1.Senior Project Director / Principal Investigator

Senior Project Director / Principal Investigator(Lead for Project Management, Governance, and Strategic Integration)The Senior Project Director will serve as the overall project lead responsible for governance, strategic oversight, and quality assurance. This role ensures that all project activities—data collection, analysis, stakeholder engagement, and reporting—are executed according to the approved work plan and meet the expectations of First Things First and Knowledge Services. This role directly supports Task 1 (Project Management and Design), Task 4 (Integrated Analysis), and Task 5 (Community Validation).Key ResponsibilitiesProject Governance and OversightEstablish project governance structure, including roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols.Lead project kickoff and coordinate with First Things First representatives and regional stakeholders.Develop and approve the detailed work plan and project timeline.Guide the integration of secondary data analysis and primary stakeholder data into cohesive findings.Provide expert interpretation of trends affecting early childhood systems in Cochise County.Ensure the project produces decision-ready insights and strategic recommendations.Review and approve all project deliverables prior to submission through the dotStaff VMS system.Ensure deliverables meet the RFQ acceptance criteria and quality standards.Stakeholder CoordinationServe as the primary liaison with agency leadership.Lead strategic discussions with regional stakeholders and policymakers.Support community validation sessions and town hall planning.Risk and Issue ManagementIdentify project risks, including stakeholder participation and data limitations.Implement mitigation strategies to maintain project schedule and deliverable quality.Minimum QualificationsMaster's degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Public Health, Sociology, or a related field.Minimum 12 years of experience managing government research, policy evaluation, or community systems initiatives.Demonstrated experience leading mixed-methods research projects combining quantitative and qualitative analysis.Experience producing policy reports, research studies, or system assessments for government agencies.Proven experience managing multi-stakeholder initiatives involving public sector and community organizations.Preferred QualificationsExperience working on early childhood systems, family services, or public health initiatives.Prior work with state or regional community engagement initiatives.Experience facilitating community forums, strategic planning sessions, or policy discussions.Experience managing projects in rural or underserved communities.