Director of Early Learning Center

 

POSITION SUMMARY: AS a critical component of the YMCA Leadership Team, this position supports the work of the Y, a leading nonprofit, charitable organization committed to strengthening the community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. YMCAs across the country offer quality full-day and partial-day childcare for infants through preschoolers, enabling parents and family members to go to work knowing their children are in safe, stimulating environments. Children and their caregivers can also attend the Early Learning Readiness Program together. Young learners get stimulating preschool-like experiences. Their caregivers receive support to replicate the experiences at home, ensuring that children start kindergarten ready to learn. As the Director of the Early Learning Center, you are responsible for the overall operations of YMCA Early Learning Child Care Center providing quality experiences for children that focus on the core values: honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring of the YMCA.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Supervise ELC Coordinator, Lead Teachers, Program Assistants and volunteers in the center. Manage all classrooms at the center ensuring compliance with policies and licensing guidelines. Conducts regular visits/observations to each classroom setting for all age groups. Responsible for conflict resolution supports in service/ with staff relations.

2. Practice continuous quality improvement, evaluating programs, and implementing changes as needed.

3. Ensure that observations and evaluations of each child are completed by lead teachers.

4. Plan both long- and short-range activities in accordance with curriculum objectives, developmentally appropriate practice and program philosophy. Coordinate with lead teacher/assisting staff to create daily lesson/activity plans to meet the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs of the children in your care. Work with the lead teacher to ensure supplies have been approved and purchased for needed programming activities.

5. Ensure communication and positive relationships with parents through family involvement efforts. Facilitates parent conferences, parent involvement nights, teacher planning days, and provides support for external resource recommendations.

6. Facilitate scheduling practices for ELC staff. Work with lead teachers to always ensure proper staffing and ratios within the center. Responsible for approving schedule changes, time off request, and oversee required scheduled training times for ELC staff.

7. Schedule ongoing staff development efforts which include planning and conducting staff meetings on a regular basis, to enhance communication, provide necessary training, and provide other staff the opportunity to be involved in program development, creative problem-solving, and to provide their input to successful program operation.

8. Lead recruitment efforts, screening, hiring, training, developing programs teachers and other personnel necessary to ensure quality delivery of Early Learning programs as well as potential YMCA youth development staff.

9. Review new hire paperwork with new ELC personnel. Submit complete packet to the Executive Assistant/Finance Director for processing. Supervise Orientation Training for new ELC program staff.

10. Assist with coordination with Food Service program assistant that food/supplies for program operations have been approved, purchased, and financial invoices submitted to Finance Director. Ensure food service program assistant is maintaining operational codes for the ELC that meet operational standards.

11. Implement knowledge of emergency procedures to ensure the safety of children and be physically and mentally able to respond to emergencies and administer CPR and/or First aid appropriately.

12. Ensure required program records, appropriate forms, and files of staff and children are up to date and up to standard HHS and other operating codes. Ensuring sign in/out sheets and incidents/accidents reports are submitted in a timely and accurate manner. Reports participant hours to HHS provider portal in a timely and accurate manner.

13. Complete monthly HHS/CACFP reporting for billing for submission.

14. Responsible for reaching agreed upon enrollment and revenue goals, program goal development, and ongoing growth/participation of ELC program.

15. Manage/approve payroll time sheets of staff under direct supervision.

16. With assistance from the Finance Director and CEO, manage programs within annual budget parameters, including overseeing and managing staff hours, participant fees and payments.

17. Assists with planning and facilitation of Y-wide community and family missions/events. Participates in YMCA fundraising and financial development activities such as; grant writing, implementation and reporting, the Annual Fundraising Campaign and other fundraising events.

18. Always model professionalism and best practices.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES:

● Engaging Community

● Communication & Influence

● Developing Self & Others

QUALIFICATIONS:

● Required Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education, Associates degree (AA) in Early Childhood Education or a Child Development Associates (CDA).

● Preferably 3 to 4 years of experience working with youth.

● Preferably 1 to 2 years of experience in a supervisory position.

● Excellent written and verbal communications skills and professional demeanor

● Proven customer service skills (in person as well as on the phone)

● Requires resourcefulness and excellent organizational skills

● Ability to work independently

● CPR/AED/First Aid certification within 90 days of hire

● Criminal record clearance by being fingerprinted prior to reporting to work and signing a statement regarding criminal convictions

● Excellent personal computer skills and experience with standard business software.

● Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

● The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

● While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer and phone/smart device. The employee frequently is required to sit and reach and must be able to move around the work environment.

● The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

● Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust.

● The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.