Director Child Development Center

About the University

Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master’s‑granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. The university is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive.

About the Department

The Child Development Center (CDC) provides high‑quality early care and education for children ages 12 months to 5 years. It participates in Washington State’s Early Achievers Quality Rating and Improvement Program and is committed to supporting each child’s social‑emotional, physical, and cognitive development in a safe and nurturing environment. The CDC’s mission is to partner with children, families, and students in promoting the holistic development of every child within the CDC community.

About the Position

The CDC Director provides strategic and collaborative leadership to advance the CDC in support of the mission of Western Washington University, the division of Business and Financial Affairs (BFA), and the unit of Risk, Ethics, Safety, Resilience, and Enterprise Operations (RESR‑EO). The Director oversees a high‑quality early childhood education program serving WWU students, faculty, staff, and a limited number of alumni and community families. Responsibilities include personnel and budget management, enrollment, strategic planning, regulatory compliance, staff development, and program assessment. The Director leads a team of early childhood educators, collaborates with university departments, campus partners, families, and external agencies, and advances program sustainability through strategic growth, partnerships, and other funding opportunities. The role reports to the AVP for RESR‑EO and ensures compliance with Washington State licensing and quality standards, including participation in the Early Achievers program. The CDC currently serves 87 children ages 1–5 across six classrooms.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

• Leadership, Personnel Management & Organizational Culture (25%) – Provides leadership for all personnel and organizational development activities to ensure a positive, inclusive, welcoming, and family‑centered environment. Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, mentor, evaluate, and retain a diverse workforce including classified staff, substitutes, volunteers, interns, and practicum students. Collaborate with the Operations Manager on student employee recruitment and development. Foster a collaborative workplace culture that promotes employee engagement, effective communication, shared leadership, and organizational effectiveness. Manage personnel matters in accordance with university policies, collective bargaining agreements, and applicable regulations, including annual performance evaluations, coaching, mentoring, and performance improvement strategies. Ensure staff maintain required certifications, professional development hours, and licensing qualifications, while promoting continuous learning in early childhood education, leadership, equity, inclusion, and best practices.
• Program Administration, Licensing, Compliance & Risk Management (20%) – Provides oversight of operational systems, regulatory compliance, risk management, and continuous quality improvement. Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, university, and licensing requirements, maintain program licensing through the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), participation in Washington’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) through Early Achievers, and serve as the responsible principal for the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Develop, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, systems, and operational practices that support program quality, accountability, equitable access, and continuous improvement. Ensure confidentiality and security of sensitive information and lead emergency preparedness, health and safety, and risk management efforts in collaboration with university partners.
• Fiscal Management & Business Operations (15%) – As financial manager, maintain understanding of the financial situation of assigned funds and adhere to university financial policies. Ensure funds