Early Childhood Center Executive Director

Job Title:

Organization Name:

Sabes Jewish Community Center

Job Type:

Full-time

Deadline:

Open until filled

Job Summary/Description:

The Early Childhood Center is one of many programs that make up the Sabes Jewish Community Center (“JCC”). Located on a 23-acre campus in a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis, the campus welcomes over 3,000 daily visitors, and is a hub of community-building programs in the areas of youth, Inclusion and cultural arts. The Early Childhood Center, however, plays a unique role at the JCC, as its growth is a vital component of the organization’s strategic plans.

The Early Childhood Center supports a “whole-child” curriculum that meets each child’s unique emotional, social, cognitive, physical, spiritual, and emerging cultural needs. Using the “learning through play” approach, it fosters within our children a positive self-concept, a joy for learning, and the ability to work and play well with others. Our program currently operates at full-capacity, with about 150 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

The JCC seeks a dynamic, experienced, early education educator to provide visionary and strategic leadership of its Early Childhood Center while overseeing the program’s growth. The Executive Director will be responsible for creating a safe, nurturing, enriching environment for children from six weeks to five years old; guiding and collaborating with staff to create, refine, and implement curriculum; hiring and supervising a staff of 30; working with families to create a partnership to ensure the best possible learning environment for each child; ensuring compliance with performance standards and recognized best practices in early childhood education; overseeing enrollment; assisting with the budget; adhering to licensing standards and establishing a strategic vision for the Early Childhood Center including 3-5 year growth objectives.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Serve as strategic and visionary leader of the Early Childhood Center program.
Ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of all children in the Early Childhood Center.
Create a nurturing, enriching, creative environment conducive to active learning for Early Childhood Center children.
Recruit, hire, and provide feedback for Early Childhood Center staff.
Oversee recruitment and admissions.
Communicate with families about Early Childhood Center programs and policies, needs of children, and concerns of families.
Serve as a mentor and resource for all Early Childhood Center staff.
Manage annual budget including review of monthly statements, preparation of quarterly budget updates and yearly budget, and making fiscally responsible decisions for the Early Childhood Center.
Work with Early Childhood Center leadership team to coordinate and facilitate staff meetings and professional development.
Oversee and facilitate parent committee and volunteers.
Operate program in compliance of Minnesota Department of Human Services standards for licensing and other governmental and agency standards.
Other duties as assigned.

Experience and Qualification Requirements:

A passion for working with young children and their families.
Bachelor’s degree in field such as Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Elementary Education.
5+ years of supervisory/administrative experience in early childhood setting including staff supervision and fiscal management.
Experience working with infants, toddlers and preschool children.
Ability to model deep respect for children’s needs, relationships, thoughts, ideas, and emotions.
Ability to collaboratively create a responsive and reflective early childhood practice that adapts curriculum to support children’s interests.
Ability to partner with families and other practitioners meet children’s medical, emotional, or learning needs.
Familiarity and experience with constructivist and emergent pedagogy focused on hands on learning and learning through play, especially Reggio Emilia.
Knowledge of current brain and learning research.
Interest and experience in arts education and outdoor play and learning.
Ability to collaborate with staff to create a responsive, emergent curriculum.
Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, environmental stewardship, and social justice.
Understanding of early learning standards for best practices for implementation and alignment for Kindergarten readiness.
Ability to manage simultaneous, multiple projects, establishing priorities and meeting deadlines.
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products.
Ability to create positive relationships with both children and adults using strong active and reflective listening skills.
Strong interpersonal skills that allow for successful interaction with people at all levels within the organization.
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to relate to a highly diverse environment and to be a team player.
Ability to function productively in a busy, active, joyful, creative, though sometimes stressful, environment; work independently and accept direction.
Excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills.
Flexible, good judgment, discretion, confidentiality.
Anticipate and prevent problems; utilize problem solving skills.
Calm and positive attitude.
Ability to engage in all classroom daily activities (lifting up to 35 pounds, pushing up to 100 pounds, bending/kneeling/sitting at child level (on floor) for various activities.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field.
Knowledge of Judaism & experience working in or with the Jewish Community.

Additional Information

Diversity Statement: All Sabes JCC career opportunities are open to all qualified individuals. We embrace diversity of, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, marital, parental and economic status.
Compensation: The school provides a competitive compensation package that includes benefits such as health insurance, retirement accounts, sick leave and opportunities for professional development.