Head Start Project Managers, Senior Consultants & Analysts

About the Opportunity

Peers and Partners, Inc. (Peers) is building a talent pool of experienced professionals to support anticipated opportunities with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS). These anticipated opportunities will support the administration and oversight of Head Start and Early Head Start programs and may include work related to grants management, program operations, compliance, monitoring, program analysis, project coordination, documentation, continuous improvement, and support to OHS federal staff and Head Start grant recipients.

Peers is particularly interested in professionals who understand the Head Start environment and can contribute quickly to programmatic and grants-related work. Direct Head Start/Early Head Start experience is highly valued and may be required for positions involving program oversight, grants management, monitoring, compliance, or interpretation of Head Start requirements. For selected analytical, project coordination, and program support positions, professionals with strong experience in federally funded early childhood or comparable federal programs may also be considered. This posting is being used to establish a qualified candidate pool for anticipated ACF/OHS opportunities. Specific positions, staffing levels, work arrangements, and hiring timelines will be determined as project requirements are finalized.

Important Information About This Talent Pool

This posting is intended to identify qualified candidates for anticipated ACF/OHS opportunities. Submission of an application does not guarantee employment or placement into a specific position. Qualified candidates may be contacted for additional screening as staffing needs, labor categories, work locations, and project requirements are finalized. 

Candidates should select the role that most closely matches their professional background and experience.

Positions We Are Recruiting For

Candidates may be considered for one or more of the following roles based on their experience and qualifications:

Lead Program Specialist / Lead Program Support Specialist-Senior-level professionals who may provide programmatic, grants management, monitoring, compliance, and Regional Office support.

Responsibilities may include:

• Support administration and oversight of Head Start and Early Head Start grants.
• Review and analyze grant recipient program and grant documentation.
• Support federal discretionary grants management activities.
• Assist with grant actions, application review, monitoring, compliance, and follow-up.
• Analyze program performance, fiscal, enrollment, monitoring, and other program information.
• Identify programmatic or management concerns and support appropriate follow-up.
• Provide recommendations and technical expertise to support OHS priorities.
• Coordinate with OHS staff, grant recipients, contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Support continuous quality improvement and operational improvement activities.
• Prepare high-quality written analyses, memoranda, correspondence, reports, presentations, and briefing materials.

Competitive candidates will typically have:

• A bachelor's degree in early childhood education, human services, public administration, business, or a related field.
• Five or more years of progressive professional experience related to early childhood programs.
• Direct Head Start/Early Head Start experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with federal discretionary grants management, regulatory compliance, program monitoring, program or financial management, or oversight.
• Experience analyzing and presenting information from multiple sources.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Supervisory or team leadership experience preferred.

Program Analyst-Program Analysts may support OHS program oversight, grants management, compliance, analysis, and decision-making activities.

Responsibilities may include:

• Review and analyze program, grant, monitoring, compliance, and operational documentation.
• Support grant application and grant action processes.
• Track assignments, actions, milestones, and program requirements.
• Analyze program information and identify trends, risks, issues, or areas requiring follow-up.
• Review reports, correspondence, monitoring information, corrective action documentation, and other program records.
• Prepare reports, correspondence, briefing materials, presentations, and analytical products.
• Support program performance, monitoring, compliance, and continuous improvement activities.
• Coordinate with federal staff, grant recipients, contractors, and other stakeholders.

Competitive candidates will typically have:

• Professional experience with Head Start, Early Head Start, or another federally funded early childhood program.
• Experience in program analysis, grants management, monitoring, compliance, program operations, or a related area.
• Direct Head Start/Early Head Start experience strongly preferred and may be required for assignments involving program performance or compliance analysis.
• Strong analytical, writing, documentation, and organizational skills.
• Experience working with federal, state, local, nonprofit, or other public-sector programs.

Program Support Specialist- Program Support Specialists may provide programmatic, operational, analytical, and coordination support to OHS teams.

Responsibilities may include:

• Support day-to-day program and grant administration activities.
• Track program actions, deadlines, documentation, and follow-up requirements.
• Assist with review and preparation of program and grant-related documentation.
• Maintain tracking tools, program records, and workflow systems.
• Aggregate and analyze information from multiple sources.
• Prepare reports, correspondence, presentations, meeting materials, and other written products.
• Coordinate meetings, communications, follow-up activities, and stakeholder requests.
• Support program monitoring, performance, compliance, or special projects as assigned.

Competitive candidates will typically have:

• A bachelor's degree in early childhood education, human services, public administration, or a related field.
• At least two years of progressive professional experience related to early childhood programs.
• Head Start/Early Head Start experience preferred.
• Experience with program operations, monitoring, compliance, grants administration, or stakeholder support.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and produce accurate, high-quality work.

Analyst-Analysts may support research, program analysis, data interpretation, reporting, and decision-making.

Responsibilities may include:

• Conduct research and collect, organize, and analyze program or operational information.
• Identify trends, patterns, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Review program performance information and other quantitative and qualitative data.
• Prepare analytical reports, summaries, presentations, and briefing materials.
• Support program evaluation, quality assurance, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement activities.
• Assist with special analyses and leadership requests.
• Translate complex information into clear and actionable findings.

Competitive candidates will typically have:

• Professional experience conducting research, analysis, evaluation, or performance-related work.
• Strong analytical and written communication skills.
• Experience supporting government, federally funded, early childhood, nonprofit, or other public-sector programs.
• Head Start/Early Head Start experience preferred, particularly for assignments involving program performance, compliance, or grant recipient oversight.

Project Specialist

Project Specialists may provide project coordination, implementation, documentation, and operational support.

Responsibilities may include:

• Coordinate project activities, assignments, meetings, and follow-up.
• Track deliverables, schedules, milestones, action items, and deadlines.
• Maintain project documentation and tracking tools.
• Assist with research, reports, presentations, communications, and meeting materials.
• Coordinate information and activities among team members and stakeholders.
• Support implementation of special projects, initiatives, and operational requirements.
• Assist project teams with day-to-day activities necessary to meet project objectives.

Competitive candidates will typically have:

• Experience coordinating projects, programs, or operational activities.
• Strong organizational, communication, and documentation skills.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary teams and multiple stakeholders.
• Experience in federal, public-sector, nonprofit, early childhood, or comparable environments.
• Head Start/Early Head Start experience preferred.

Head Start and Federal Program Experience

Depending on the position, particularly strong candidates may have experience with one or more of the following:

• Head Start and/or Early Head Start program operations.
• Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Federal discretionary grants.
• Grant application review and grant actions.
• Program monitoring and compliance.
• Corrective action and program improvement.
• Enrollment and Full Enrollment Initiative activities.
• Change in scope requests.
• Fiscal management and federal grant requirements.
• Facilities, health and safety, or other Head Start content areas.
• OHS Regional Office or grant recipient support.
• Technical assistance and stakeholder support.
• Federal program performance and oversight.
• Experience with OHS and federal information systems is also highly desirable, including:
• Head Start Enterprise System (HSES)
• GrantSolutions
• Aligned Monitoring System (AMS)
• Smartsheet / SmartFlow
• ChildPlus or comparable program management systems

Core Qualifications

Qualifications will vary based on the position and level. Candidates should demonstrate an appropriate combination of:

• Knowledge of Head Start, Early Head Start, federal early childhood programs, or comparable federally funded programs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and documentation skills.
• Ability to analyze and synthesize complex information.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Experience interacting professionally with government staff, grant recipients, contractors, program staff, or community partners.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and web-based collaboration and program-management tools.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must be able to satisfy applicable federal background, security, and system-access requirements.

Work Arrangement

Work arrangements will be determined based on the requirements of individual assignments and may include remote, telework, travel, or on-site support. Candidates nationwide are encouraged to apply. Specific work-location requirements will be communicated as positions are finalized.