Job Description:
**JOB SUMMARY:**
The Program Director is a senior management position responsible for developing the staff and resources required to provide high quality child development programs in fulfillment with CDI’s mission.
**There are four primary areas of responsibility:**
* Develop and run the highest quality child development programs for children and families
* Recruit, hire, evaluate and develop site supervisors
* Ensure prudent fiscal planning, budgeting and use of resources
* Provide strategic leadership for the region and agency-wide
**ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:**
**Program Quality**
Mission & Philosophy
* Understand, articulate, and inspire others towards CDI’s vision and mission.
* Understand and articulate program philosophy; apply theoretical concepts to program content and decisions.
Quality Assurance
* Direct the development of indoor/outdoor team lesson plans according to the emerging interests of children.
* Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate activities, materials and equipment that enhance center environments and enable the following of the High/Scope daily routine.
* Work with each site supervisor to create a strategic program plan for the center that will result in extraordinary program quality. Uses CMR criteria, accreditation standards, Desired Results, Biannual Review and the PQP as applicable.
* Observe staff interactions with children regularly. Model appropriate staff/child interaction for staff members.
* Ensure that staff observation and feedback occur daily at each center.
* Assess program quality and effectiveness of program goals on a regular basis.
* Achieve and maintain accreditation at determined percentage of all eligible centers.
* Achieve and maintain level four and five on all items of the Program Quality Profile (PQP).
* Develop and implement an aggressive improvement plan for any center that is not accredited or does not score four or better on any PQP item. Closely monitor improvement plan; keep DPO informed of progress.
* Prevent program quality problems through proactive solutions. Seek advice of peers, DPO and resource staff including CCFP, contracts’ specialists, staff development specialists, etc. in solving program, family, child and/or staff programs at a center.
Knowledge
* Maintain current, broad and deep knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practices. Keep abreast of new research in the field by attending workshops, conferences, reading, etc.
* Present new concepts to peers, DPO and resource staff to stimulate the exchange of new information and application of new concepts in the program for the children.
Community
* Demonstrate effective working relationships with community liaisons and parents.
* Develop and maintain authentic connections with our families, the school community and the greater community. Assist site supervisors in maintaining active parent participation to best serve the children.
* Develop and maintain communication with all governing agencies including CDD, Licensing, and appropriate School Districts.
* Support staff professional development by teaching child development best practices to staff.
**Staff Development**
Individual
* Recruit and hire staff strategically in accordance with CDI values and position competencies.
* Show a sincere interest in each direct report. Work closely to set performance goals and develop professional growth plans based on the values and competencies for his/her job and his/her future aspirations.
* Provide clear expectations, training, ongoing performance feedback, professional goals and other opportunities to help individuals function at their highest capacity and see the affects of their contribution on the region and CDI.
* Mentor and coach others. Identify high potential future leaders and actively prepare them for future promotions.
* Use appraisal tools based on the values and competencies for specific jobs. Include evaluations by supervisees, supervisor and peers. Conduct appraisals at least once a year.
Team
* Facilitate highly efficient and effective team and all-staff meetings. Encourage team input into and understanding of the strategic plan for the region.
* Inspire cooperation, confidence, innovation and risk-taking. Gain stakeholder buy-in, and motivate and inspire others to change and action.
* Work in cooperation with peer team and site supervisor team to achieve results.
* Celebrate and recognize successes at all levels. Use creative rewards and recognition to build morale and inspire others.
Interpersonal Relations
* Build trust through accountability and meeting deadlines and all commitments. Take responsibility for actions; demonstrate reliability and trustworthiness when given or accepting an assignment.
* Embrace and demonstrate respect for diverse styles, ideas, culture and other individual differences.
* Communicate effectively, including listening and sharing ideas. Promote open, honest, timely, and confidential interactions. Promote two way and multi-level communication. Encourage healthy disagreement as a tool to achieve the best ideas and solutions to problems.
* Demonstrate caring and compassion, and balance CDI’s interests with employee needs.
* Recognize, support and respect employees’ lives outside work.
**Strategic Leadership**
Planning
* Effectively plan and prioritize activities that support our mission.
* Work collaboratively to achieve the region and CDI’s goals.
* Attend agency-wide meetings, contribute prospective and glean new ideas in all meetings.
* Support bringing out the best in co-workers throughout the agency through concern, honest feedback, support and appreciation.
Culture Building
* Make all program decisions in concert with CDI’s workplace values. Act in ways that uphold and model the values. Demonstrate ethical character and integrity in all actions. Lead by example.
* Support cultural change. Create a spirit of openness where everyone feels comfortable and safe to contribute ideas and be innovative. Works collaboratively.
Decision-Making
* Use sound judgment and give thoughtful consideration before making decisions. Carefully diagnose situations based on authentic information.
* Foster inclusive decision-making. Ensure all employees have a voice by involving others in decisions that affect them. Gather input and information in a variety of ways that includes all stakeholders.
On-going Learning
* Demonstrate openness to learning new ways of doing things. Display ability to learn rapidly and adapt quickly to changing situations.
* Demonstrate self-awareness; know strengths and weaknesses. Work from strengths; admit weaknesses and implement a plan for improvement.
**Financial Management**
Financial Knowledge
* Understand CDI’s financial structure, including the organization of the profit and non profit companies, the goals for each center and the overall goals for the region. Recognize the financial implications of all decisions made at each center to CDI’s overall goals.
* Understand the requirements of all revenue sources including the State of California, the Federal Government, private tuition, CCFP, grants and donations.
Financial management
* Ensure prudent fiscal planning, budgeting and use of resources.
* Effectively balance expenses and revenue at each center through efficient use of personnel, materials and facilities. Maintain proper enrollment goals at all times; monitor staffing ratios and expenses.
* Understand the relationship between achieving CDI’s financial goals and maintaining the quality of each program. Strive for maximum return on investment and the highest quality programs.
Strategic Growth
* Actively seek out possibilities for new revenue sources, based upon the unique needs of each community.
* Actively promote the strategic growth of CDI/the Region including areas of growth, participation in local planning councils and commissions and Early Education Professional Organizations, promoting public relations and name recognition, opening centers or expanding child development services.
* Assure that all site supervisors have complete knowledge of budgets, including expenses and revenue, financial and enrollment goals, reimbursement rates, personnel, facilities and materials costs.
Accountability
* Take full responsibility and authority for the finances of each center. Meet or exceeds financial goals for each center.
* Submit timely reports including budget agreements, financial plans, and monthly budget evaluations.
* Correct financial problems immediately by implementing a plan of action to reduce losses and maximize gains based on authentic knowledge of the center or the community. Apply different strategies to different situations. Closely monitor correction plan, modifying as necessary.
* Seek the advice and skills of peers and resource staff as partners in resolving financial problems at centers.
**ESSENTIAL QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS:**
* Strong leader who takes initiative, is responsive to challenges that arise and seeks solutions
* Effective and supportive listener who takes action
* Trusts self, is confident in abilities, knows strengths and is committed to improvement
* Is comfortable seeking support from DPO, peers, others when needed
* Self-directed and works independently; keeps DPO informed of important issues and progress
* Very direct in communication with others; honest about their true feelings and ideas for improvement
* Anticipates and is prepared for whatever may come up in a day
* Effective at prioritizing and juggling competing demands on their own, in order to handle all day to day operations, problems and situations
* Outcomes oriented, gets a lot done, and is prompt in responding to situations that come up
* Applies what is learned in training situations to real work
* Has sense of humor; able to joke and laugh out loud; works hard but doesn’t take self too seriously
* Highly effective at recruiting, interviewing and orienting new staff and existing staff to new practices.
* Effective at assigning/delegating work, evaluating work, giving timely performance feedback, coaching others and helping people grow in their jobs
* Cooperates, collaborates, shares successes and failures with DPO, peers and direct reports to help move the entire region and agency forward
* Responsive and available to all CDI’s personnel.
**REPORTS TO:**
Director of Program Operations (DPO) and/or Assistant Director of Program Operations.
**QUALIFICATIONS:**
* BA degree in Child Development or closely related field required, MA preferred
* Strong communication skills including written communication and the ability to present ideas logically in writing and verbally.
* Works well under stress; handles multiple priorities while meeting other job responsibilities
* Demonstrated ability to act in a positive leadership role with staff members
* Demonstrated ability to train staff members
* Knowledge and respect of the culture and life-style of the population being served
* Most people have ten or more years of experience working in the child development field
* Minimum five years experience supervising others
* Travel required throughout the region and to other parts of the state two to three times a year.
* Experience getting child development programs accredited through NAEYC and/or NASCA.
**Note:** This position requires frequent bending, lifting, twisting, and reaching, with ability to remain physically aware of location of all children in specified group at all times. Ability to lift 30 pounds. Must be physically capable of interacting with children from 3 to 13 years of age, meeting all of their needs and ensuring their safety. Must be mentally and emotionally capable of dealing with children in a mature, non-threatening manner. Must possess the ability to remain calm and assume a leadership position during emergency situations.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.
*Department:* Bay Area Region
*Job Type:* Permanent
*Location:* CA, San Jose
*Post Date:* 08/20/2014