Area Manager

Lower Columbia College • Longview, WA

13d • Onsite

About The Position

LCC's Head Start/Early Head Start/Early Childhood Education Assistance Program is a holistic program that provides quality early childhood education experiences through comprehensive services that support income eligible children and families, prenatal to five. We are committed to building healthier communities by providing school readiness to each child. The ideal candidate is an inspiring, mission-driven leader who is deeply committed to the Head Start and ECEAP vision of empowering young children and their families. This individual knows that great leadership starts with people—they take pride in coaching, mentoring, and guiding diverse staff members to reach their full potential. Additionally, they enjoy the hands-on aspect of monitoring and coordinating child and family services across centers. If you are a transformational leader seeking a role where your vision and dedication directly impact children, families, and staff, this role is for you. It is also vital that the individual chosen for this role is committed to on-going professional growth to continue Head Start's goals of positively impacting our teams and community. As the Area Manager, you hold primary responsibility for coordinating all child and family development services across our Head Start and ECEAP centers. In this pivotal role, you will coach, mentor, supervise, and train direct service staff while designing short-term and long-range planning for both service delivery and professional development. You will serve as the crucial liaison and information conduit between central office leadership and center sites, integrating various program components to ensure smooth, aligned operations. Additionally, you will be directly accountable for site compliance across all federal regulations, Head Start/EHS/ECEAP Performance Standards, and Washington State Child Care Licensing requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field with a WA ECE State Certificate (47 credits) or equivalent
• If you don't currently have the listed certificate, you may have the ability to complete it within five years of hire.
• Two years of experience as a teacher of children in a preschool age (3-5) in the early learning program with at least six months of experience in administration or management or a department approved plan.
• Strong knowledge of theories and practices of Early Childhood Education, Human Services, or a related field.
• Experience working with diverse communities and low-income children and families.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to facilitate small and large group meetings and trainings.
• Strong team leadership skills.
• Ability to collect and interpret data for reports and project trends.
• Washington State Patrol Background Check
• Sex Offender Registry Check
• TB test completed within the last year
• Valid driver’s license
• Cleared Portable Background Check through MERIT (to include fingerprinting)
• Provide Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) or Acceptable Version of CIS in accordance with the Washington Department of Health to include: MMR Vaccine or proof of immunity to measles
• Applicants must currently reside in Washington or Oregon, or be willing to relocate to one of these states.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
• Previous experience designing, adjusting, and facilitating trainings for others.
• Knowledge of Head Start, Early Head Start, and ECEAP Performance Standards.
• Knowledge of Washington State Administrative Codes for licensing.

Responsibilities

• Mentor, coach, and supervise staff utilizing reflective supervision to evaluate the performances of all members of the direct service teams
• Observe children and provide coaching for behavior management and education programming
• Review child/family files utilizing data management systems and provide support and input to assure program requirements are met
• Assure that all Head Start/EHS/ECEAP Performance Standards are met
• Prepare monthly reports on direct service activities for the Operations Manager
• Coordinate and maintain all facility and staff needs
• Maintain and develop new partnerships with local agencies, community service organizations, and educational providers
• Attend and facilitate meetings, design and deliver training and formal presentations
• Communicate in various ways (phone, email, in-person) with faculty, staff, families, children and other community members with the highest level of professionalism
• Utilize reflective practice

Benefits

• Successful candidates typically start towards the beginning of the salary range and will receive scheduled salary increases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level