Head Start - Center Director

Catholic Charities Comm•Avondale, AZ

3d•$44,595 - $62,000•Onsite

About The Position

Catholic Charities Community Services is seeking a professional, passionate individual with an engaging supervisory style to work in their Head Start program. This role provides leadership support to staff, children, and families. The Center Director plans, develops, implements, and supervises program operations for assigned Head Start and/or Early Head Start center(s). They ensure operations comply with Catholic Charities Westside Head Start policies, licensing regulations, Health and Safety Standards, and service area plans. The position involves participating in the implementation of engaging and secure learning environments to foster children's knowledge and skills, laying a foundation for school readiness. Reporting to an Area Manager, the Center Director is responsible for the daily oversight of center operations and all assigned staff, ensuring adherence to federal guidelines (Head Start Performance Standards, Policies and Procedures), Arizona Child Care Licensing requirements, and Catholic Charities policies to deliver quality Head Start services.

Requirements

Knowledge of child development theory; specifically early childhood development
Familiarity with Head Start standards, requirements, goals, objectives, policies, and procedures
Understanding of A.R.S. 36-891 pursuant to the operation of a state licensed childcare facility
Experience with Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) forms CCL-114 and CCL-324
Awareness of community resources and available support services for children and families
Leading, directing, managing and supervising employees
Directing individual and group activities of children and families
Effectively motivating others; encouraging their participation and engagement
Managing change and demonstrating adaptability, flexibility, and responsiveness to varying needs and situations
Critical thinking and resourcefulness to overcome challenges and solve problems
Using, structuring, and managing time effectively
Understanding, following, and carrying out written and oral instructions
Communicating effectively with direct reports, parents and children
Proper English grammar and usage
Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications (Word / Outlook)
Identify opportunities for improved effectiveness or efficiency, lead change and employ innovation
Work successfully with socio-economically disadvantaged and culturally and linguistically diverse pre-school age children and their parents in a fast-paced environment
Identify and utilize a variety of materials for use in a pre-school developmental setting
Read, understand, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, and policies
Adhere to a structured schedule, adhere to timelines, and meet deadlines
Maintain confidentiality of personal information and the integrity of the record keeping process
Stand and/or sit for prolonged periods of time
Lift children up to 40 pounds and assist them to the bathroom as necessary
Sit on floor and ambulate over uneven floor surfaces including stairs, steps, and playgrounds
Other significant physical abilities include lifting/carrying/pulling, stooping/kneeling/crouching, reaching/handling/fingering, talking/hearing conversations and other sounds, near/far visual acuity/depth perception/accommodation/field of vision
BA or higher degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE).
BA or higher degree with 12 credits in ECE.
AA degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE).
AA degree with 12 credits in ECE.
Minimum of two (2) years supervisory experience required.
Meets Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) requirements for licensure
Possesses or acquires, and maintains, Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance
Provides tuberculosis self-screening form annually. May also be required to follow recommendations for further tuberculosis testing, as applicable
Meets federal Head Start employment requirements including physical examination at hire
Possesses or completes verified training in First Aid and CPR (within ninety (90) days of hire) and remains current in the certification
Possesses or acquires, and maintains, valid Maricopa County Environmental Services Food Service Worker Certificate
Possesses and maintains valid Arizona driver license (An individual must be 21 years of age or older to drive on behalf of Catholic Charities Community Services Westside Head Start)
Reliable personal transportation and ability to show proof of current/valid vehicle registration and insurance with state minimum liability coverage.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of Head Start Act and Performance Standards preferred
Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills preferred; may be required for some positions (Staff receive a 2% base pay differential upon successful completion of a language proficiency assessment)

Responsibilities

Creates a welcoming, safe, and developmentally appropriate environment for the purpose of encouraging the cognitive, physical, social/emotional, and language development of the child and family.
Oversee and organize the programs, program personnel and activities of an assigned center(s).
Works with assigned teaching and family service staff and develops, implements, and monitors service area and center work plans to achieve assigned goals, objectives, and educational outcomes.
Contributes to the development of and monitoring of performance against the available resources.
Participates in developing, implementing, and evaluating work programs, plans, processes, systems, and procedures to achieve Westside Head Starts goals, objectives, and performance measures consistent with division quality and service expectations.
Responsible for on-going staff supervision and regular, structured supervision meetings to maximize employee performance.
Monitors staff performance and provides coaching for performance improvement and development.
Provides day-to-day leadership to ensure a high performance, child, and family- centered environment which supports achieving Head Start educational objectives and family service expectations; provides leadership and participates in programs and activities that promote effective parent involvement and positive employee relations environment.
Oversees the day-to-day operations of assigned program options; ensures centers are properly staffed in conformance with licensing requirements and adjusts staffing as required; responds to telephone calls and parent visits regarding a wide variety of child and family issues; communicates center activities and program master calendar to staff and parents; ensures cooperative working relationships between staff, parents, volunteers, community partners, specialists and consultants; resolves food service and transportation issues and special needs with applicable managers; assists in coordination of the delivery of meal services, including receiving food, required paperwork, meal production records, food order, inventory, assigning duties to Program Aides.
Oversees and participates in implementation of daily lesson plans and activities, ensuring they are age appropriate, individualized and culturally sensitive; observes teachers in the classroom and provides feedback; mentors and coaches staff in planning appropriate curriculum and activities; provides technical and problem solving assistance to teachers and other staff; trains staff on curriculum changes and procedures; monitors to ensure timely completion of child observations and assessments; ensures Individual Education Plans are being implemented.
Promotes parent involvement in center activities; and assists with; planning and conducting parent education/training meetings.
Ensures the maintenance of up-to-date, accurate center and children’s files; reviews daily and monthly teacher reports; compiles and submits end-of-the-month reporting, classroom status, meal count, volunteer time, in-kind donation, transportation, and other reports required by funding agencies.
Fills in for other center staff as required; substitutes in the classroom; portions and prepares children’s meals.
Attends staff and program planning meetings; participates in mandatory training sessions.
Builds community relationships; participates in recruitment and enrollment activities as required.
Monitors the inventory of site materials, supplies, and equipment; makes purchases for the center, staying within the budget.
Inspects and monitors center operations to ensure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, state licensing requirements and health, safety and fire regulations; adjusts staffing to ensure conformance to applicable licensing requirements; performs mandated inspections of classroom and playground facilities and takes necessary corrective action to ensure that housekeeping/cleanliness standards and permit/license requirements are met.
Provides guidance and direction to staff to promote an optimal learning environment for children.
Participates in staff development activities including in-service, training sessions, and meetings as required.
Trains new and returning team members as necessary to meet the needs of the employee’s position.
Participate in staff recruitment process along side with WSHS recruiter.
Ensures staff complete developmental screenings and social/emotional screenings within 45 days of enrollment and accurate documentation of health information.
Ensures staff monitor children’s progress by documenting and recording all observations necessary to complete on going assessments according to program requirements for the purpose of identifying strengths as well as possible concerns and/or delays.
Complies with all Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines and confirms completion of end of the month CACFP paperwork.
Ensures all procedures and protocols are in compliance with the Child Care Center Rules Instrument pursuant to A.R.S. 36-891-(F) Form CCL-114. (i.e., changes affecting license, posting of notices, enrollment of children, suspected or alleged child abuse or neglect; staff-to-children ratios, accident and emergency procedures, etc.).
Coordinates equipment and/or facility repairs via established program procedures; ensures timely completion of repairs to minimize any risk of injury to others and meet state licensing requirements.
Ensures appropriate teacher-child ratios and minimum state teacher qualifications are met.
Provides families with information about community organizations and events and encourages their participation and further involvement in community groups and activities to promote building parents as advocates and leaders.
Includes and involves parents in planning Parent Center Committee meetings and facilitates committee meetings with the Family Support Specialist (FSS).
Maintains appropriate communication with and seeks out information and assistance from supervisors, managers, other Head Start staff, and parents as needed to provide services and fulfill job responsibilities.
Understands the requirements of the Arizona Mandatory Reporting Law; communicates and demonstrates the importance of informing a supervisor/manager of any concerns about children and suspicions of child abuse and/or neglect.
Participate in and support Continuous Improvement initiatives to include attending appropriate program leadership meetings and attending all relevant Continuous Improvement meetings to ensure organization-wide involvement in Continuous Improvement and the development of program performance measurements. Supervisors must also develop and provide appropriate staff training and support the recognition of accomplishments relative to Continuous Improvement.
Promotes ongoing commitment to excellence and continual quality improvement to ensure the highest quality of services to children, families, and staff.
Other duties as assigned