Senior Director of Early Learning Centers

Nurtury • Jamaica Plain, MA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Nurtury Early Education envisions a world where, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, all children have the opportunity to learn, discover, and develop the skills that empower healthy development and lifelong learning. To meet this vision, Nurtury provides high-quality child care to give Greater Boston’s youngest children, birth to age five, the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development, and supporting families. A nonprofit that has been a leader in the early education sector for 145 years, Nurtury serves nearly 1,200 children in center-based programs and family child care settings. Over 95% of the families Nurtury serves are income-eligible for Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) through the state’s Department of Early Education & Care. Nurtury’s programs include: Center-based care, offering child care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in classroom settings at three licensed centers located in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Cambridge; Family child care, home-based, state-licensed programs which benefit families seeking a smaller and more intimate setting for the care of their children, with a network of 150 providers throughout Greater Boston, serving 75% of Nurtury families; The Family Partners program, which facilitates connections for Nurtury families to access wraparound services; and The Early Education Family Child Care Incubator, the first program of its kind in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the second in the nation, which provides shared workspace, resources, and on-the-job training for newly licensed entrepreneurs to launch their Family Child Care small businesses. Nurtury has played a leadership role in shaping the evolution of high-quality, accessible child care, helping to found the National Association of Nursery Educators in the 1920s (precursor to the current National Association for the Education of Young Children), advocating for the first fundamental Child Care Standards law in Massachusetts in the 1960s, and establishing the first child care Quality Assurance Department in the country in the 1990s. Nurtury’s current advocacy work includes efforts to expand public funding for early education, increase wage equity for the early education workforce, reduce barriers and increase sustainability for family child care small businesses, and improve access to affordable care for children and families, especially those from marginalized communities. The Senior Director of Early Learning Centers Opportunity Nurtury is seeking an experienced early childhood education leader to serve as the Senior Director of Early Learning Centers (Senior Director), leading consistent, high-quality early learning environments that support children, families, and staff. The Senior Director will provide comprehensive educational, operational, and supervisory oversight across all three Nurtury Early Learning Centers, ensuring overall program quality, safety, and excellence while keeping each center aligned with Nurtury’s mission and strategic priorities. This will include overseeing the implementation and monitoring of new initiatives and EEC requirements; establishing and upholding professional standards; and supporting staff development and training efforts to strengthen instructional and operational performance. The Senior Director will act as a key leader of Nurtury’s culture, engaging center-based staff around a shared vision for excellence, performance, accountability, and collaboration, and they will serve as the primary liaison between center-based and non-center-based teams. The Senior Director reports to the Vice President of Programs and serves as a member of Nurtury’s senior management team.

Requirements

• Extensive experience in early education and care, with at least 10 years of related experience and proven skill in early care and education management, policies, and administration; experience in large and/or multi-site programs highly preferred.
• Certified as an EEC Director II.
• Passionate about Nurtury’s mission to provide high-quality child care.
• Lead with a positive, collaborative style and can inspire, motivate, and engage others to reach shared goals and objectives.
• Strong track record of success in supervising staff, developing staff capacity, and addressing employee relations and performance management needs.
• Demonstrate integrity, sound judgment, and a strong sense of responsibility.
• A problem-solver and able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities.
• An open and positive communication style, ensuring effective and clear communication across all levels of an organization.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office, internet, and email.

Nice To Haves

• A Bachelor’s degree is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an early childhood development leader and in-house expert on curriculum, EEC licensing requirements, instructional practice, and quality standards, providing strategic guidance on early education program design, classroom environments, and overall center operations to ensure excellence and compliance across all sites.
• Directly manage and supervise the Assistant Director of Early Learning Centers and Program Directors across multiple centers, providing mentoring, support, and accountability on staff leadership and management.
• Coordinate center activities, partnering with leaders and staff at all levels of Nurtury to ensure alignment and collaboration.
• Model a positive and open style of leadership and communication, developing and maintaining effective communications across all levels of the Nurtury team.
• Serve on the senior management team, participating in strategic and operational planning and organizational policy development.
• Recommend, develop, and implement guidelines to ensure compliance with funding, government regulations, grants, and alignment with Nurtury’s mission.
• Oversee the preparation of all program budgets and authorize expenditures within budget limits.
• Attend Board meetings and selected committees as required, providing information, reports, and recommendations.
• Represent Nurtury’s positions with external audiences, including Nurtury’s program communities and other early care and education and human services organizations, facilitating internal learning and development based on external feedback and trends.
• Interpret current state and federal regulations into proposals for new service delivery concepts and submit required periodic reports on program status to funding and regulatory agencies.
• Manage licensing and monitor documentation and evaluation according to Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards.

Benefits

• health, dental, vision insurance
• flexible health and dependent care savings accounts
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• a 50% child care discount in Nurtury’s programs
• life and long-term disability insurance
• a generous vacation, holiday, and sick time policy with additional personal and professional days

What This Job Offers

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