To apply, please visit Union Settlement's Careers page: https://www.unionsettlement.org/careers/

Union Settlement is an East Harlem-based nonprofit organization founded in 1895. For 128 years, Union Settlement has provided critical and innovative programming to children, youth, families, and older adults. As a pioneer of the settlement house movement, Union Settlement continues to meet the needs of the ever-changing East Harlem community through its core programs. Through these programs, New Yorkers gain opportunities, develop skills, and become empowered to pursue and achieve their dreams.

Today, Union Settlement provides services through 33 program sites in ~28 locations. Union Settlement’s current programmatic portfolio includes 8 core areas: Early Childhood Education, Youth Services (including after-school programs), Family Services (including the Family Enrichment Center and the Family Childcare Network), the East Harlem Community Partnership, Adult Education, Mental Health Services, Older Adult Centers, and Economic Development. Union Settlement serves over 10,000 individuals and nearly 1,000 businesses every year.

Strengthened by a dynamic, diverse, and collaborative workforce of over 350 employees, Union Settlement also serves as a connector, convener, and advocate for East Harlem and its partners. To learn more about Union Settlement, visit www.unionsettlement.org.

Position: Director of Early Childhood Education

Department: Early Childhood Education

Reports to: Executive Director, Early Childhood Education

Hours: Full-Time

Salary: $85,000 - $90,000

FLSA: Exempt

Location: On-site

Positions Reporting to this Role: Group Teacher, Assistant Teacher, Family Counselors, Cooks

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, Early Childhood Education, the Director, Early Childhood Education is responsible for overseeing all the daily functions of Union Settlement’s Early Childhood Education center. This position provides leadership and consistent development of Union Settlement’s comprehensive, whole-family approach to birth-to-five education programming, consisting of multiple Early Childhood Education/Head Start centers across our impact area in Harlem. They develop and maintain quality standards of Early Childhood Education designed to meet the educational, emotional, physical, and social needs of individual children and the group and implement the Creative Curriculum. The Director, Early Childhood Education must have experience in Early Childhood Education and the ability to oversee a large, diverse high-quality education program, and be a strong, hands-on manager.

Core Responsibilities

Provide a safe and nurturing environment for young children to learn and grow.

Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum and activities that support children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.

Observe and assess children's progress and adjust activities and lessons to meet their individual needs.

Communicate regularly with parents and caregivers to share updates on their child's progress and any concerns or challenges that may arise.

Create a positive classroom culture that fosters respect, inclusion, and a love of learning.

Collaborate with other educators and professionals, e.g., speech therapists or social workers, to support children's overall development.

Maintain accurate documentation of children's progress and any incidents or concerns.

Continuously engage in professional development; stay up-to-date on best practices and trends in early childhood education.

Leadership

Oversee day-to-day operations of the Early Childhood Education program to ensure that all program services are of the highest quality.

Supervise all employees/volunteers at the child care center, including coordinating the efforts of Early Childhood staff to develop and maintain program components, i.e., education, health, nutrition, social services, parent involvement, mental health, and disabilities.

Monitor implementation of employee responsibilities through observation, regularly scheduled supervisory meetings, team meetings, and documentation reviews.

Attend and ensure provision of training and periodic refreshers on their and their team's roles and responsibilities.

Maintain effective, appropriate communication with Union Settlement leadership, including:

Attend all regular/special meetings and committee meetings as required.

Provide written report of the educational and programmatic status of the program and of the administrative activities since the last meeting, monitoring results, and strategies to resolve problems; and

Communicate all relevant information.

Operations, Compliance & Evaluation

Lead implementation of comprehensive birth to five services including administration, operations, and program initiatives; ensure site-level compliance with Head Start performance standards and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and requirements.

Assume an active role in the annual program self-assessment.

Assure remediation of any non-compliances found in delegate or grantee assessment and incorporate recommendations into program improvement initiatives.

In consultation with the team, ensure that classrooms and playgrounds are well-equipped.

Enrollment, Partnerships & Community Engagement

Lead recruitment of children to Union Settlement’s child care centers, including devising strategies to increase and maintain enrollment throughout the school year.

Collaborate with team to review current program model and develop strategies to ensure full enrollment in all Early Childhood Education/Head Start centers and the Family Early Childhood Education Network.

Oversee & manage Family Counselors to ensure appropriate intake and placement of new children at the child care center.

Work Collaboratively with the Director, ECE Supportive Services and the Delegate Agency Policy Committee (DAPC) to recruit and interview applicants for open positions at the child care center.

Attend or delegate a representative to attend the New York City Housing Authority Tenant Association meetings

Review and analyze monthly Attendance Reports to assess chronic absenteeism; use individual child attendance data to identify children with patterns of absence that put them at risk of missing ten 10% of program days per year.

Develop appropriate strategies to improve individual attendance among identified children, such as direct contact with parents or intensive case management as necessary.

Coordinate with the team to conduct a yearly complete Community Assessment for need and impact.

Review, mediate, and resolve community complaints about the program, seeking input from staff, parents, or the Executive Committee as needed.

Education, Curriculum & Performance Standards

Develop and plan the educational program for the child care center.

Oversee the development and implementation of curriculum and educational activities that promote school readiness.

Collaborate with staff to develop, implement, and maintain an integrated program that is efficient and effective.

Provides guidance and leadership to staff to emphasize the importance of the program achieving high standards of quality, internally and through public and private sector partnerships.

Review management and leadership materials and program-related materials to keep abreast of developments in comprehensive early childhood programs.

Additional duties as assigned by the Executive Director, Early Childhood Education and/or Union Settlement leadership.

Qualifications:

Master's Degree Preferred.

Minimum of:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education
• Five years' professional leadership/management & supervisory experience, preferably in educational non-profit, preferred
• 2 years of group teacher experience for children under 6 years old ideal.
• Significant experience in administration, including knowledge of State licensing requirements and Head Start Performance Standards.
• Strong knowledge of best practices in the field of early childhood Head Start and/or Day Care.
• Experience in training design and delivery.
• Strong computer skills and the ability to learn new systems as needed.
• Current enrollment in Child Care Division – Central Background Registry.
• A strong desire to help improve the lives of the residents of the local East Harlem. community, and an ability to listen to and address parent concerns with care and compassion

Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.

New York State Teacher Certification in B-2.

At a minimum, three years of classroom experience.

Strong leadership and training skills.

Demonstrated experience in education, budgeting, and program development.

Demonstrated experience with ACS rules and regulations, Child Care and Head Start regulations, the CACFP program, and DOH permit process

CO R E CO M P E T E N C IE S

Leading Others: Creates a sense of urgency throughout the organization on the importance of achieving Inspires, influences, and enables team members to reach their goals

Facilitating Change: Approaches challenges with creativity and Demonstrates analytical thinking. Guides change to meet Union Settlement’s goals.

Managing Performance: Evaluates and revises goals semi-annually with the team. Provides consistent supervision and documents performance highlights and concerns

Applying and Developing Expertise: Embraces and leads the team to achieve milestones. Seeks and supports professional development opportunities for team. Manages finances and budgets effectively

Communicating and Collaborating: Listens well, actively engages with others with honesty and integrity and holds team accountable to the same standard

Union Settlement’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment

Union Settlement is an equal opportunity employer. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.