Director of Child Development

Position Summary

The Director of Child Development provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for LCDA’s child development programming, including quality assurance, licensing/compliance, staff supervision, enrollment growth, and strong operational and financial management. This role ensures the program delivers safe, high-quality early childhood services aligned with best practices, grant requirements, and LCDA’s mission.

Essential Job Duties

Program Leadership & Quality

• Lead the overall performance of Child Development Services, ensuring a high-quality, developmentally appropriate learning environment.
• Establish and monitor program goals, outcomes, and continuous quality improvement plans.
• Maintain strong family engagement practices and responsive customer service.

Compliance, Licensing & Accreditation

• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and requirements, including (as applicable) OKDHS licensing, STARS, Certified Healthy Oklahoma, NAEYC and other accreditation/renewals. 
• Maintain documentation, prepare for monitoring visits/audits, and lead corrective action plans when needed.
• Review and update Child Development policies and procedures at least annually and as regulations change. 

People Management & Culture

• Recruit, hire, onboard, train, evaluate, and coach staff to ensure strong performance and alignment with LCDA values. 
• Build schedules and staffing plans that meet ratios, licensing standards, and program needs.
• Promote a positive, accountable culture focused on safety, professionalism, and continuous learning.

Enrollment & Community Outreach

• Lead enrollment strategy and ongoing recruitment through outreach, partnerships, and community presence. 
• Track enrollment pipelines and retention; address barriers to enrollment with practical solutions.

Budget, Finance & Operations

• Develop and manage the annual program budget; monitor monthly budget reports, explain variances, and implement corrective actions. 
• Oversee appropriate financial processes (purchasing, invoices, reimbursements) in coordination with finance staff and LCDA policies. 
• Ensure effective operational systems for supplies, classroom materials, facility needs, and program reporting.

Grants, Fundraising & Partnerships

• Support grant development and grant management responsibilities tied to Child Development Services, including reporting, meetings with funders, and compliance. 
• Cultivate education and early childhood partnerships that strengthen services and expand capacity.

Data, Reporting & Administration

• Maintain accurate program records and timely reporting (internal dashboards and required external reports). 
• Participate in leadership meetings and contribute to agency-wide planning and initiatives.

Competency Statements: 

• Ability to provide leadership and oversight for Child Development Services by maintaining high-quality, developmentally appropriate programming and implementing continuous quality improvement practices. 
• Ability to ensure compliance with licensing, accreditation, and regulatory requirements through accurate documentation, monitoring preparation, policy updates, and implementation of corrective action plans. 
• Ability to recruit, supervise, train, and support staff while fostering a positive, accountable, and professional work culture aligned with organizational values and safety standards. 
• Ability to develop and manage staffing plans and operational systems that support licensing ratios, program efficiency, classroom needs, and overall service delivery. 
• Ability to build strong family engagement and community outreach strategies through effective communication, customer service, partnership development, and enrollment retention initiatives. 
• Ability to manage program budgets and financial operations by monitoring expenditures, analyzing budget variances, implementing corrective actions, and ensuring compliance with organizational financial procedures. 
• Ability to support grant management, fundraising efforts, and strategic partnerships by coordinating reporting requirements, maintaining funder relationships, and strengthening community collaborations. 
• Ability to maintain accurate records, data systems, and reporting processes while contributing to agency-wide planning, leadership initiatives, and organizational goals.

Supervisory Responsibility

This role supervises the Site Director position.  

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm.  Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with business needs.  Exempt employees must have the ability to be on-call and available, as business needs require, Evenings, Saturday or Sundays if necessary.

Required Minimum Job Qualifications, Experience, Education and Training 

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Education, Child Development, or related field (Master’s preferred). 

Experience: 

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in an early childhood setting, including significant leadership/supervisory responsibility. 
• Demonstrated experience with licensing/compliance and quality standards (DHS/STARS/NAEYC strongly preferred). 
• Budget management experience and comfort with financial reporting and variance explanations. 
• Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills in a community-based environment. 

Skills: 

• Bilingual/bicultural (Spanish/English) 
• Initiative to address and solve problems
• Completes documentation in a timely manner and maintain up to date documents
• Works well with others in a community setting