About Us
Zion Covenant Preschool is a well-established early childhood education program dedicated to providing a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment where children can thrive socially, emotionally, physically, and academically. We are seeking an experienced, organized, and passionate Preschool Director to lead our program, supervise staff, ensure regulatory compliance, and foster strong relationships with families and the community.
Position Summary
The Preschool Director partners with the church as the lead administrator of Zion Covenant Preschool. The Director supervises the Preschool staff, design program plans, oversees daily operations and prepares the budget. The Director ensures the school meets any state standards and is responsible for all aspects of the school’s programming, as well as all issues arising with the staff, students and families.
The successful candidate will be a collaborative leader with exceptional communication skills, sound judgment, and a thorough understanding of New York State child care regulations and best practices in early childhood education. The Preschool Director reports and is responsible to the Zion Covenant Preschool Board and the Senior Pastor of the church.
Responsibilities
- Oversees the daily activities of students, teachers, assistants, and volunteers; serves as substitute teacher as needed; and maintains on-site work hours for the extent of the standard school day as an available and supervisory presence to both staff and parents.
- Manages and publishes the school calendar in association with the Southwestern Central School District (SWCS) and the church calendar; institutes special events that reinforce and enhance child development, as well as parental and church connection.
- Maintains all the required forms and updated documentation of students, including contact information, health records and medical treatment requirements; schedules annual student screenings, arranges services for students from other agencies as needed.
- Develops and implements all safety and security procedures for students, including but not limited to, secure check-in/check-out procedures, regular evacuation procedures and fire-drills, CPR training of staff; prepared to immediately report any case of suspected child abuse to NYS Department of Social Services.
- Ensures compliance with New York State (NYS) licensing and accreditation, health, and safety regulations; facilitates the educational goals of the preschool as dictated by the state standards and/or best practices in the child development field; maintains communication with SWCS personnel as needed.
- Recruits, orients, supervises, and retains teachers, assistants, and substitutes; conducts regular assessment of all staff, including ongoing expectations and year-end performance reviews; provides staff development and training opportunities; participates in local and state NYAEYC programs, trainings, and conferences when possible; creates and maintains professional networking relationships with local program directors.
- Supervises all matters related to personnel, including any payroll and hourly rates, scheduling, documentation, work habits and expectations as dictated in the church employee handbook.
- Creates and manages all aspects of the Preschool budget, in association with the Church Business Manager; initiates yearly fundraisers; researches available grants and makes application as appropriate.
- Receipts, tracks and documents all incoming funds, including tuition, Department of Social Services (DSS) payments, SWCS payments, and fundraising monies; submits weekly deposits and records to the Church Business Manager; and processes requests for benevolence.
- Authorizes purchase of instructional supplies, art supplies, and teaching aids; supervises maintenance and cleaning of instructional spaces, playground, and equipment in association with church maintenance and properties’ leaders
- Initiates yearly development and updating of the Preschool’s handbook; administers policies with fairness and integrity as needed,
- Communicated regularly with parents verbally, through social media, and print materials; helps create avenues for parental involvement and connection; publicizes upcoming Preschool events in a timely manner; conducts parent surveys annually and evaluation.
- Coordinates yearly enrollment process and marketing efforts, including website, social media, print materials, emails, etc.; conducts tours for prospective students as needed all year round.
- Serves as a member of the Preschool Board and provides a written Director’s report at scheduled monthly meetings; provides a ‘State-of-the-School Report’ for the church’s annual report; attends services of Zion Covenant Church often (if not a member/regular attender); and participates in weekly church staff meetings.
Qualifications
Required
- Meet New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) qualifications for Preschool Director/Program Director.
- Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, or a closely related field.
- Minimum of three years of supervisory or leadership experience in an early childhood education setting.
- Thorough knowledge of New York State child care licensing regulations.
- Strong leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic administrative software.
- Current CPR and First Aid certification (or ability to obtain upon hire).
- Successful completion of all required background checks.
- Professes a strong, Christian faith, is actively attending a church and upholds the school as an outreach ministry of Zion Covenant Church.
- Demonstrates spiritual maturity in leadership toward maintaining a learning, loving, nurturing environment that is safe and reflective of Christian values.
- Respects and promotes the unique identity of each student and family, with the ability to relate across
- varied spiritual, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
Preferred
- Master's degree in Education, Educational Leadership, or related field.
- Five or more years of preschool leadership experience.
- Experience with accreditation standards.
- Experience managing budgets and enrollment.
- Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is:
- Passionate about early childhood education.
- A confident and supportive leader.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented.
- Calm under pressure and able to make sound decisions.
- Committed to regulatory compliance and continuous quality improvement.
- Skilled at building trusting relationships with families and staff.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to supervise children indoors and outdoors.
- Ability to lift up to 40 pounds when necessary.
- Ability to bend, kneel, sit on the floor, and actively participate in children's activities.
- Ability to respond quickly during emergencies.
Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Health insurance
- Paid vacation and sick leave
- Professional development opportunities
- Supportive work environment
Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
