Effectively operates and manages all aspects of a childcare school, to include human resources, customer relations, financial systems, quality control and facility management. Provides creative, age-appropriate programs to all children served at the academy. Actively develops and maintains positive customer/community relations. Maintains high-capacity utilization and manages all resources effectively and within budget. Establishes strong working relationships with state licensing authorities.

(A) ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Ensures academy compliance with all federal and state laws, as well as Kiddie Academy policies and procedures. Meets all state requirements for the position.

• Completes all required paperwork and record keeping on a timely basis and maintains same in an organized, up-to-date manner. This includes all academy files: for example, student, personnel, vehicle, driver, health and safety files.
• Plans academy activities and actively participates for example, staff meetings, training sessions, open houses, planning sessions.
• Develops and maintains strong working relationships with all state licensing authorities, approved vendors and community contracts.
• Meets all state requirements for the position.
• Develops and maintains professional working relationships with academy staff.
• Recruits, selects and ensures that all staff are properly trained and helps develop staff through career growth and guidance.
• Ensures that all staff are properly trained and helps develop staff through career growth and guidance.
• Anticipates staffing needs, prepares and posts weekly staffing schedule, and modifies it accordingly depending upon daily attendance in each classroom.
• Ensures state staffing regulations are met at all times.
• Evaluates staff via written performance summary on a quarterly and yearly basis and at other times as needed; recommends merit raises for staff.
• Counsels staff on performance issues; follows Kiddie Academy guidelines for disciplinary action procedures.
• Submits new staff or staffing changes to licensing representative and maintains up-to-date Human Resources files.
• Trains staff to plan and implement creative, developmentally appropriate programs for all children.
• Ensures that quality control programs are sound and meet all state and Kiddie Academy requirements.
• Actively participates in local professional associations: for example, local AEYC.
• Ensures management is available to greet parents during peak hours (6:30 - 9:00AM and 4:00 - 6:30 PM).
• Ensures that facility meets all state, local and Kiddie Academy requirements.
• Oversees the physical condition of the building and contents; seeks approval from ownership and requests repair work as needed.
• Obtains estimates and coordinates repairs with appropriate vendors.
• Monitors the janitorial work performed and reports to academy ownership any problems or concerns; works with vendors to rectify.
• Responds and follows up on all enrollment inquiries. Gives prospective customers tours of the facility and detailed information about Kiddie Academy Philosophy, Mission, Core Values, programs and procedures.
• Develops and actively maintains positive communication with parents.
• Recognizes parent concerns, evaluates course of action and responds professionally to needs of parents.
• Ensures that staff is aware of specific parent concerns so that problems are resolved.
• Responsible for keeping disenrolled customers to a minimum; determines reasons for disenrollments and addresses problem areas which contribute to student turnover.
• Ensures proper telephone techniques are used.
• Under academy ownership’s direction, familiarizes self with academy budget to ensure that all resources are managed effectively and within budgetary constraints. Assists with drafting new budgets each year.
• Ensures that all computer-related record keeping requirements are met.
• Tracks all monetary transactions with customers and vendors as approved by academy ownership; this process may include approving invoices and providing all necessary paperwork to owner for payment and audit purposes.
• Manages all salary expenses within budgeted amounts and according to prescribed guidelines of compensation plan.
• Ensures that accounts receivable do not exceed specified percentage of posted revenue charges.
• Affects creation of monthly newsletter for the academy.
• Completes state requirements for approved continued education training of 12 clock hours (or more based on local regulations) during the licensing year.
• Meets with licensing specialist during inspections and reports to academy ownership on a timely basis.
• Arbitrates differences among academy personnel.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Performs other similar or related duties as necessary.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS: Candidate must have four-year degree in Early Childhood Education or area of Child Development with 2 - 3 years’ experience as a director or assistant director in a childcare school.

(B) A director shall have attained one of the following qualification levels:

(1) A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in early childhood education, child development, special education, elementary education or the human services field and 1 year of experience with children. (or)

(2) A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, including 30 credit hours in early childhood education, child development, special education, elementary education or the human services field and 2 years of experience with children. (or)

(3) An associate’s degree from an accredited college or university in early childhood education, child development, special education, elementary education or the human services field and 3 years of experience with children. (or)

(4) An associate’s degree from an accredited college or university, including 30 credit hours in early childhood education, child development, special education, elementary education or the human services field and 4 years of experience with children.