Position Summary:

Reporting to the Executive Director, Early Childhood Education, the Director, Early Childhood Education is responsible for overseeing all the daily functions of Union Settlement’s Early Childhood Education center. The Director, Early Childhood Education provides leadership and consistent development of Union Settlement’s comprehensive, whole-family approach to birth to five education programming which consists of multiple Early Childhood Education/Head Start centers across our impact area in Harlem. They develop and maintains quality standards of Early Childhood Education designed to meet the educational, emotional, physical, and social needs of individual children and the group and implement the Creative Curriculum. The Director, Early Childhood Education must have experience in Early Childhood Education and the ability to oversee and manage a large, diverse high-quality education program, and be a strong, hands-on manager.

Overall Core Responsibilities

• Providing a safe and nurturing environment for young children to learn and grow.
• Developing and implementing age-appropriate curriculum and activities that support children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.
• Observing and assessing children's progress and adjusting activities and lessons accordingly to meet their individual needs.
• Communicating regularly with parents and caregivers to share updates on their child's progress and any concerns or challenges that may arise.
• Creating a positive classroom culture that fosters respect, inclusion, and a love of learning.
• Collaborating with other educators and professionals, such as speech therapists or social workers, to support children's overall development.
• Maintaining accurate records and documentation of children's progress and any incidents or concerns.
• Continuously engaging in professional development and staying up-to-date on best practices and trends in early childhood education.

Leadership

• Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Early Childhood Education program to ensure that all program services are of the highest quality.
• Supervise all employees and volunteers at the child care center to include coordinating and supervising the efforts of Early Childhood staff in developing and maintaining program components, including education, health, nutrition, social services, parent involvement, mental health, and disabilities.
• Monitors the implementation and responsibilities of employees through observation, regularly scheduled supervisory meetings, team meetings, and review of files and documentation.
• Attend and ensure provision of training and periodic refresher on their roles and responsibilities and that of their teams.
• Maintains effective, appropriate communication with Union Settlement leadership, including:
  • Attending all regular and special meetings, and committee meetings as required.
  • Providing a written report of the educational l and programmatic status of the program and of the administrative activities since the last meeting, monitoring results, and strategies to resolve problems.
  • Communication of relevant information

Operations, Compliance & Evaluation

• Lead the implementation of comprehensive birth to five services including administration, operations, program initiatives, and ensures site level compliance with Head Start performance standards and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and requirements.
• Assumes an active role in the annual program self-assessment.
• Assures remediation of any non-compliances found in delegate or grantee assessment and incorporates recommendations into planning for the improvement of the program.
• In consultation with the team, assures that classrooms and playgrounds are well-equipped.

Enrollment, Partnerships and Community Engagement

• Leads in the recruitment of children to Union Settlement’s child care centers, which includes devising strategies to increase and maintain enrollment throughout the school year.
  • Collaborates with team to reviews the current program model and develop strategies to ensure full enrollment in all Early Childhood Education/Head Start centers and the Family Early Childhood Education Network.
• Oversee & manage the Family Counselors to ensure appropriate intake and placement of new children at the child care center.
• Work Collaboratively with the Director, ECE Supportive Services and the Delegate Agency Policy Committee (DAPC) to recruit and interview applicants for open positions at the child care center.
• Attend or coordination a representative attend the New York City Housing Authority Tenant Association meetings
• Reviews and analyzes monthly Attendance Reports to assess chronic absenteeism and use individual child attendance data to identify children with patterns of absence that put them at risk of missing ten percent of program days per year.
  • Develop appropriate strategies to improve individual attendance among identified children, such as direct contact with parents or intensive case management, as necessary.
• Coordinates with the team to conduct a yearly complete Community Assessment for need and impact.
• Reviews, mediates, and resolves community complaints about the program, seeking input from staff, parents, or the Executive Committee, as needed.

Education, Curriculum & Performance Standards

• Develop and plan the educational program for the child care center.
• Oversee the development and implementation of curriculum and educational activities that promote school readiness.
• Collaborate with staff to develop, implement, and maintain an intergraded program that is efficient and effective.
• Provides guidance and leadership to staff to emphasize the importance of the program achieving high standards of quality, internally and through public and private sector partnerships.
• Reviews management and leadership materials and program-related materials to keep abreast of developments in comprehensive early childhood programs.
• Additional duties as assigned by the Executive Director, Early Childhood Education and/or Union Settlement leadership.

Qualifications:

• Master Degree Preferred.
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and a minimum of five years professional leadership/management and supervisory experience preferably in educational non-profit.
• State Certified and 2 or more years of group teacher experience for children under 6 Years old ideal for related coverage.
• Significant experience in administration, including knowledge of State licensing requirements and Head Start Performance Standards.
• Strong knowledge of best practices and systems in the field of early childhood Head Start and/or Day Care.
• Experience in design and delivery of training.
• Strong computer skills, including internet and e-mail, excel and the ability to learn new systems as needed.
• Current enrollment in Child Care Division – Central Background Registry.
• A strong desire to help improve the lives of the residents of the local East Harlem. community, and an ability to listen to and address parent concerns with care and compassion

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.
• New York State Teacher Certification in B-2.
• At a minimum, three years of classroom experience.
• Five years of experience in management preferred.
• Strong leadership and training skills.
• Demonstrated experience in education, budgeting, and program development.
• Demonstrated experience with ACS rules and regulations, Child Care and Head Start regulations, the CACFP program, and DOH permit process

• Leading Others: Creates a sense of urgency throughout the organization on the importance of achieving outcomes. Inspires, influences, and enables team members to reach their goals
• Facilitating Change: Approaches challenges with creativity and flexibility. Demonstrates analytical thinking. Guides change to meet Union Settlement’s goals.
• Managing Performance: Evaluates and revises goals semi-annually with the team. Provides consistent supervision and documents performance highlights and concerns
• Applying and Developing Expertise: Embraces and leads the team to achieve milestones. Seeks and supports professional development opportunities for team members. Manages finances and budgets effectively
• Communicating and Collaborating: Listens well and actively engages with others with honesty and integrity and holds team accountable to the same standard