Description:
This position is for our YMCA Jacquline Baber-Bey Early Childhood Center. Working hours vary between 7 AM - 6 PM, based on program needs.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Child Care Director II is responsible for overseeing the daily operations and administration of one or more child development centers or programs with 6 or more classrooms or a complex funding program. This role includes managing a staff team of up to 30 teachers and site administrators, developing educational programs, ensuring compliance with state and local regulations, and maintaining a safe and nurturing environment for all children. This role also mentors and coaches assistant directors and directors of smaller centers. The Child Care Director II will also handle budget compliance and monitoring, program enrollment, and communication with parents and guardians. The ideal candidate is a dedicated leader with a passion for early childhood education, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to create a positive and supportive atmosphere for both staff and children. This position requires face-to-face leadership in these programs and may involve early morning, evening, and weekend responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree (BA) from four-year college or university in Early Childhood Education or Child Development; 2 semester hours in child care administration; five years’ experience with licensed child care management and development; or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Past supervision experience preferred. Ability and desire to work with children infant to 6 years of age.
• Strong knowledge of state regulations and licensing requirements for childcare centers.
• Must have working knowledge of sound fiscal principals.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to interact with people of all ethnic backgrounds, ages and lifestyles.
• Working knowledge of computers and experience with a variety of software applications.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Manages the day-to-day operation of the child development center(s) to ensure a safe, nurturing, and educational environment for children
• Maintains and improves quality standards for educational and care practices. Ensures fidelity to assessments and tools.
• Manages recruiting, orientating, and enrolling of children/families, in collaboration with outreach and enrollment specialist
• Advises and supports parents/guardians of necessary child/family referrals
• Confers with parents/guardians regarding child/ren progress, facility activities, policies, and enrollment procedures
• Advises teaching staff regarding child’s behavioral or learning problems, and recommends methods of modifying inappropriate behavior and encouraging learning experiences
• Reviews and evaluates facility activities to ensure conformance to state and local regulations and licensing requirements. Maintains a positive relationship with assigned licensing consultants
• Conducts regular inspections, audits, and assessments to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Builds and maintains community partner relationships in the facility and in the community
• Leads action plans to achieve the highest accreditation standards. Supports teaching staff to pursue continuing education.
• Interviews, hires, onboards, and trains teaching staff, in collaboration with Senior Director, Early Learning Workforce Development
• Coaches and mentors assistant directors and directors of smaller centers.
• Plans, assigns, and directs work; create staff schedules and manage staffing needs; addresses complaints and resolves problems
• Sets goals and objectives for staff members; conducts performance evaluations and provides feedback to improve teaching practices.
• Monitors monthly budget and year-end forecast for responsible program areas
• Assists with Annual Campaign
• Liaises with contracted custodial team and maintains all areas in a clean, presentable fashion
• Serves in ratio as needed to cover PTO, vacancies, or leaves of absence.
• Prepares and draft reports for funders as requested
• Participates in management meetings, strategic planning, and effectively cascade communication to team members
• Holds and maintains licensure for program center
• Ensures grant compliance, as required
  Performs any other functions necessary for the smooth and efficient operation of the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids Association

The YMCA of Great Grand Rapids utilizes a Membership By Design framework, which is a member involvement and community building model for YMCAs across the country. All staff members—front-line, management, full- and part-time—and volunteers have a role to play in member engagement. These responsibilities can be broken into six steps:

• Enrollment: Staff and volunteers encourage potential members to enroll in programs and activities that meet their needs.
• Satisfaction: Staff and volunteers ask members continually about their satisfaction with a program or activity, track responses, listen to suggestions, and respond promptly in a manner consistent with the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
• Relationship Building: Staff and volunteers are open, friendly, and approachable to all YMCA members and participants. Staff and volunteers initiate interaction with and between members.
• Education and ConversionE: Staff and volunteers know about and share their knowledge of the YMCA, its programs, its policies, its mission, its values, and how it benefits members and the community.
• Volunteerism and Leadership: Staff and volunteers create opportunities for members to volunteer in their areas of interest, and they ask members to do so whenever appropriate.
• Ownership: Staff and volunteers encourage members to “own” the YMCA, using words such as “we,” “us,” and “our association” (and actions that match those words) to include members as well as staff and volunteers

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of members, parents, and staff.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form