POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Director, Child Development Center
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 2546
GRADE 46
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Department Head, Childhood Education and Family Studies
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Director of the Child Development Center manages the operation of the Child Development Center and supervises the Infant-Toddler and Preschool Programs of the Child Development Center. The Director establishes and maintains a balanced, approved operating budget, establishes and monitors fee collection, projects staffing needs, and maintains enrollment of children in the programs. The Director recruits, hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates staff, supervises college students in the Child Development Center, serves as liaison for the advisory council, and serves as the director of record for licensing. The Director works with families and faculty to create a “best practices” environment, ensures compliance with licensing regulations, monitors dietary requirements and safety standards, and maintains quality and a developmentally appropriate curriculum.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Child Development or a related field is required. A Master’s degree in Child Development or a related field is preferred, with at least one of the degrees in Child Development or Early Childhood Education. An equivalent combination of years of experience and education may be considered for substitution of educational requirements.
Experience: Work experience, which includes supervision of staff and management of budgets in a child development center, is required. Experience working with children from birth through preschool is preferred. Experience successfully managing a child development center in an academic environment is preferred.
Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. Financial management skills and skills in word processing and spreadsheet applications are required. Must be able to obtain and maintain current Infant-Child CPR and First Aid certifications. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required. A record of inclusive conduct and evidence of multicultural skills in the workplace is preferred.
Other: Must be able to lift 50 pounds and possess physical mobility to bend, stoop, and crawl, and communicate sufficiently to interact with staff and children from infant to preschool in the daily activities of the Center.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Ensures that students enrolled in Child and Family Development courses have access to laboratory experience with the children in the Child Development Center by actively maintaining a quality and developmentally appropriate curriculum in the Child Development Center and assuring that children enrolled in the laboratory are within age limits of the program, leaving the laboratory within 30 days of exceeding the age limit.
2. Develops a competent and effective staff by recruiting and selecting qualified staff, supervising staff and students, providing orientation, training and monthly updates on center, department and University policies and operations, assigning areas of responsibility based on expertise and qualifications, evaluating work performance, and maintaining detailed records of all personnel-related issues.
3. Ensures continued operation of the Child Development Center by providing financial management of the Center including establishing an approved budget and fees, monitoring fee collection, keeping families apprised of account status (including dismissing children from the center whenever fee payments are in arrears), managing expenditures within budget constraints, and possibly seeking grant opportunities and collaborating on grant proposals.
4. Develops and maintains positive relations with members of the University community, families, partners in the greater community, and related public agencies by maintaining a quality child care center, coordinating an advisory council that represents the constituencies of the center, accurately communicating feedback from these constituencies to the department head in a timely manner, and communicating with Child Development Center parents on a monthly basis.
5. Assures compliance with local and state rules and regulations by taking responsibility for licensing compliance as director of record for the Center, working with appropriate licensing and child care regulators, including compliance with the sanitation and the Child Care Reimbursement Program regulations, responding promptly to any changes needed, reporting the results of all evaluation visits to the department head immediately, and maintaining detailed records on all regulatory assessments and responses.
6. Provides specific leadership and management of the Infant-Toddler and/or Preschool programs as needed.
7. Attends regular academic department and program meetings as the representative of the Child Development Center.
8. May teach one course each semester during the academic year in the Child and Family Development Program.
9. Facilitates a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
10. Maintains competency and professional development through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, and attendance to professional development courses and/or training courses.
11. Helps to assure the success of the Child Development Center by performing all other essential duties as assigned.
SUPERVISION
The Director of the Child Development Center is supervised by the Head of the Department of Early Childhood and Family Studies and supervises staff and students.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVISED JULY 2022