Preschool Center Assistant Director - YMCA : Job Details
Preschool Center Assistant Director
YMCAJob Location : Austin,TX, USA
Make a lasting impact on young learners' lives while enjoying 48 days of PTO, a free family gym membership, and so much more! Job Description We are hiring Preschool Center Assistant Directors for two locations: 1. YMCA Tomorrow Academy, Dove Springs (78744) 2. YMCA Tomorrow Academy, Four Points (78726) How you Will Power our Purpose (Job Summary) Imagine leading a groundbreaking new preschool where the excitement of childhood curiosity shapes the educational experience. The Tomorrow Academy at the Greater Austin YMCA is designed to meet the unique needs of young children through intentional, age-appropriate education and care focused on cognitive, language, social, emotional and physical development. As the Assistant Director of the YMCA Tomorrow Academy, you will support the launch of an innovative site that provides an emergent curriculum, ensuring that learning is driven by the children's interests and needs. Your leadership will be instrumental in creating an environment where no two days are alike, as your team crafts engaging experiences that captivate and inspire young minds ages 6 weeks to 5 years. In this pivotal role, you'll support a dedicated team of educators who share your passion for nurturing secure attachments and promoting emotional well-being. Rooted in secure attachment theory, the school's trauma-informed care approach is central to your mission. Your commitment to this approach will help build strong, positive relationships between educators and children, creating a foundation for trust and growth that supports school readiness. As the Assistant Director, you play a crucial role in building a strong sense of community, involving families in the educational process and creating a network of support for the children. Your leadership will ensure that the preschool remains a forward-thinking educational setting that values innovation, empathy, and resilience. You will also support the enterprise's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and the core character values of the YMCA. Reporting directly to the Tomorrow Academy Director, you will partner closely with other senior leaders throughout the enterprise to achieve outcomes. Qualifications What You Bring to the Community Enterprise Education, Experience, and Certifications:
- Strong understanding of child development emergent curriculum and the Reggio Emilia approach to education.
- Must meet Director qualifications under the childcare regulations guidelines or become eligible within the first year of employment.
- The position requires Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) (formerly overseen by TDFPS) Program Director certification, or eligibility for certification upon hire.
- Current CPR and First Aid certification or become certified upon hire.
- Bachelor's degree in early childhood, human development, or related field.
- YMCA experience
- Knowledge of NAEYC and Texas Rising Star accreditations
- Bilingual (Spanish/English)
- Demonstrated experience in trauma-informed care, with a strong understanding of how to support the emotional and psychological well-being of children who have experienced trauma.
- Providing visionary leadership to ensure resources are mobilized to adapt to new challenges and needs in the community.
- Building relationships - connecting people to the Y's cause by developing inclusive relationships, partnerships, and collaborations to co-create solutions to pressing social needs.
- Leading operations - ensuring relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the organization so we can continue to fulfill our promise to the community.
- Developing and inspiring people - supporting the holistic development of self and others so everyone can embrace the Y's cause, sustain our culture, and inspire others to action.
- You build effective teams - building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
- You're organized & productive - You are a master at planning your day and not letting distractions come in between meeting your goals.
- You demonstrate resiliency - rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
- You communicate effectively - developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
- Supports daily operations at the Tomorrow Academy, ensuring that staff adhere to and exceed all state, local, and Y health and safety regulations through daily monitoring.
- Analyze and resolve problems that arise relating to staff, children, schools, or parents.
- Support staff in developing behavior support plans
- Works collaboratively with colleagues to accomplish collective goals;
- Supports the director to manage academy budgets that meet financial objectives, which includes evaluating enrollment, expenses, and involvement in the yearly budget entry and process.
- Supports the management of purchasing and distribution of materials and supplies from grants and donations.
- Supports enrollment by engaging with families, offering Academy tours, and ensuring timely follow-up communication.
- Manages food program
- Manages family engagement activities under direction of the director
- Serves as a professional and engaging representative of the Y; establishes, develops, and maintains positive relationships with principals, parents, staff, participants, and licensing representatives.
- Responsible for ensuring that all required paperwork is current, accurate, and submitted in a timely fashion. This includes all applicable paperwork from partnerships, grants, and federal or state programs.
- Actively participate in all aspects of staff development, including team meetings, pre-service training, and at least an additional 30 hours of training during the school year.
- Create and manage weekly staff schedules.
- Approve staff timesheets and PTO requests in line with budget.
- Addresses and resolves concerns, providing follow-up, documentation, and training as needed.
- Substitute in classrooms when necessary.
- Support The Tomorrow Academy to meet and exceed all Childcare Regulation and Texas Rising Star standards with the goal of reaching and sustaining Texas Rising Star level 4 within one year of opening and NAEYC (National Association of Education of Young Children) accreditation within two years of opening.
- Continuous focus on evaluating the quality of The Tomorrow Academy; ensuring proper delivery of the curriculum; identifying opportunities for curriculum improvement and staff development.
- Adhere to policies and procedures in a proactive manner, making the safety and care of children your primary focus.
- Fosters a culture that builds trust and treats all team members and colleagues with respect; constructively and immediately deals with conflict; gains commitment and provides clarity; holds team members accountable and cultivates peer accountability; and achieves results to meet strategic and operational goals.
- Models inclusive leadership behaviors and embraces all dimensions of diversity - building strong teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to our mission.
- Responsible for hiring, coaching, and managing all direct reports and ensuring alignment with association people practices for all positions within their organizational structure.
- Responsible for successful Strategic Plan metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to meet strategic goals and objectives.
- Implements a goal-based leadership approach (OKR methodology) and ensures their department is actively working towards supporting organizational level objectives and key results. Conducts Cycle Check-ins and the Annual Check-In with direct reports to ensure progress with OKRs, providing ongoing coaching and feedback, and discussing development opportunities.
- Completes other duties as assigned.