Salary: $92,300.00 - $175,400.00 Annually
Location : Richland County, SC
Job Type: FTE - Full-Time
Job Number: Agency: First Steps
Division: SC First Steps
Opening Date: 09/09/2025
Closing Date: 9/18/ :59 PM Eastern
Agency Specific Application Procedures:: All applicants must apply online.
Class Code:: AH55
Position Number:: Normal Work Schedule:: Monday - Friday (8:30 - 5:00)
Pay Grade: GEN13
Hiring Range - Min.: $92,300.00
Hiring Range - Max.: $133,800.00
Opening Date: 09/09/2025
EEO Statement: Equal Opportunity Employer
Veteran Preference Statement: South Carolina is making our Veterans a priority for employment in state agencies and institutions.
Job Responsibilities Are you an experienced professional looking for new opportunities to further your career? South Carolina First Steps is seeking a hardworking and dependable candidate just like you to apply! This position will offer great benefits with the state, including 15 days of annual and sick leave per year or more depending on applicable state service. The Responsibilities of the Chief Partnership Officer: A cover letter and resume are required by the agency to be considered for this position. Reporting to the Agency Director, the Chief Partnership Officer (CPO) ensures strategic impact for all 46 counties receiving over $20M in First Steps funding with support from a team of program officers, program specialists and grants management staff. The First Steps Local Partnership team offers high quality training, support, and monitoring across SC. The CPO also ensures alignment with legislative directives and local partnership fiscal, operations, and programmatic policies. As a member of the Executive Management team, the CPO advises the Agency Director and collaborates often with other internal teams including but not limited to Research and Evaluation, Engagement and Finance.
Reporting to the Agency Director, must display excellent judgement, ability to work independently, and strong leadership skills. Must be self-motivated and capable of delivering high-quality work.
- Leads on-time implementation of the strategic tactics for Local Partnerships in the Agency's five-year plan. Convenes and supports 46 local partnerships and serves as the chief point contact for local partnership executive directors and board members, communicating on behalf of the agency. Implements strategies, programs and practices that support the local partnerships by ensuring the delivery of high-quality programs and services and promoting excellence in nonprofit management, collaboration, governance, accountability and compliance with legislative requirements and best practices. Routinely initiates actions that improve all program and operational outcomes over time.
- Leads and supervises the Local Partnership Team. Recruits, develops, supervises, and motivates staff to achieve the goals of the organization. Ensures standardized quality and consistency across Program Officers, and the Programmatic Team Leads (Parenting, Early Care and Education, Health and Operations) through ongoing training and development of staff and collaboration among team members across the agency.
- Responsible for local partnerships' compliance and accountability with legislative mandates, program and operational guidelines, bylaws, and other grant requirements. Ensures on-going high-quality training for LPs based on core programmatic and operational competencies and based on market need. Develop and lead annual review of the Local Partnership Fiscal and Operational Guidelines and Program Guidelines annually and makes recommended changes in time for new contract cycles.
- Oversees the grants management process and ensures RFPs, interest sessions, selection process, contracting, training and support occur on time and in adherence with SC laws and non-profit best practice.
- Leads meetings with the Program and Grants Committee of the SC First Steps State Board. Supports a positive relationship between the state office and its grantees (and their respective boards), the SC First Steps Board of Trustees, SC General Assembly, other key partners, and all SCFS staff.
- Ensures collaboration and integration of local partnership efforts within SC First Steps including with First Steps 4K and the ECAC, and externally to with other state and local agency partners to ensure the most effective use of funding to reach the maximum number of children served and services provided and to strengthen local partnership programming in communities. Represents SC First Steps on state, regional, and national collaboratives, and serves as an advisor to the executive director.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum and Additional Requirements - Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration or related field and at least 10 years of related work experience required and Supervisory experience is required.
Additional Requirements:
- Valid driver's license. In-state travel will be necessary, with occasional overnight and out of state travel.
- Limited after-hours work required.
- Must display excellent judgement, ability to work independently, and strong leadership skills.
- Must be self-motivated and capable of delivering high-quality work.
- Experience building interagency and/or inter-disciplinary community coalitions.
- Knowledge of management principles and Grantmaking experience a plus.
- Ability to interpret and apply rules and regulations.
- Ability to manage teams and provide guidance to employees.
- Ability to make presentations and prepare reports.
- Knowledge of public and private early childhood investments, infrastructure and community assets preferred.
- Cross-cultural competency and excellent communication skills are a must.
- Experience in program development, management and relationship cultivation within diverse settings involving complex, collaborative decision-making processes desirable.
Preferred Qualifications Benefits for State Employees The state of South Carolina offers eligible employees generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid vacation and sick leave. Plus, work-life balance programs such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules are available to employees of some state agencies.
Insurance Benefits Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance, which includes prescription coverage and wellness benefits. Other available insurance benefits include dental, vision, term life insurance, long term disability and flexible spending accounts for health and child care expenses.
Retirement Benefits State employees are also offered retirement plan options, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Additionally, eligible employees may elect to participate in the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program, which is a voluntary, supplemental retirement savings plan offering 401(k) and 457 plan options.
Workplace Benefits State employees may also be eligible for other benefits, including tuition assistance; holiday, annual and sick leave; and discounts on purchases, travel and more.
Note: The benefits above are available to most state employees, with the exception of those in temporary positions. Employees in temporary grant and time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some or none of these benefits as benefits are associated with each position type. For these positions, contact the hiring agency to determine what benefits may be available.
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Supplemental questions are considered part of your official application. Any misrepresentation will result in your disqualification from employment. Please complete the state application to include all current and previous work history and education. A resume will not be accepted or reviewed to determine if an applicant has met the qualifications for the position. I have read and acknowledge the above statement.
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I understand that a resume or curriculum vitae, and a cover letter are required by the agency to be considered for this position. By selecting "yes" I am confirming that I have attached all of the required documents to this application.
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Do you at least possess a bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration or related field and at least 10 years of related work experience?
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Please briefly describe your experience as it relates to this position.
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Do you possess a valid Class D driver's license, or if you do not already have one, do you have the ability to obtain a Class D driver's license?
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Are you willing to travel overnight?
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Are you willing to complete routine driver duties?
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Do you possess the ability to interpret and apply rules and regulations?
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Do you have the ability to communicate effectively?
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How did you hear about this position?
- SC State Jobs Website - jobs.sc.gov
- Indeed.com
- LinkedIn.com
- A current employee
- A former employee
- Other (please specify below)
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If you answered "other" to the question above, please specify where you heard about this position below.
Required Question
