke, and White counties, as well as the United Way of Northwest Indiana. Seeded by Lilly Endowment's GIFT IX initiative, the Collaborative's mission is to strengthen the regional infrastructure for dependable, affordable child care by pooling resources, sharing expertise, and building systems that serve families, providers, and employers across the eight-county region.

The Rural Regional ECE Collaborative is built on a core premise: no single rural county has the population base or financial capacity to sustain a high-functioning early childhood system alone. By working together, the collaborative can achieve what none could accomplish independently-sharing a full-time Collaborative Director, a shared services hub, and a growing network of employer partners.

Position Summary

The Collaborative Director is the operational engine of the Rural Regional ECE Collaborative. This contract position serves all of the counties in the collaborative and is hired, supervised, and housed through CFoPC. The Collaborative Director is responsible for day-to-day implementation of the collaborative's work: building relationships with child care providers and employers, managing shared services, coordinating across partner foundations, establishing funding partnerships, and telling the story of the collaborative's impact.

This is a high-visibility, high-impact role that requires someone who is equally comfortable in a board room and a family child care home-someone who can make the workforce case for early childhood investment to a skeptical business owner, then turn around and coach a provider through a quality improvement challenge.

With this role, the Collaborative Director will spend the majority of their time in the communities they serve. This will include meeting individually with community and business leaders and building relationships with local child care providers. We anticipate 70-80% local travel time.

The Collaborative Director will report to the Early Childhood Rural Regional Collaborative Steering Committee and work closely with Transform Consulting Group during the startup phase as governance and systems are established.

The Community Foundation of Pulaski County, Inc. builds resources, engages people, and inspires generosity to enrich lives in Pulaski County, Indiana. The Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that serves donors, awards grants, and provides leadership to enhance the quality of life in Pulaski County.