Assistant Director

Position Summary

The Assistant Director provides program leadership for the Family Resource Center’s child care and preschool services. The Assistant Director is responsible for program quality, licensing and accreditation readiness, staffing, professional development, compliance, curriculum/program implementation, family communication systems, and continuous improvement. The Assistant Director translates organizational goals into consistent day-to-day program practices and provides direct leadership to program coordinators and staff.

Qualifications

• Minimum education and experience must meet current KDHE requirements for the applicable child care program director role and the size/type of the licensed program.
• Bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child development, education, or a related field preferred; master's degree preferred.
• Preferred KSDE certification in Early Childhood Education or related field.
• At least one year experience in early childhood program administration, supervision, preschool/child care operations, staff development, and quality improvement.
• Ability to lead a large, multidisciplinary staff and collaborate effectively with school districts, families, community agencies, and funders.

Work Environment:

• Works in a well lighted and ventilated area.
• May be exposed to children with communicable diseases.
• Work with and around regulated waste.
• Wear personal protective equipment as necessary.

Physical Requirements

● Moves throughout classrooms, offices, and program areas to observe operations and respond to children, staff, and safety needs; may periodically sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop, or position self at child level.

Mental Requirements

● Maintains focus in an active childcare environment; interprets licensing and program requirements; organizes competing priorities; makes timely decisions; coaches staff; handles confidential information; and responds appropriately to safety or compliance concerns.

Position-Specific Requirements● Must meet current Kansas program-director qualification/approval requirements applicable to the licensed program. Required background checks and required health/safety and professional-development training must be completed and maintained.

Essential Responsibilities

• Direct the development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of early childhood programs.
• Maintain readiness for KDHE licensing visits, accreditation, contractual monitoring, grant reviews, and other compliance reviews.
• Establish systems for monitoring classroom quality, supervision, staffing, curriculum, child guidance, family engagement, documentation, and health/safety practices.
• Oversee recruitment, selection, onboarding, supervision, evaluation, coaching, corrective action, and retention of childcare staff.
• Oversee CACFP administration and other assigned program/funding requirements, ensuring accurate documentation and timely submissions.
• Monitor enrollment, staffing needs, classroom assignments, ratios, attendance, and operational capacity.
• Ensure child records, staff records, health documentation, incident reports, training records, and licensing documentation are complete, accurate, current, and appropriately secured.
• Use data and observation to identify program strengths, compliance concerns, training needs, and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice and current early childhood research and apply that knowledge to program decisions.
• Ensure programs provide safe, inclusive, developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and individualized experiences for children birth through age 12 as applicable to FRC services.
• Develop effective communication systems for staff, families, children, administrators, and collaborative partners.
• Respond promptly to significant child safety, staff, family, licensing, or program concerns and immediately escalate issues requiring executive action.
• Participate in organizational strategic planning and provide program recommendations to the Executive Director.
• Serve as Acting Executive Director when formally designated or when the Executive Director is unavailable, within established organizational authority.

Pay: $50,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person