Home Grown, Director of Narrative Strategy

ORGANIZATION

Home Grown is a national collaborative dedicated to creating a more inclusive child care system that values and supports home-based child care (HBCC), including care provided by family, friends, and neighbors (FFN). The organization envisions a future where all children have access to quality care that fosters their growth, learning, and well-being. By addressing systemic barriers and amplifying the unique value of HBCC, Home Grown advocates for sustainable change that positions HBCC as a viable and high-quality child care option for families. Guided by core values such as community-centered approaches, collective action, and innovation, the organization prioritizes uplifting care providers and families, fostering provider-led networks, and building scalable solutions.

Home Grown’s strategic pillars focus on building grassroots power, disrupting policies and systems, and reshaping the narrative around HBCC. The organization supports HBCC providers in leading advocacy efforts and influencing child care systems while driving state and federal policy changes to ensure sustainable funding and infrastructure for HBCC. Through storytelling and data-driven insights, Home Grown amplifies the voices of providers and families, increasing public and policymaker recognition of HBCC's value. By aligning advocacy, innovation, and community leadership, Home Grown aims to transform the child care landscape to create equitable and inclusive systems for families and providers alike.

Home Grown is a fiscally sponsored project of the Health Federation of Philadelphia. To learn more about Home Grown, please visit www.homegrownchildcare.org. 

OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Narrative Strategy will develop and implement a narrative framework grounded in Home Grown’s strategic approach which focuses and funds efforts: to build grassroots power, disrupt policies and systems, and shift the narrative to ensure that HBCC is visible, valued and well-resourced. This leader will ensure that HBCC providers' voices, needs, and solutions are centered in a narrative strategy that shifts public and policy-maker perceptions and beliefs about HBCC. This leader will craft this strategy and build with the organization’s broader mission and goals. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities of the Director of Narrative Strategy include:

Strategic Narrative Development:

• Design and implement a comprehensive narrative strategy to elevate the visibility and value of HBCC among families, policymakers, and the public.
• Amplify evidence and stories that highlight HBCC’s unique value.
• Identify new partners and strengthen existing partnerships across provider networks, nonprofits, media and policy to advance this strategy. 
• Develop new programs and explore innovative approaches to advance narrative strategy. 

Message Building and Advocacy:

• Create key messages that reflect the voices and needs of HBCC providers, integrating insights from program and policy leaders.
• Oversee policy communications in collaboration with the Policy/Strategy Director.
• Integrate messaging into Home Grown’s pillars of work, including power-building and systems change.

Communications Campaigns:

• Develop and execute multilingual messaging campaigns to engage diverse audiences.
• Oversee operational communications to build visibility, share updates, and amplify learning.
• Be a spokesperson for Home Grown alongside other leaders.

Team Leadership:

• Oversee the communications team, contractors, vendors, and sub-grantees.
• Foster collaboration with providers to distill policy priorities and support story banking.
• Serve as a member of the leadership team, contributing to strategy and organizational outcomes.

Content Creation and Dissemination:

• Develop written materials including blog posts, presentations, fact sheets, and press releases.
• Collaborate with providers and creative agencies to produce high-quality, compelling campaign materials.

Impact Measurement and Data Utilization:

• Establish a system for tracking the effectiveness of strategic campaigns and use data to inform future initiatives.

PRIORITIES

A successful first year in this role for the new Director of Narrative Strategy will include:

• Create a stakeholder-informed narrative strategy to elevate the visibility of HBCCs while centering provider voices and aligning with Home Grown's strategic approach.
•  Establish a clear and compelling vision for the organization’s narrative function, aligning it with Home Grown’s mission and strategic priorities. 
• Build a robust coalition of stakeholders, including providers, community leaders, and advocacy partners, to align around shared goals for advancing HBCC.
• Develop and execute a multi-lingual campaign for diverse audiences to support systemic change and inclusive childcare policies.

Requirements

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal candidate will be a senior organizational leader with:

Experience:

• 7+ years in narrative strategy, advocacy communications, or policy-related roles.
• Proven ability to connect strategic communications to policy and program actions.
• Familiarity with early childhood policy or similar issue areas and experience in Capitol Hill, government, or advocacy settings is strongly preferred.

Skills and Competencies:

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex materials for varied audiences.
• Expertise in managing communications teams and contractors.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time annually to conferences, to meet with members of the community and for internal gatherings.

Values and Commitment:

• A deep commitment to Home Grown’s values including: being led by provider and community solutions; being in solidarity with communities; investing in collective power and action; ensuring solutions are owned and driven by community; and innovating for better outcomes.
• Experience working with diverse communities and acting on insights from proximate experts.
• A passion for advancing equity within the child care system.

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $130,000 - $155,000. Our employees are our most valuable resource, so we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, which can include:

• Medical with vision benefits
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life, AD&D and long-term care insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
• Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
• Employee Assistance Program 

Eligibility and participation is handled consistent with the plan documents and HFP policy. For applicants living outside the Pennsylvania/Delaware/New Jersey tri-state area, full time employment through an Employer of Record with comparable benefits package may be considered.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume online at https://apply.workable.com/j/4B2F7CE58C/.

Home Grown is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.