Head Start Early Childhood Site Supervisor

Neighborhood House • Portland, OR

7d

About The Position

The Early Childhood Site Supervisor provides both operational and people leadership, overseeing site-level program implementation across education, health, nutrition, family engagement, and community partnerships. This role ensures compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards and state licensing requirements while cultivating a positive, inclusive, and trauma-informed workplace culture. The Site Supervisor directly supervises classroom staff, supports continuous quality improvement, and serves as a primary liaison with families and community partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field (with required ECE credits).
• Minimum of 4 years’ experience teaching children under age five as a lead teacher.
• At least 1 year of supervisory experience.
• Oregon Registry Step 10 or higher (or equivalent).
• Strong knowledge of early childhood best practices, Head Start standards, staff supervision, and site operations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Nice To Haves

• Head Start experience preferred.
• Experience with Child Plus and research-based child assessment tools.
• Direct experience working with parents and families.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all daily site operations for Head Start and/or Early Head Start classrooms, ensuring consistent implementation of program policies, procedures, and performance standards.
• Ensure classrooms operate in alignment with curriculum requirements, school readiness goals, lesson planning expectations, and assessment protocols.
• Monitor classroom schedules, attendance, ratios, and coverage; partner with Family Services staff to address attendance concerns and follow up on chronic absences.
• Maintain ongoing readiness for licensing reviews, monitoring visits, and audits, including required documentation, corrective actions, and follow-up activities.
• Coordinate on-site services provided by mental health, inclusion, and other specialists, ensuring staff support service delivery and documentation requirements.
• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance evaluation for approximately 12–15 classroom staff, including teachers, assistant teachers, and classroom aides.
• Conduct regular observations and hold monthly one-on-one meetings to provide feedback, address challenges, set goals, and support professional growth.
• Support staff accountability by setting clear expectations, addressing performance concerns, and implementing performance improvement plans as needed.
• Promote staff engagement, retention, and well-being by modeling inclusive leadership, professionalism, and effective communication.
• Screen, interview, and recommend candidates for hire; lead onboarding and orientation for new staff in collaboration with the Programs Manager.
• Oversee onboarding, daily supervision, and scheduling, ensuring positive volunteer experiences and adherence to program expectations.
• Ensure the site, classrooms, and common areas are safe, clean, developmentally appropriate, and reflective of children’s cultures, languages, and identities.
• Coordinate facility maintenance, repairs, janitorial services, and safety concerns in collaboration with the Programs Manager.
• Manage site inventory and supplies, including classroom, health, office, and janitorial materials; maintain accurate purchasing and inventory records.
• Ensure daily meal counts are accurately recorded and submitted in compliance with USDA, CACFP, and program requirements.
• Support emergency preparedness, health and safety protocols, and regulatory compliance at the site level.
• Build and maintain strong, respectful relationships with families, serving as a point of contact for site-level questions or concerns.
• Partner with staff to promote family engagement, participation, and strong home-school connections.
• Represent the site at family events and select community activities, strengthening partnerships that support children and families.
• Serve as an active member of the agency’s leadership structure, supporting two-way communication between management and frontline staff.
• Use data, observation, and feedback to identify trends, address issues, and support continuous quality improvement efforts.
• Collaborate across program components to ensure coordinated, holistic services for children and families.
• Model equity-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive leadership in all aspects of the role.

Benefits

• 26 days of PTO (increases with tenure) per year
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Kaiser health, vision, and dental insurance with low employee premiums
• 403b retirement plan
• Company-paid life insurance. Voluntary life, long-term disability, accident, and critical illness insurance.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free counseling

What This Job Offers

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