Founding School Director (Center Director)-New Early Childhood School Opening/ Celebree School of South Tampa

Celebree School of South Tampa•Tampa, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

With Competitive Salary . We are seeking an energetic, proactive, organized, and hands-on School Director who thrives in a start-up environment and has the initiative to build a school from the ground up. A School Director who can lead operations, staff, and enrollment in our Welcome Center pre-opening and launch phase. The Director will oversee licensing compliance, staff recruitment, parent relationships, and enrollment growth. This role requires a leader who is proactive, organized, has initiative and highly accountable. Someone who does not wait to be told what to do, but instead identifies needs and executes solutions. The right candidate is comfortable making decisions, solving problems independently, and communicating effectively with families, staff and owners. The ideal candidate is a builder, recruiter, culture-creator and enrollment driver Celebree School of South Tampa is a premier/ high quality early childhood education center serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. We are part of the nationally recognized School franchise, guided by the philosophy: Protect, Educate, and Nurture. Providing a safe, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environment where children grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Our state-of-the-art school campus is currently under construction, and we are actively enrolling families through our Welcome Center located at Westshore Plaza mall. This is a unique opportunity to join a founding leadership team and help open a brand-new school from the ground up in one of Tampa's most desirable communities. We are not simply hiring someone to maintain a center. We are seeking a leader who wants to build one. We are not just opening a childcare center, we are building a community for families.

Requirements

Director credential (Florida ChildCare Center Director Credential)
Minimum of 3 years experience in a licensed childcare center.
Minimum 2 years in a leadership role (Assistant Director or Director)
Strong knowledge of Florida DCF ChildCare Licensing and ratios
Experience supervising staff and managing parent relationships
Excellent communication and organizational skills

Nice To Haves

Experience opening a new school or expanding enrollment
VPK experience and readiness
Experience conducting tours and closing enrollments
Experience and familiarity with DayCareWorks or Procare, CRM/Lineleader childcare management software
Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or related field

Responsibilities

Oversee daily operations of the school in accordance with Florida DCF licensing standards
Ensure compliance with all state regulations, health & safety procedures, and Celebree brand standards
Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and classroom routines
Create a positive, professional, and accountable workplace culture
Coach and mentor teachers through classroom observations and performance feedback
Manage staff schedules, ratios, and classroom coverage
Conduct tours and convert prospective families into enrollments
Actively promote the school in the community (events, partnerships, local businesses, elementary schools, pediatricians)
Build relationships with families and ensure high parent satisfaction
Lead enrollment growth efforts from Welcome Center through school opening
Recruit, hire, train, and onboard teachers and assistant teachers
Conduct performance evaluations and implement improvement plans when needed
Maintain staff files, background screening compliance, and credential verification
Promote team accountability and professionalism
Maintain DCF licensing compliance and readiness for inspections
Oversee VPK readiness and documentation
Manage incident reports, health records, and child files
Coordinate with corporate Celebree support and ownership
Track enrollment, attendance, and operational reports