Overview

Launch is dedicated to ensuring a brilliant start for all children. Through our preschool, after school and summer programs, we provide equitable access to the highest-quality learning and care in a safe, enriching environment that prepares children for success in school and life. Our programs serve a diverse group of over 900 children ages 3-12 and are located on-site in 9 Seattle public schools and 4 community centers. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience, we serve as a proven model of effective programming and a passionate advocate for children, families and communities. Launch strives to live an anti-racist, inclusive existence, and welcomes diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives.

The Regional Program Director provides strategic leadership to multiple sites in the achievement of Launch’s goals for staff and family satisfaction, quality programming, and financial success. The Regional Program Director ensures their programs exceed state and local licensing and health and safety standards while incorporating our mission, goals, values, philosophies, policies and practices. This position reports to the Senior Director of Programs and supervises the Program Site Managers for their respective sites as well as all regionally assigned teachers.

Essential Job Functions

• Supports a system-wide understanding of positive behavior and intervention support services.
• Promotes a safe, calm and secure environment with supportive care and family-driven serves that are trauma specific and promote social emotional wellness.
• Attend state and city annual and unannounced licensing visits.
• Prepare in collaboration with Program Site Managers the annual alignment agreement.
• Attend monthly meetings with school or community center administration with the Program Site Manager to build on going community partnerships.
• Facilitate weekly regional meetings with the team of Program Site Managers supervised.
• Attend monthly Regional Director Meetings with the Program Services Department.
• Support Program Site Managers with employee concerns or site concerns, and recommend courses of action to resolve issues.
• Coordinate with Program Site Managers and Human Resources to facilitate and deliver quality training opportunities for staff.[BD1] 
• Coordinate with the Early Learning and Expanded Learning Opportunities Director to provide guidance in program needs with children and families.
• Work with community partners to deliver high quality programming services to families that meet program compliance.
• Attend monthly evening school or community meetings and events, periodic hosting information tables at job, enrollment, or marketing events, and participate in other activities by representing the organization.
• Ensure that staff is working with families to develop developmental goals for their children by reviewing lesson plans, newsletters, and observation/assessment data prior to it being disseminated to families.
• Support Program Site Managers with understanding and managing center financial expectations.
• Provide leadership, technical assistance, training, monitoring and reflective supervision with Program Site Managers to ensure compliance with performance standards, policies and procedures and contract deliverables for program staff team.
• Support Program Site Managers in writing/conducting performance evaluations for program staff.
• Prepare reports, document work and meet all reporting deadlines. 
• Attend leadership meetings and operations meetings and provide progress reports as requested.

Qualifications

Minimum Education, Experience & Training Equivalent 

• A 4-year degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or a related field, which can include Youth Recreation/Development, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Psychology, Social Work with an emphasis in Human Development or other degrees as appropriate 
• 5 (Five) years’ full-time experience working with children and/or youth

OR

• A Master’s degree in these areas and 3 (three) years’ of full-time experience working with children.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Previous experience as a preschool and/or after-school educator.
• The ability to lead staff in implementing a developmentally appropriate curriculum. 
• The ability to problem-solve, think strategically, and handle sensitive information and difficult situations tactfully and confidentially. 
• The ability to exhibit cultural humility when working with staff and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. 
• A strong understanding of HighScope and Youth Program Quality Initiative.
• Strong critical thinking skills, decisive judgement and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• The ability to collaborate with on-site educators, colleagues, community partners and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality, on-site programs.
• The ability to lead by example and routinely demonstrate behavior consistent with Launch’s values, or children, families, employees and mission. 
• The ability to communicate effectively, professionally and empathetically in both written and verbal formats. 
• The ability to work effectively in a normal office environment; physical requirements include normal walking, sitting, bending, twisting, standing and reaching activities and the ability to regularly lift items weighing up to 25 lbs. 
• The ability and willingness to travel to other Launch worksites as needed. 
• Strong organizational skills, demonstrated by (but not limited to) a safe, clean and effectively managed worksite and compliance with Launch’s confidentiality policy regarding child, family and employee information. 
• Proficiency with appropriate software, including MS Office and Procare. 
• Demonstrate an eagerness to learn and enhance skills that promote Equity and Inclusion.

Condition of Employment

• Ability to obtain and maintain criminal record clearance
• TB Clearance
• Food Worker Card
• First Aid/CPR
• Blood Borne Pathogens/HIV training
• Mandated Reported Training
• MMR Vaccination Record
• Must attend any required training

After Hire

• Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families Trainings
  • Medication Management
  • Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
  • Families Experiencing Homelessness
  • Abusive Head Trauma

Within Three Months of Hire

• STARS training credentials, or ability to become certified 

The statement contained in this job description reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of the job. It should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas as deemed fit for the organization.