Director of Early Childhood Education

Founding Early Childhood Director

Temple Shalom of Dallas — Opening January 2026

About Us

Temple Shalom of Dallas, a Reform Congregation whose mission is to build holy community, is launching a new, play-based, nature-focused, child-centered early childhood program rooted in Jewish values. We seek a visionary leader to spearhead this initiative as our Founding Early Childhood Director. Launching in August 2026, this role offers the unique opportunity to shape the culture, curriculum, team, and community engagement of our school from the ground up. The position begins in January of 2026 to provide the time necessary to open the program prepared for success at all levels.

Position Overview

As the Founding Early Childhood Director, you have the opportunity to build something beautiful and rare. You will be responsible for the success of the program's launch and its ongoing flourishing. You will serve as the primary leader, guiding educational philosophy, operations, staffing, community relations, and alignment with Temple principles and values.

Key Responsibilities

Program Launch & Operations

• Lead all facets of the program’s establishment: licensing, policies, facilities, budgeting, scheduling, and safety protocols.
• Ensure alignment with NAEYC or equivalent standards and relevant state requirements 
• Oversee logistics and operations during the start-up phase and beyond, establishing operational systems and partnerships  

Vision & Curriculum Leadership

• Articulate and implement a nature-infused, play-based, emergent curriculum that centers the child’s experience and aligns with Jewish values.
• Integrate outdoor learning across the curriculum.
• Build a child-centered educational environment inspired by best practices for infants, toddlers and preschoolers
• Promote learning through play by creating rich, open-ended explorations in both indoor and outdoor settings

Staff Leadership & Development

• Recruit, hire, supervise, train, and mentor a high-quality early childhood team.
• Foster a collaborative, reflective community among the staff with ongoing professional development, staff meetings, and coaching

Family & Community Engagement

• Build strong relationships with families; foster their involvement through open communication, family events, and Jewish/nature-based programming.
• Create a broad sense of community among families that builds connections to the congregation
• Collaborate with Temple leadership, board members, and lay leaders to align mission and strategy
• Represent the program in the community

Recruitment & Marketing

• Lead efforts to attract and retain families, positioning Temple Shalom as a premier destination for early childhood education.

• Build relationships with prospective families through open houses, tours, and community events.

• Partner with marketing staff and lay leaders to craft compelling messages that highlight our unique nature-based, play-centered approach.

• Collaborate with the Temple communications team to design and execute ongoing marketing campaigns, social media presence, and community outreach.

Program Evaluation & Growth

• Monitor program effectiveness through feedback, observations, and best practices; adapt curriculum and operations responsively 
• Promote continuous improvement and innovation in teaching and learning.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education:  Minimum Bachelors in Early Childhood Education or related field, Master’s preferred
• Experience:  At least 5 years 
• Expertise: Demonstrated knowledge of play-based, nature-based, child-centered educational philosophies (Reggio Emilia, forest kindergarten, Anji Play, etc.).
• Skills: Strong leadership, organizational and communication skills; budgeting and operational planning experience; curriculum development expertise; ability to inspire and collaborate.

Personal Attributes: Passion for early childhood education; innovative, reflective, empathetic, detail-oriented, and community-oriented.