Center Director

Position Title: Center Director

Department: Early Childhood Education

Location: Dayton, Ohio

Reports To: Executive Director

Supervises: Operations Manager, Team Leads, teaching staff, and nutrition staff

Employment Status: Contract / Temporary, part time (30 hours per week). Eligible for conversion to a full-time, benefits-eligible position based on performance.

 

Compensation: Commensurate with experience but minimum of $40 per hour during contract period

Schedule: Monday through Friday, on site, within center operating hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Position Summary

The Center Director is responsible for the overall leadership, administration, and daily operation of a licensed, early childhood education center serving infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. The Center Director serves as the administrator of record with the state licensing agency and is accountable for regulatory compliance, program quality, fiscal management, enrollment, staff supervision, and family relations. This position begins as a 30-hour-per-week contract role. Based on demonstrated performance against agreed objectives, the position may be converted to a full-time salaried position with benefits.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Operations

• Direct the day-to-day operation of the center in accordance with state licensing rules, accreditation standards, and organizational policies.
• Serve as the administrator of record with the state licensing agency and ensure the center is always prepared for announced and unannounced inspections.
• Maintain the compliance calendar for licensing, quality rating, accreditation, child nutrition, and publicly funded child care programs; review and approve all related submissions.
• Develop, implement, and update center policies, procedures, and family and staff handbooks.
• Ensure a safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate environment in every classroom and common area.

 

 

Fiscal Management

• Prepare and manage the annual operating budget; monitor budget-to-actual performance monthly and take corrective action as needed.
• Oversee tuition billing, accounts receivable, payment agreements, and collections.
• Administer publicly funded child care authorizations, attendance reconciliation, and grant and subsidy reporting.
• Identify and pursue additional revenue sources, including grants, partnerships, and public funding.

Enrollment and Family Relations

• Set and manage enrollment targets by classroom; oversee the waitlist, tours, and the enrollment process in coordination with the Operations Manager.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for family concerns and resolve them promptly and professionally.
• Lead family communication, family engagement events, and the parent organization.

Staff Supervision and Development

• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, evaluate, and, when necessary, discipline center staff in accordance with organizational policy and applicable law.
• Ensure staffing levels meet required ratios at all times and that all staff files, credentials, background checks, and required trainings are current.
• Conduct performance reviews, develop professional development plans, and support staff in attaining credentials and degrees.
• Lead regular leadership and all-staff meetings; maintain clear, consistent communication across all classrooms and roles.

Curriculum and Quality

• Oversee implementation of the center's curriculum and child assessment system through the Team Leads.
• Ensure required classroom observations, assessments, and quality documentation are completed and maintained.
• Monitor program quality indicators, including enrollment, attendance, ratios, incident reports, and family feedback, and act on findings.

Facilities

• Oversee, through the Operations Manager, building maintenance, cleaning services, safety drills and inspections, and front desk operations.

Other

• Represent the center with licensing agencies, funders, community partners, and institutional partners.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of one (2) year of experience as a Center Director of a licensed child care center.
• Meets, or is able to meet within ninety (90) days of hire, state child care administrator requirements and applicable accreditation administrator requirements.
• Demonstrated experience managing a budget, enrollment, staffing, and a licensing or accreditation review.
• Working knowledge of state licensing rules, quality rating systems, publicly funded child care, and the child and adult care food program.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and child care management software.
• Ability to pass all required state and federal background checks and to meet state health and training requirements prior to start.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, or a related field.
• Experience with a research-based curriculum and an observation-based child assessment system.
• Experience in a laboratory school, demonstration site, or teacher-preparation setting.
• Demonstrated success growing enrollment or improving the financial performance of a center.
• Experience leading staff through an organizational transition.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong leadership, supervisory, and coaching skills, including the ability to hold staff accountable constructively.
• Sound judgment and the ability to make decisions under pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with staff, families, and external partners.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, particularly with regulatory documentation.
• Commitment to confidentiality, professionalism, and equitable treatment of children, families, and staff.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Work is performed on site in an early childhood center environment with regular presence in classrooms.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, and lift up to fifty (50) pounds.
• Occasional evening hours for family events or staff meetings.

Conversion to Full-Time Employment

This position is initially a 30-hour-per-week contract/temporary assignment. Performance objectives will be established in writing at the start of the assignment. Upon satisfactory performance against those objectives, the position may be converted to a full-time, exempt, benefits-eligible position.

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position and may be revised at any time.