Director, Ann Graves Child Development Center

Posted: 09-Jul-26 | Location: Dallas, Texas | Type: Full Time

About the role

The Hockaday School seeks an enthusiastic and mission-driven Director of the Ann Graves Child Development Center to provide visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational management for the child development center. The Director is responsible for fostering a nurturing, safe, and developmentally appropriate environment that supports the growth and well-being of young children while serving the needs of Hockaday faculty and staff families.

The Director oversees all aspects of the Child Development Center, including program quality, licensing compliance, curriculum implementation, staff leadership and development, enrollment management, family engagement, and financial stewardship. This role is responsible for building and maintaining a strong team culture, ensuring excellence in teaching and care, and creating meaningful partnerships with families. The Director promotes continuous improvement through innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to best practices in childcare.

Reporting to the Director of Auxiliary Programs, the Director of the Ann Graves Child Development Center serves as a key member of the Auxiliary Programs team. The Director ensures the Child Development Center remains a valued employee benefit and an integral part of the Hockaday community while advancing the School’s mission and standards of excellence.

The Ann Graves Child Development Center at The Hockaday School provides a nurturing, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for children from infancy through preschool. Designed to support Hockaday families and employees, the Center fosters curiosity, creativity, and social-emotional growth through a play-based approach led by experienced early childhood educators. The Center is licensed by the State of Texas and is nationally accredited by the National Accreditation Commission (NAC) for Early Care and Education Programs, reflecting its commitment to the highest standards of quality, safety, and early learning excellence.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all aspects of the Child Development Center (CDC)
• Develop and maintain a nurturing, safe, and developmentally appropriate childcare program
• Establish and communicate a clear vision for the CDC aligned with Hockaday’s mission and values
• Foster a positive culture that supports children, families, and staff
• Lead continuous improvement efforts focused on program quality, enrollment, and family satisfaction
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Licensing regulations and minimum standards
• Maintain all required licensing records, reports, and documentation
• Ensure adherence to health, safety, emergency preparedness, and child protection policies
• Serve as the primary liaison with licensing representative and regulatory agencies
• Monitor classroom ratios, staff qualifications, training requirements, and supervision practices
• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, evaluate, and retain highly qualified staff
• Create a collaborative and supportive work environment that promotes professional growth
• Conduct regular classroom observations and provide coaching and feedback
• Ensure staff assignments align with qualifications, training, and experience
• Develop leadership capacity among Assistant Directors and teaching staff
• Facilitate staff meetings, professional development, and ongoing training
• Maintain a warm, caring, and community-centered environment
• Maintain a visible and active presence in classrooms
• Ensure implementation of developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum
• Monitor children’s developmental progress and support teachers in meeting individual needs
• Promote a play-based learning environment that supports social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and language development
• Ensure smooth transitions between classrooms and age groups
• Build strong, trusting relationships with CDC families
• Communicate regularly with parents regarding children’s development, center operations, and special events
• Address parent concerns promptly and professionally
• Partner with families to support children’s growth and well-being
• Plan and facilitate family engagement opportunities
• Develop and maintain the CDC budget
• Monitor revenue and expenses to ensure financial sustainability
• Evaluate program needs and make recommendations regarding staffing, resources, and equipment
• Oversee purchasing and inventory for classroom and operational needs
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Education, Business, or related field preferred
• The qualifications necessary to serve as a licensed Child Care Center Director in the State of Texas
• At least 5 years of experience leading a childcare program, child development center, preschool, or similar educational environment
• A passion for childcare and a deep commitment to nurturing the growth, development, and well-being of young children
• Strong knowledge of child development, developmentally appropriate practices, and current trends in childcare practices
• Knowledge of Texas Child Care Licensing regulations and a commitment to maintaining compliance, safety, and operational excellence
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
• Experience with budgeting, enrollment management, staffing, and operational oversight
• The ability to navigate challenges with professionalism, emotional intelligence, and sound judgment under pressure
• A demonstrated ability to build trust, strengthen team culture, and foster positive working relationships among staff
• A commitment to maintaining a consistent presence in classrooms to support teachers, children, and program quality
• Must have the ability to work in a school environment through satisfactory completion of all legally required and School-required background and screening checks and verifications, including criminal and sex offender background checks

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and insurance packages, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability benefits
• Lunch provided daily during the school year
• Extensive professional development opportunities, including networking with colleagues, conducting research with college professors, and traveling

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time, including working at a computer
• Regularly works in standard classroom conditions and climate and occasionally works outdoors in varying weather conditions and climate
• Regularly uses close and distance vision to observe children from various distances
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, over the phone, and via electronic platforms
• Frequently required to move around the classroom and position oneself to work with small children on the floor
• Ability to respond and react appropriately to verbal outbursts, physical actions or bodily fluids as a part of the child care environment
• Ability to frequently lift, carry, hold, and move students and items weighing up to 45 lbs. across the classroom and Center
• Ability to push a stroller occupied with up to six children
• Ability to recognize and react calmly and effectively in hazardous or dangerous situations
• Works in an occasionally stressful environment, effectively dealing with a wide variety of challenges and a varied and diverse array of contacts
• Stamina to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions
• Ability to occasionally work flexible hours to complete required training, attend evening meetings, or perform other duties as assigned

About The Hockaday School

The Hockaday School is an independent, college preparatory school for girls of strong potential and diverse backgrounds who may be expected to assume positions of responsibility and leadership in a rapidly changing world. With an enrollment of more than 1,100 students, The Hockaday School is the nation’s largest prekindergarten through grade 12 independent girls’ school. Ranked among the country’s finest college preparatory schools, it was founded over a century ago and continues today to build on its original Four Cornerstones: Character, Courtesy, Scholarship, and Athletics.

Hockaday’s faculty are recognized as experienced leaders in their field and students in every grade benefit from outstanding faculty and access to unmatched resources. Families who choose Hockaday care deeply about providing their daughters with a comprehensive and rigorous education, both inside and outside the classroom. Hockaday’s student body reflects the diversity that is deeply valued by the School.