Director of Early Learning, School Compliance, & Government Programs

Diocese of St. Augustine•Jacksonville, FL

10d•$64,000 - $66,872•Hybrid

About The Position

Catholic Education today continues its mission to serve the people of God by forming the next generation for this life and for heaven. As Catholic education in the Diocese of St. Augustine becomes increasingly complex, schools and early learning centers must meet rigorous academic, operational, licensure, and accreditation requirements while maintaining fidelity to Catholic identity and mission. The Director of Early Learning, School Compliance, and Government Programs provides system-wide leadership, oversight, and accountability for diocesan early learning centers and supports compliance across diocesan schools. Acting with the authority of the Superintendent of Schools, this position ensures compliance with Florida Catholic Conference (FCC) standards, Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) requirements, Department of Children and Families (DCF) regulations, and diocesan policies. The position provides leadership, training, auditing, and direct support to school and early learning center administrators to ensure operational excellence, regulatory compliance, quality programming, financial sustainability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply accreditation standards, government regulations, and diocesan policies.
Must be a practicing Catholic in good standing and registered member of a Catholic parish faith community. Must have the ability to respect, promote, accommodate, and not be in conflict with the mission, moral and social teachings, doctrines, and laws of the Roman Catholic Church. Sound knowledge of Catholic education and Church teachings.
Assertive personality, patient, responsible, committed, and able to deliver the message in a strong and consistent manner. Ability to face situations firmly, courteously, tactfully, and with respect for the rights of others.
Requires computer expertise in Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Familiarity and fluency with the use of technology and the ability to know how to team with others to creatively use technology to be more effective and efficient.
Skills and experience in writing comprehensive policies, guidelines, and compliance rules.
Ability to work independently, conduct audits, and to coordinate, schedule, and direct others in complex initiatives. This position possesses a high level of discretion and authority.
Ability to project oneself in a positive, professional, sincere, and friendly manner. Must maintain appropriate professional business attire.
Excellent research, interpretive, writing, editing, proofreading, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with a strong attention to detail.
Must be able to organize and prioritize work, be proactive, take initiative, resolve complex problems, follow through, and simultaneously manage multiple priorities.
Must be flexible and innovative in a fast-paced, time-critical environment and can work independently with high attention to deadlines. Exercises considerable independence, judgment, and confidentiality.
Must maintain a valid driver’s license.
Must successfully pass the required criminal background check prior to employment and maintain this clearance throughout employment.
Required to have excellent presentation, verbal, and written communication skills. Ability to produce concise reports and recommendations, make presentations to varied groups, and articulate and inspire commitment to a shared vision.
Ability to respect and value the cultural richness that makes up the Church and society and strives to celebrate commonalities and differences among various groups.
Must be able to maintain confidential information, exercise good judgment, and work in a team environment.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, vendors, employees, and the general public.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Educational Leadership or related field preferred.
Current and valid Florida Department of Education certification or the ability to obtain; early learning director credential preferred.
Skilled in designing, developing, and implementing presentations and training programs.

Responsibilities

Visit schools and early learning centers to inform, advise, support, audit, and report on compliance and operational effectiveness.
Ensure compliance with FCC standards, Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) requirements, Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) regulations, and applicable state and federal programs.
Maintain awareness of regulatory changes and communicate updates to the Superintendent of Schools and affected sites.
Perform audits to ensure adherence to diocesan policies, accreditation standards, and government program requirements.
Provide written audit reports identifying required corrections and recommending remedial action in cases of gross or repeated non-compliance.
Provide leadership and oversight of diocesan early learning centers to ensure high-quality programming, regulatory compliance, and operational success.
Support, mentor, and train Early Learning Directors and school administrators to maintain excellence in compliance, instruction, health and safety, and family engagement.
Ensure all early learning sites maintain appropriate licensure, including DCF religious exemption status.
Conduct or oversee annual job performance evaluations of early learning directors, as assigned.
Review and assist educators in maintaining appropriate state certification and early learning credentials.
Verify that all faculty and staff have completed required background screenings, Protecting God’s Children requirements, and employment eligibility documentation (E‑Verify/I‑9).
Perform annual reviews of personnel files to ensure compliance with diocesan and regulatory standards.
Verify student medical records required by DCF and state regulations.
Ensure required non-discrimination statements, reporting statements, and credential disclosures are accurately maintained on school and center websites.
Collect, maintain, and analyze annual system-wide data, including enrollment, tuition, scholarship participation, FCC, and NCEA reporting.
Maintain accurate compliance tracking systems and databases.
Provide reports and data analysis to support decision-making by diocesan leadership.
Review and support early learning center budgets, including tuition and fee structures.
Assist schools and early learning centers with budgeting, financial planning, and sustainability efforts.
Plan and coordinate compliance-related training and professional development, including orientations and diocesan institutes.
Serve as a resource, advisor, trainer, and support specialist for school and early learning administrators.
Collaborate with the Superintendent and Director of Safe Environment to ensure alignment and continuous improvement of safe environment policies and practices.
Assist in maintaining the Office of the Superintendent’s website and communication resources.
Maintain a high degree of professionalism, credibility, and trust with school leaders, staff, clergy, and diocesan departments.
Perform other related duties as assigned by the Superintendent of Schools.