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
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Lead the overall performance of Child Development Services, ensuring a high-quality, developmentally appropriate learning environment.
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Establish and monitor program goals, outcomes, and continuous quality improvement plans.
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Maintain strong family engagement practices and responsive customer service.
Compliance, Licensing & Accreditation
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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.
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Review and update Child Development policies and procedures at least annually and as regulations change.
People Management & Culture
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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.
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Promote a positive, accountable culture focused on safety, professionalism, and continuous learning.
Enrollment & Community Outreach
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Completes documentation in a timely manner and maintain up to date documents
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Works well with others in a community setting
