Principal Responsibilities:
The YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood seeks a visionary educator to become the Director of Early Childhood Education who will build upon our high quality and success. The Director will possess creativity, energy, passion, and strong management skills to actively promote a comfortable and nurturing environment where every child, teacher, and family is treated with dignity and respect in a friendly, personalized manner. The Director is responsible for programs that include the nursery school and New York City-funded pre-K.3, which adheres to the city's curriculum requirements and guidelines.
Our Early Childhood Programs provide developmentally appropriate opportunities for children to socialize and learn together. Our primary objective is to foster each child's social, emotional, JOB DESCRIPTION 2 physical, and cognitive growth. Our child-centered curriculum is built upon observing and understanding each child's skill and interest level and basing the curriculum on those observations. We encourage curiosity and enthusiasm through exploration and discovery. Our nurturing atmosphere allows for developing self-confidence, self-respect, and concern for others. Additionally, through play, children learn the values of friendship, honesty, sharing responsibility, and cooperation. We strive to prepare children with the knowledge and skills necessary to enter their next stage of development and education with confidence and enthusiasm for learning.
As part of our commitment to Jewish life, we infuse our program with the essence of Jewish heritage. We embrace the diversity of traditions, stories, and celebrations, fostering a deep connection to identity and culture. Through experiential learning, we aim to kindle a love for Jewish values, history, and rituals that will accompany these young learners on their journey forward.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES- PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

• Lead and direct the design and implementation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum and learning environment while incorporating best practices, current research, and Jewish values for birth through second grade.
• Partner with staff and faculty on learning about current curriculum beliefs and practices, creating classroom environments, classroom expectations and accountability, and developmentally appropriate learning goals, guidelines, and assessments.
• Promote a nurturing and engaging program and atmosphere that reflects respect and compassion for all children, families, staff, and faculty.
• Invite parents, volunteer leaders, and other interested groups to participate and communicate to promote program success and effectiveness.
• Utilize expertise in child development to coordinate staff, teachers, parents, and, if necessary, diagnostic professionals to respond to specific and individual student needs.
• Support the camp director to embed early childhood programs during months when the camp is in session.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES- STAFF SUPERVISION AND DEVELOPMENT

• Execute all aspects of personnel management, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, supervising, work planning, evaluating, and discipline.
• Plan and implement staff and faculty orientation and regular meetings.
• Serve as a mentor to staff and teachers, and actively facilitate professional development by creating opportunities for staff to learn in formal and informal settings; professional development opportunities should be by New York State and New York City standards as well as each staff member's professional interests and goals.
• Ensure staff and faculty are informed, involved, and integrated in developing and implementing program outcomes and objectives, as well as individual goals and objectives.
• Leverage the strengths of others to develop an effective team while inspiring and fostering camaraderie, collegiality, and teamwork.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES- RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARENTS AND FAMILIES

• Form warm and caring relationships with children and their parents and caregivers that honor the importance of all individuals in the community.
• Effectively communicate our programs and the Y's mission, vision, and goals to parents and families.
• Act as a resource for consultation and guidance regarding parenting, child development, and education.
• Communicate with parents regarding their child's progress, developmental or behavioral concerns, or class placements, as necessary.
• Assist and guide children and families with holiday celebrations and Jewish values education.
• Provide tours to new families, representing the vision, goals, and uniqueness of the school and the Y.
• Exhibit respectful, fair, honest, supportive, and positive behaviors in all interactions with parents and families, including welcoming people into early childhood programming and accepting and appreciating diversity among all community members.
• Plan expansion of early childhood program to additional locations, which will require site licensing and organizational planning.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with marketing staff to provide effective marketing and outreach to introduce the school to the community continually, attract new families/encourage enrollment in the Y's school and programs, including creating opportunities for Early Childhood Center staff, faculty, and volunteers to be visible in the community.
• Oversee the physical environment of all programs, including classroom and other space configurations and choices related to all furniture, supplies, and materials.
• Lead, manage, implement, and monitor long and short-term strategic plans, including specific outcomes for program performance, enhancement, growth, and reporting.
• Design and manage the administrative support systems that ensure the curriculum and all programs align with the center's vision.
• Develop, implement, and monitor annual program budgets through effective financial management and planning, including grants and fundraising efforts to enhance the program and facilities.
• Develop program fee structures consistent with the program value, educational market, and competitor school offerings.
• Maintain program compliance with New York City Department of Health licensing to ensure the health and safety of all children, and seek and receive annual certification from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
• Work collaboratively with other internal departments and community organizations to allow for the continuity of Jewish life of the families and children and to encourage retention of their connection to the Y.
• Supervise and review the implementation of the New York City Department of Education and thematic-based curriculum via documented classroom observations.
• Act as a liaison between the site's appointed New York City Department of Education Instructional Coordinator and the faculty, ensuring all goals are met.
• Assist teachers in implementing family communication and classroom assessment systems (i.e., Google Classroom, Zoom, Tadpoles, and Teaching Strategies Gold).

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• $105,000 to $115,000 per year.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and competitive benefits package: Health Insurance; Retirement Plan, Optional 403b Plan, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Account, Commuter Benefit Plan, and Y Fitness Center Membership.

POSITION TYPE / EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

• Full-time position, FLSA Exempt
• Monday - Friday, with room for flexibility.
• Occasional late evenings or weekends to represent the Y at school fairs, community events, and special events.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other functions and responsibilities may change or may be assigned.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
YM&YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law
Minimum Qualifications:
QUALIFICATIONS

• M.A. in Early Childhood Education and a State Department of Education teacher certification in Early Childhood Education (B-2) or (N, K, Grades 1-6).
• Minimum of two years of teaching experience (additional years preferred) in an Early Childhood Program and five years of supervisory experience in a comparable setting.
• Complies with all Agency, State, City, and Federal regulations for a person working in an Early Childhood setting.
• Highly knowledgeable in working with Google Suite and New York City Department of Education computer systems.
• RTE certification preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Able to travel between classrooms and sites if applicable.
• Able to sit for periods and walk, take stairs, or use an elevator to frequent observations of eight classrooms, particularly during transitions from one location to another, such as a playground, gym, auditorium, and other areas.

WORK AUTHORIZATION & CLEARANCE

• Documentation of U.S. citizenship or eligibility to work in the U.S.

Salary:
$105,000 to $115,000
Agency Information:
Established in 1917 as one of the first Jewish community centers in New York City, the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood (the Y) is a thriving and visionary not-for-profit human services organization in Northern Manhattan. We welcome people of diverse ethnicities and all ages, from pre-school to older adults, into the Y family with a wide range of educational, recreational and social services and programs that focus on improving the quality of their lives. With a long and distinguished history, the Y is a multi-service community center that is well known for its nurturing environment and non-judgmental philosophy.