National Association for Family Child Care Director of Accreditation Operations Washington, DC · Remote · Full time Company website

Apply for Director of Accreditation Operations

The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) is a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to promoting high-quality child care by strengthening the profession of family child care (FCC). Home-based early learning programs serve nearly 40% of the 6.7 million children who receive care from a nonrelative on a regular basis. Since 1982, NAFCC has supported FCC providers across the country as they make the intentional professional choice to offer high-quality early care and education in their homes.

NAFCC's mission is to support and leverage a nationwide network of educational professionals by: (1) engaging and developing a diverse membership base of FCC educators; (2) increasing the number of FCC educators accredited for meeting the highest standards in home-based early care; and (3) serving as a national leader elevating the voice of FCC.

THE ROLE

The Director of Accreditation Operations leads the entire accreditation experience for family child care educators, from first self-study through renewal. This leader makes sure the process runs smoothly, fairly, and on time, while never losing sight of the real people behind each application.

The ideal candidate pairs deep accreditation and quality assurance know-how with a genuine passion for family child care. They hold the line on standards and procedures, and they also know when an educator’s situation calls for flexibility and compassion, upholding premium customer service. They are comfortable with technology, especially Salesforce and Monday.com, and they lead a team of five with clear expectations and an openness to new ideas.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Run the child care provider accreditation process from start to finish

● Own every step of the accreditation journey: self-study, application, observation, scoring, decision, and renewal

● Keep clear, written procedures and timelines, and catch and fix bottlenecks before they cause delays

● Turn accreditation policies and standards into simple steps, tools, and messages that educators can easily follow

● Use good judgment to flex when an educator’s situation calls for it (e.g. speeding up a review so an educator can meet a grant deadline) while keeping the process fair and consistent

Give educators a quality experience

● Lead a responsive support team that answers questions by phone, email, and online, and keeps educators informed about where they stand

● Set and track clear goals for response and processing times

● Use educator feedback and data to fix recurring problems for good, not just one case at a time

● Make sure the process works for educators of all languages, comfort levels with technology, and abilities

Manage observations, scoring, and decisions

● Maintain a strong pool of trained observers and scorers: recruit, train, schedule, and monitor the quality of their work

● Ensure scoring is accurate, consistent, and secure

● Manage accreditation decisions, notifications, appeals, and renewals

● Work closely with the Accreditation Council on complex cases and consistent decisions, and help recruit and orient new Council members

● Recruit and engage with the Accreditation Commission as needed

Lead the management of accreditation technology and data

● Oversee the management of all accreditation systems, including Salesforce staff and the accreditation portal; lead upgrades, new tools, and testing from start to finish

● Ensure accurate record-keeping of each educator’s status, documents, decisions, and renewal dates

● Direct the development of clear dashboards and reports for

NAFCC leadership and the Board

● Protect confidential information, and use AI and automation responsibly to help the team work smarter

Lead and grow the team

● Manage and coach a team of five staff, along with observers, scorers, and contractors

● When work isn’t moving, find the root cause (i.e. skills, knowledge, tools, or process) and fix it

● Hold the team to clear procedures while encouraging new ideas and creative problem-solving

● Manage the accreditation budget and vendor contracts, and set yearly goals and plans

Collaborate and represent NAFCC

● Partner with the VP of Learning Quality and Recognition to update policies and trainings as accreditation expands to new states and communities

● Work hand in hand with Finance, Technology, Membership, Partnerships, Quality, and other teams so accreditation feels like one connected experience

● Lead conversations with internal and external stakeholders about policy and process changes, and see solutions through to completion

● Represent NAFCC at conferences and events, including the NAFCC Annual Conference, presenting in English and Spanish

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

● Educators always know where they are in the process, what comes next, and where to get help.

● Applications, observations, decisions, and renewals move on time, with fewer avoidable delays.

● Salesforce and related systems give leaders accurate, up-to date information.

● The team has clear procedures, manageable workloads, the right tools, and room to innovate.

● Accreditation grows without losing fairness, quality, or its focus on educators.

CORE COMPETENCIES AND KEY QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates will be evaluated on six core competencies and the qualifications (see below) they bring to their work in the role.

1. Believes in and Values Family Child Care - Understands and respects the daily realities of home-based educators, including the strengths they bring and the pressures they face. Leads with compassion and knows when a policy needs a thoughtful exception to keep an educator moving forward.
2. Accreditation and Quality Expertise - Has run a multi-step review, credentialing, or accreditation process. Builds quality checks into every stage so outcomes are accurate, fair, and consistent. Can read, apply, and help shape policy.
3. Technology and Systems Leadership - Has hands-on Salesforce experience and has led technology rollouts or major system upgrades. Uses data to spot problems and track results, and adopts new tools, including AI, with good judgment.
4. People Leadership - Builds a team where expectations are clear, people are supported, and new ideas are welcome. Diagnoses whether a problem is about skills, knowledge, or process, and responds accordingly.
5. Collaboration and Stakeholder Leadership - Works easily across teams and with outside partners, including the Accreditation Council. Brings people together around a problem and turns discussion into workable solutions.
6. Bilingual Communication and Public Presence - Communicates clearly and warmly in English and Spanish, in writing and in person. Comfortable presenting at conferences and events, and serving as a trusted face of NAFCC accreditation.

Required Qualifications

● Genuine passion for family child care and an understanding of what home-based educators experience day to day

● Bachelor’s degree

● At least seven years of experience running accreditation, credentialing, licensing, certification, quality assurance, product launch or another multi-step review and approval process

● Experience interpreting, applying, and shaping policies and procedures

● At least two years managing a team (ideally five or more people), including contractors and remote staff

● Experience with leading Salesforce staff and a track record of leading teams responsible for technology implementation or system improvement projects

● Experience managing a budget

● Fluency in English and Spanish, both written and spoken

● Confident public speaker who is comfortable presenting at conferences and events, and able to travel

● Collaborative, organized, and detail-oriented, with strong judgment and the ability to thrive in a remote setting

● Commitment to equity, inclusion, and accessibility

Preferred Qualifications

● Experience in early care and education, especially with family child care educators

● Experience with early childhood accreditation or quality rating systems

● Experience managing a national or multi-state program, or a network of assessors

● Advanced degree in a related field