Community Planning Manager

Kids Win Missouri is seeking a relationship-builder to serve as its Community Planning Manager. The position will support communities throughout Missouri in building and strengthening families’ access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education systems. 

About Kids Win Missouri

Kids Win Missouri is a non-partisan, statewide coalition representing child well-being practitioners, advocates, and parents spanning early childhood development, education, health, child safety, and economic security. Founded in 2013 as the Missouri Children's Leadership Council and rebranded in 2017, the organization has spent over a decade building a reputation as a respected and influential voice on policies impacting children and families in Missouri. Its advocacy has contributed to the creation of the state Office of Childhood, securing hundreds of millions in new state funding for child care and early education, expanding access to health coverage for Missouri families, and securing new legal funding for kinship caregivers. In recent years, Kids Win Missouri has expanded beyond policy and advocacy into broader systems-building work, including support for the statewide Child Care and Early Education Community Planning Initiative and the launch of Child Care Works, an innovative cost-sharing program that facilitates the sharing of child care costs among families, employers, the public sector, and philanthropy. An Executive Director and an active Board of Directors lead the organization.

About the Position

The Community Planning Manager will support Kids Win Missouri's work under Missouri's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a five-year federal initiative that invests in strengthening health and community systems in rural areas. Through this project, Kids Win Missouri partners with the State of Missouri to help rural communities plan and expand access to child care and early childhood education — a key factor in the health and economic well-being of rural families. The Manager will work directly with community lead organizations across the state to carry out this planning work. This is a full-time position that includes paid vacation, sick days, health and retirement benefits, and travel reimbursement. The annual salary for the position is between $65,000 and $80,000. The position will work remotely and can be located anywhere in Missouri. The position requires regular day travel throughout Missouri for events, stakeholder meetings, or coalition convenings (typically several days per month), occasional overnight travel, and infrequent out-of-state travel. Due to the position’s travel requirements, the individual selected is expected to possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. Physical demands are typical of a standard office environment, but also include working from non-office locations. The position reports to the Director of Community Planning and Research.

Responsibilities and Duties 

• Provide project coordination and implementation support for the Rural Health Transformation Program child care project in partnership with Kids Win Missouri staff, consultants, and community partners

• Facilitate community engagement activities by developing stakeholder relationships, coordinating meetings and events, supporting communication, and fostering connections among and between communities

• Collaborate with the lead consultant and community partners to support the development, implementation, and tracking of localized early childhood education (ECE) community action plans

• Coordinate planning activities, meeting facilitation, resource sharing, documentation, and follow-up to support successful implementation across assigned communities

• Support Kids Win Missouri’s network of stakeholders and communities in advancing shared early childhood goals

• Coordinate with internal and external partners to develop and deliver consistent messaging, resources, and communications related to early childhood priorities

• Maintain stakeholder engagement records and project documentation through a customer relationship management (CRM) system

• Collaborate with the technical assistance team to support data collection, analysis, and research that inform community planning efforts

• Other tasks as assigned

Desired Experience, Qualifications, and Skills 

• Associate or bachelor’s degree

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills

• Experience in community engagement

• Experience working with diverse stakeholders to advance shared goals

• Experience leading meetings in virtual and in-person settings

• Familiarity with standard office technology and platforms 

• Knowledge of Missouri’s political landscape and policies impacting children and families is a plus, but not required

Application Information

To apply, please email a cover letter that includes why you are the best candidate for this position, a resume, and a writing sample to Abigail Walden at awalden@kidswinmissouri.org. The position will remain open until filled.


Kids Win Missouri does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious or political affiliation, disability, veteran status, or any other classification considered discriminatory under applicable law. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture.