Early Childhood Center Director

The Learning Experience•Rohnert Park, CA

20h•Onsite

About The Position

The Center Director leads the team in creating a nurturing, fun, and educational environment while advancing The Learning Experience’s mission to positively impact children, families, and communities. The Director is responsible for the center’s business outcomes and for ensuring that front-of-house and back-of-house operations meet high standards. This includes meeting enrollment and profitability goals, maintaining a high-quality team, and upholding brand standards. The role oversees people, enrollment, profitability, and center standards and quality. The Director recruits and retains staff, supports onboarding and development, monitors enrollment and financial performance, maintains licensing and health-and-safety compliance, and ensures the center is organized, safe, clean, and ready for tours. The position is based on-site in Rohnert Park, California, and is full-time. Compensation is $75,000–$85,000 annually, plus a performance bonus.

Requirements

High school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
At least one year of center management or people leadership experience.
At least 21 years of age.
Strong knowledge of state licensing rules and regulations.
Must meet applicable background screening or state licensing requirements for the role.

Nice To Haves

Two or more years of center management or people leadership experience is highly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Meet or exceed school-level KPIs, including utilization, student retention, staff turnover, payroll percentage, and lead-to-tour conversion.
Prioritize recruiting, respond to applicants within one business day, and use Career Plug and the hiring and onboarding process effectively.
Ensure the center is fully staffed with well-trained teachers and use the teacher onboarding process, tools, and milestone celebrations outlined in the SOP.
Maintain a high-quality teaching team that demonstrates professionalism and upholds brand standards, including dress code, quality interactions, and classroom environment.
Lead by example and foster an enthusiastic center atmosphere and employee engagement.
Conduct and document monthly staff development meetings using provided TLE content, including communication, team building, and training opportunities.
Ensure employee annual performance reviews are conducted, submitted on time, filed, and uploaded into Paylocity.
Use available resources, seek support as needed, and apply strategic thinking to problem-solving.
Prioritize employee retention, make efforts to retain employees where appropriate, and keep turnover below the stated targets for hourly and salaried employees.
Hold the team accountable through clear instruction, constructive feedback, and timely action on poor performance.
Promptly address and resolve parent and staff concerns at the center level.
Execute an ongoing formal marketing plan focused on enrollment and retention; prioritize lead tracking and lead-to-start conversion.
Meet or exceed the center’s active enrollment budget and accurately forecast new starts and drops using available systems and tools.
Conduct competitive shops at least twice per year and use findings to remain competitive.
Regularly post engaging photos and captions on social media, secure positive customer reviews monthly, and support family retention.
Implement brand initiatives in a quality and meaningful way.
Ensure the center meets its EBITDA profit margin budget, understand current budget goals, and analyze monthly P&L statements to investigate expenses and profit margin.
Maintain accurate family and agency billing, escalate billing errors or financial inquiries, collect tuition by due dates, and manage tuition discounts.
Uphold health and safety procedures and comply with local and state licensing regulations.
Prioritize supervision practices and center-wide compliance concerning medical conditions, allergies, dietary restrictions, medications, and accommodation requests.
Maintain a safe, organized, tour-ready, clutter-free, and clean physical environment.
Keep student and staff files organized, secured, and compliant with TLE and state licensing requirements; maintain accurate required records.
Stay current with and follow state mandates, labor laws, health regulations, fire code, and TLE policies.
Manage and replenish center inventory within budget.
Prepare and process payroll accurately and on time.
Use required software and web platforms, as well as TLE processes and systems, to support operational efficiency.
Take initiative, work autonomously, meet deadlines, respond promptly, and exercise sound judgment in managing people, customers, and business operations.