Child Development Center Director - $5,000 Sign On Bonus

About the role

The Child Development Center Director provides expertise, oversight, training, and leadership to ensure the Child Development Center (CDC) is providing high quality, relationship-based, inclusive services to all children and families in the center and the center's operations comply with all funder and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate enrollment and develop a recruitment plan in collaboration with the ERSEA & Family Health Team to ensure that the center achieves and maintains full enrollment.
• Oversee staff schedules, manage PTO approvals, and arrange substitutes as needed to maintain operational continuity.
• Ensure the center meets classroom ratios and has a qualified director on site at all times.
• In collaboration with the Director of ECR programs, develop and update an annual parent handbook that includes program policies and procedures and service/ management plans.
• Implement systems to ensure consistent, high-quality services at the center in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards, Head Start Act, ExceleRate, NAEYC, DCFS licensing, and all applicable regulations and standards.
• Develop an annual training calendar for staff in collaboration with the Director of ECR Programs and Learning and Development Manager, ensuring training courses meet the interests and needs of staff.
• Make effective resource allocation decisions to support quality program services while operating within the center's budget and staffing model.
• Participate in the self-assessment process and strategic planning.
• Implement strategies to maximize child care assistance funding.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with parents and implement strategies to engage parents in the children's development and learning.
• Promptly address parental questions, concerns, and complaints regarding safety, staff members, curriculum, philosophy, and structure, and proactively report complaints and concerns (including resolution) to the Director of ECR Programs.
• Establish a collaborative and transparent center culture that emphasizes the importance of direct conflict resolution.
• Maintain systems for regular, ongoing communication with staff and families.
• Facilitate and/or participate in region, team, leadership, and other meetings.
• Participate in agency-sponsored events, committees, and meetings.
• Implement Research-based Curriculum
• Monitor, assess, and review classrooms regularly to maintain the highest level of curriculum fidelity and ensure alignment with educational standards.
• In collaboration with the Instructional Coordinator, use assessment data to drive coaching strategies and align coaching with school readiness goals, curricula, and other approaches to professional development.
• Assist teaching staff to ensure child assessments, parent/teacher conferences, and other requirements are completed within designated time frames.
• Ensure all enrolled children receive developmental screening, all education and disabilities data are complete in the Child Plus database and in Teaching Strategies Gold, and all child portfolios, anecdotal child observations, and education folders are maintained.
• Work with the regional team and teaching team to review and analyze child outcome data, home visits, parent/teacher conferences, and screenings to inform individual child and program planning.
• Support children with suspected disabilities and social-emotional concerns and ensure the full inclusion of all children in the program:
• Collaborate with coordinators and managers to create an inclusive environment that supports children with disabilities, social-emotional needs, and challenging behaviors, ensuring all children feel welcomed and supported.
• Collaborate with Child Service Coordinator and Social Emotional Specialist to implement a system for supporting children with behavioral concerns, including a behavior review process and behavior plans.
• Assist teachers in modifying curriculum and individualizing lesson plans for children with disabilities based on IEP goals.
• Affirmatively recruit, retain, and motivate a team of collaborative and engaged classroom staff.
• Provide timely praise and corrective feedback as needed.
• Onboard new staff, clarify roles and expectations during onboarding, and implement strategies to retain qualified employees.
• Communicate regularly with staff to ensure they are informed of and engaged in the center's goals, identify and encourage staff initiative, and address potential concerns or problems at an early stage, both individually and through regularly scheduled staff meetings.
• Enforce all agency policies, practices, and standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or related field.
• Illinois Director's Credential Level II.
• Certified CLASS Pre-K and Toddler Observer within I year.
• 3-5 years of supervisory experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in Head Start/Early Head Start.
• 5 years experience working with children and their families.
• Thorough knowledge of state and local licensing requirements, Creative Curriculum, Teaching Strategies GOLD, ExceleRate, NAEYC, and Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office software.

Skills

• Able to work well with all levels of the organization, regulators, funders, and other agencies.
• Able to conceptualize and articulate program outcomes.
• Able to manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Well organized and highly detail oriented.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Speaking-Talking to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing for the needs of the audience, including writing and editing reports, summary memoranda, correspondence, etc.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Management of Financial Resources - Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, budgeting and accounting for these expenditures.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting aud using training/instructional methods aud procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environ