Head Start - Assistant Center Director

“Helping our community’s most vulnerable with solutions that permanently improve lives”

Catholic Charities Community Services is currently seeking a professional, passionate individual who has an engaging supervisory style to work in our Head Start program providing leadership support to our staff and children and their families. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Center Director demonstrates leadership abilities by creating and maintaining a positive learning environment for all families enrolled. The Assistant Center Director assists the Center Director in day to day operations of the center in accordance with Catholic Charities Westside Head Start policies and procedures, licensing regulations, Health and Safety Standard and service area plans.  Assists in providing an educational, nurturing, and safe environment for children, staff and parents. Responsible for all Head Start Center operations and assumes all Center Director responsibilities and duties in the absence of the Center Director. Meets expectations for delivering exceptional customer service to families enrolled at the center.  

DUTIES: Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Creates a welcoming, safe and developmentally appropriate environment for the purpose of encouraging the cognitive, physical, social/emotional, and language development of the child and family.
• Collaborate with the Center Director to maintain day to day operations of the center.  
• Fill in as Substitute Center Director or Instructional Staff Member as needed.  Assists with breaks, food service and other classroom requests as needed.
• Knowledge and ability to lead staff in implantation of developmentally appropriate curriculum.
• Ensure that appropriate staff to child rations and act as a teacher in the classroom in emergency situations.
• Prepare and submit request for maintenance of building/classrooms based on observation and site safety checklists.  
• As assigned collaborate with community partners to educate and encourage parent participation in classroom activities, parent/teacher conferences and meetings.  
• Ensure instructional team is completing all required record keeping documentation accurately and in a timely manner. 
• Works with assigned teaching and family service staff and develops, assist in implementation and monitoring service area and center work plans to achieve assigned goals, objectives and educational outcomes.
• Participates in developing, implementing and evaluating work programs, plans, processes, systems and procedures to achieve Westside Head Starts goals, objectives and performance measures consistent with division quality and service expectations.  
• Implements and supervises staff members with company policies and procedures.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings, center events, and parent/customer meetings as requested.
• Oversees and participates in implementation of daily lesson plans and activities, ensuring they are age appropriate, individualized and culturally sensitive; observes teachers in the classroom and provides feedback; mentors and coaches staff in planning appropriate curriculum and activities; provides technical and problem solving assistance to teachers and other staff; trains staff on curriculum changes and procedures; monitors to ensure timely completion of child observations and assessments; ensures Individual Education Plans are being implemented.
• Understands and assists staff members with developmentally appropriate practice in Early Childhood Education.
• Assist teachers with utilizing appropriate corrective methods to modify behaviors.
• Inspects and monitors center operations to ensure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, state licensing requirements and health, safety and fire regulations; adjusts staffing to ensure conformance to applicable licensing requirements; performs mandated inspections of classroom and playground facilities and takes necessary corrective action to ensure that housekeeping/cleanliness standards and permit/license requirements are met.
• Participates in staff development activities including in-service, training sessions, and meetings as required.
• Trains new and returning team members as necessary to meet the needs of the employee’s position.
• Participate in staff recruitment process along side with WSHS recruiter. 
• Coordinates equipment and/or facility repairs via established program procedures; ensures timely completion of repairs to minimize any risk of injury to others and meet state licensing requirements.
• Maintains appropriate communication with and seeks out information and assistance from supervisors, managers, other Head Start staff, and parents as needed to provide services and fulfill job responsibilities.
• Understands the requirements of the Arizona Mandatory Reporting Law; communicates and demonstrates the importance of informing a supervisor/manager of any concerns about children and suspicions of child abuse and/or neglect.
• Promotes ongoing commitment to excellence and continual quality improvement to ensure the highest quality of services to children, families, and staff.
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. 

 Knowledge 

• Knowledge of child development theory; specifically early childhood development
• Familiarity with Head Start standards, requirements, goals, objectives, policies, and procedures
• Understanding of A.R.S. 36-891 pursuant to the operation of a state licensed childcare facility
• Experience with Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) forms CCL-114 and CCL-324
• Awareness of community resources and available support services for children and families
• Understanding of Head Start Act and Performance Standards preferred

 Skills

• Leading, directing, managing and supervising employees
• Directing individual and group activities of children and families
• Effectively motivating others; encouraging their participation and engagement
• Managing change and demonstrating adaptability, flexibility, and responsiveness to varying needs and situations
• Critical thinking and resourcefulness to overcome challenges and solve problems
• Understanding, following, and carrying out written and oral instructions
• Communicating effectively with staff, parents and children
• Proper English grammar and usage
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications (Word / Outlook)
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills preferred; may be required for some positions (Staff receive a 2% base pay differential upon successful completion of a language proficiency assessment)

Abilities 

• Identify opportunities for improved effectiveness or efficiency, lead change and employ innovation
• Work successfully with socio-economically disadvantaged and culturally and linguistically diverse pre-school age children and their parents in a fast-paced environment
• Identify and utilize a variety of materials for use in a pre-school developmental setting
• Read, understand, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, and policies
• Adhere to a structured schedule, adhere to timelines, and meet deadlines
• Maintain confidentiality of personal information and the integrity of the record keeping process
• Stand and/or sit for prolonged periods of time
• Lift children up to 40 pounds and assist them to the bathroom as necessary
• Sit on floor and ambulate over uneven floor surfaces including stairs, steps, and playgrounds
• Other significant physical abilities include lifting/carrying/pulling, stooping/kneeling/crouching, reaching/handling/fingering, talking/hearing conversations and other sounds, near/far visual acuity/depth perception/accommodation/field of vision

 Qualifications:

 Education/Background

1. Must meet one of the following educational requirements:   

• BA or higher degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE).
• BA or higher degree with 12 credits in ECE.
• AA degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE).
• AA degree with 12 credits in ECE.

 Credentials, Licenses, and Certifications

• Meets Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) requirements for licensure.
• Possesses or acquires, and maintains, Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance.
• Approved documentation of a negative result for a tuberculin (TB) skin test or chest x-ray.
• Meets federal Head Start employment requirements including physical examination at hire 
• Possesses or completes verified training in First Aid and CPR (within ninety (90) days of hire) and remains current in the certification.
• Possesses or acquires, and maintains, valid Maricopa County Environmental Services Food Service Worker Certificate.
• Possesses and maintains valid Arizona driver license (An individual must be 21 years of age or older to drive on behalf of Westside Head Start and Catholic Charities Community Services).
• Reliable personal transportation and ability to show proof of current/valid vehicle registration and insurance with state minimum liability coverage.

Great Benefits: Medical, Vision, Dental, Basic Life, Short-Term Disability, Vacation, Sick Time, 13 Paid Holidays, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), 403(b) with a match,  EAP and a Pension Plan!  

We Value Diversity!  

EEO  

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES 

 RESPECT 

 INTEGRITY 

 ACCOUNTABILITY 

 COMMITMENT 

 QUALITY