Preschool Director

Position: Preschool Director

Reports To: Executive Director & Board of Trustees

Location: Metairie, LA (On-Site)

Position Overview

The Preschool Director will serve as the strategic and operational heart of our early childhood community. You will steward the daily experience of children, families, and staff while upholding the highest standards of early childhood education, state licensing requirements, and organizational excellence. This position requires a leader who can balance regulatory oversight with warm relationship building, ensuring that our school remains a place of joy, safety, and deep learning.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Program Management

• Operational Excellence: Oversee all daily operations of a Type III early learning center year-round, including the Summer Camp program, ensuring strict alignment with state regulations.
• Behavioral Support: Serve as the primary support for teachers regarding student behavioral challenges, maintaining a consistent and developmentally appropriate discipline policy.
• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and support a diverse team of teachers, supervisors, and administrative staff.
• Culture Building: Foster a collaborative, inclusive, high-trust culture that prioritizes children’s safety, emotional well-being, and Jewish values.
• Curriculum Implementation: Oversee the fidelity of Tier-1 curricula including Frog Street, Creative Curriculum, Learning Without Tears, and Zoo-phonics.

Regulatory Compliance 

• Director of Record: Serve as the primary Director of Record for Louisiana Bulletin 137 compliance.
• Documentation: Maintain impeccable licensing documentation, staff files, training records, incident reports, and regulatory submissions.
• Safety & Health: Ensure completion and documentation of emergency drills, safety protocols, health practices, and required reporting.
• Inspections: Lead the school through licensing inspections and quality audits with confidence and preparation.

Financial & Operational Oversight

• Budgeting: Monitor and maintain the annual preschool budget in partnership with the Executive Director and Board.
• Fundraising: Oversee and execute annual fundraising events in collaboration with the Board to support school growth.
• Reporting: Collaborate monthly with financial leadership to provide revenue reports including tuition, extended care, and variance explanations.
• Staffing Efficiency: Ensure staffing ratios, scheduling, substitute coverage, and personnel allocations remain aligned with enrollment and budgetary needs.

Family & Community Engagement

• Admissions: Lead enrollment cycles, tours, admissions decisions, and waitlist management to ensure continued growth.
• Partnership: Develop and sustain strong relationships with families through transparent communication and responsive support.
• Community: Plan and execute family engagement events and school-wide communications that promote the values of Gates Preschool.

Staff Development & HR Administration

• Talent Management: Lead hiring processes, onboarding, orientation week, and ongoing professional development.
• Professional Networking: Actively engage with the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ) cohort and participate in continuing education opportunities.
• HR Operations: Maintain staff schedules, PTO tracking, performance evaluations, and coaching plans.

Reporting Structure

• The Director reports to the Executive Director, with strategic oversight from the Board of Trustees.
• The Director is expected to attend Board Meetings to provide reports and updates on the status of the school.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field strongly preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of three years of early childhood leadership experience, preferably within a licensed center.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong knowledge licensing requirements is essential.
• Curriculum: Expertise in early childhood curriculum, developmental best practices, and family partnership.
• Skills: Strong organizational, financial, and administrative skills. Experience with Brightwheel, QuickBooks, or equivalent software is a plus.

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• A Visionary with Discipline: You have the heart for children and the head for operational logistics.
• A Communicator: You build trust easily with anxious parents, busy staff, and organizational leadership.
• A Problem Solver: You are a calm, solutions-oriented decision-maker who doesn't get rattled by the unexpected.
• A Passionate Educator: You believe deeply in high-quality early childhood education as the foundation for a life of learning.