Child Care Center Director
Lewis & Clark Child Care | Washougal, WA
Lead a Team. Build a Culture. Change Children's Lives.
At Lewis & Clark Child Care, we believe exceptional child care changes families, communities, and future generations.
Our mission is simple:
We deliver trusted child care that inspires creativity and builds strong learning foundations.
Our vision is to empower children to thrive in their families, schools, and beyond through the collaboration of passionate, professionally trained early childhood educators.
We're looking for a leader who believes people are the greatest asset of any organization. Someone who loves developing teams, creating accountability, solving problems, and building systems that allow both children and staff to thrive.
This is more than managing a child care center—it's an opportunity to build something extraordinary.
About the Role
As Center Director, you'll oversee every aspect of our licensed child care center while creating a culture built on trust, accountability, excellence, and continuous improvement.
You'll lead teachers, mentor future leaders, partner with families, and ensure every child receives exceptional care in a safe, engaging learning environment. You'll work closely with ownership to strengthen operations, develop people, and continually elevate the quality of our program.
Responsibilities
Leadership
- Inspire, coach, and develop a high-performing team of educators. Foster a positive, accountable culture built on teamwork, professionalism, and respect. Recruit, hire, onboard, and retain exceptional staff. Conduct performance evaluations, coaching sessions, and professional development planning. Address challenges proactively while recognizing and celebrating team successes.
Operations
- Oversee all day-to-day center operations. Ensure full compliance with Washington State DCYF licensing requirements. Maintain outstanding health, safety, and risk management standards. Manage enrollment, staffing schedules, classroom ratios, and center performance. Maintain accurate records, licensing documentation, attendance, incident reports, and administrative systems.
Educational Excellence
- Support engaging, developmentally appropriate curriculum that fosters creativity, confidence, and curiosity. Lead a culture of continuous quality improvement aligned with Washington's Early Achievers framework and early childhood best practices. Coach and mentor teachers to continually strengthen classroom quality, instructional practices, and child outcomes. Monitor classroom environments to ensure children receive exceptional care and meaningful learning experiences.
Family Experience
- Build trusting relationships with families through open, professional communication. Partner with parents to support each child's unique developmental needs. Address parent concerns promptly, professionally, and compassionately. Create an environment where every family feels welcomed, respected, and valued.
Business Leadership
- Manage budgets and labor efficiently while maintaining exceptional program quality. Monitor enrollment and occupancy goals. Improve systems, processes, and operational efficiency. Use data, reporting, and measurable goals to drive continual improvement. Participate in strategic planning to support the long-term success of the organization.
Our Core Values
We don't simply display these values—we hire, coach, and lead by them every day.
Trust First
We build trust with families, children, and one another through reliability, transparency, and consistency.
Creative Thinking Every Day
We encourage creativity, innovation, and continuous improvement in our classrooms and throughout our organization.
Foundations Matter
Strong early learning experiences create confident, capable learners who are prepared for lifelong success.
Elevate Through Excellence
We pursue excellence through professionalism, accountability, continuous learning, and intentional leadership.
Teamwork Is Our Superpower
We believe the best results come from collaboration, mutual respect, and shared purpose.
Qualifications
- Qualified to serve as a Washington State Child Care Center Director (or able to meet Director qualifications). Experience leading a licensed child care center or early learning program. Passion for early childhood education and child development. Proven leadership experience developing and coaching high-performing teams. Knowledge of Washington State licensing regulations and compliance standards. Familiarity with Washington Early Achievers or other Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) preferred. Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills. Experience managing budgets, staffing, enrollment, and operational performance. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Brightwheel is a plus.
What Success Looks Like
The ideal candidate:
- Leads with integrity and humility. Builds trust quickly. Creates systems instead of solving the same problems repeatedly. Coaches people to become better leaders. Embraces accountability while supporting their team. Is calm under pressure and confident in decision-making. Continuously seeks opportunities to improve. Takes ownership and treats the center as if it were their own.
Why Lewis & Clark Child Care?
We're building more than a child care center—we're building one of Southwest Washington's premier early learning organizations.
Our team is committed to investing in people, developing leaders, embracing innovation, and continually raising the standard for early childhood education. We believe that when our team members grow, our children, families, and community benefit.
If you're looking for an opportunity where your leadership truly matters and where you can make a lasting impact on children, families, and educators, we'd love to meet you.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Work Location: In person
