Center Director

The Center Director at Daystar Kids is a mission-centered leader with a proven track record of leadership, problem-solving, and relationship management skills. The Director oversees the curriculum, guides staff development, coordinates the Agency’s multidisciplinary team, and ensures the delivery of Daystar Kids high-quality early childhood education, care, instruction, and developmental support for children with complex healthcare needs. They inspire their team and through multidisciplinary teamwork, provide the highest standard of service and thrive in a demanding, fast-paced environment. The Director is responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and maintaining strong communication with families, team members, providers, and the community. Their responsibilities extend across several areas, ensuring the successful operation of Daystar Kids early childhood programs (Pediatric Respite Services) including but not limited to:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Program Leadership, Management and Quality Improvement

The Director leads and develops the early childhood services team, ensuring that operations align with the agency’s mission and values, emphasizing a child- and family-centered approach. They are also responsible for ensuring compliance with NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) regulations and other program requirements.

• Oversees the daily operation of the program, including the planning, execution, and evaluation of educational activities and enrichment programs.
• Ensures a positive learning environment to support the holistic development of young children (social, emotional, cognitive, and physical/health).
• Responsible for meeting program enrollment targets and program revenue goals.
• Maintains expenses within the approved budget and tracks spending, analyzes costs, and makes necessary adjustments to maintain the Agency’s financial health and compliance.
• Manages and maintains program materials, supplies, classroom resources, and learning environment, identifying areas for cost savings or improvement without compromising the quality of the educational services provided.
• Uses data and performance management systems to inform decisions, improve program outcomes, and ensure the success of enrollees.
• Stays updated and implements policies or other information relevant to compliance, including developmentally appropriate practices, standards of practice, licensing requirements, and/or agency procedures and policies and integrates this knowledge into program development and practice.
• Leads Daystar Kids cross-training model ensuring that staff across different roles and disciplines are trained to understand and support one another's functions to create a more adaptable and cohesive team that can effectively respond to the needs of children, families, and the Agency.
• Demonstrates high level of understanding and interest in pursuing advanced knowledge of relevant fields of study, e.g., special education, early childhood education, related therapies, communication disorders, pediatric medicine and nursing, trauma informed care, etc.; develops relevant training to promote staff knowledge and program quality.

Staff Leadership and Development

The Program Director leads with integrity, consistently aligning with and advocating for Daystar Kids strategy and mission. They serve as a role model for staff, embodying the agency’s core values and mission in every aspect of their work.

• Leads by example and fosters a culture of accountability, responsibility, and dedication, ensuring that the program consistently delivers on its objectives and outcomes in a manner that prioritizes the well-being of children and families.
• Attracts, develops, and effectively coaches and retains high-performance and mission-centered team members, empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, teamwork, accountability, and performance; complies with agency documentation and human resource policies.
• Leads, mentors, develops and implements ongoing professional development for staff, encouraging continuous growth and improvement.
• Manages and monitors Daystar Kids in-service and training requirements; ensures that staff satisfy annual licensing requirements and continuing education, training and professional development requirements.
• Conducts regular staff evaluations, offers constructive feedback, and fosters a collaborative team culture.

Program Coordination and Quality Improvement: The Director oversees program activities, ensuring that internal processes and communications are effective and consistent. This includes planning, organizing, and evaluating the execution of services and activities within the program to maximize their impact and ensure they meet the intended goals.

• Responsible for the successful implementation of a program evaluation framework to strengthen the agency’s programs, services and staff, and improve measures of family and employee satisfaction.
• Implements effective communication strategies to ensure team members are knowledgeable, informed, and effective in their respective roles; demonstrates a high degree of collaboration, self-awareness, and respect for others.
• Ensures enrollee/family satisfaction and is responsive, strategic, consistent, equitable, and reflective in addressing enrollee/family concerns; communicates regularly with families via newsletter or other approved communiques.
• Maintains confidentiality of all information related to the agency, enrollees, their family/guardians, and team members that may be encountered either formally or informally during the normal course of business to include medical and treatment records, financial, operating, business, and human resource information.
• Complies with all program documentation, record-keeping, and audit requirements; prepares all audit materials and maintains business records in conformity with best practices and agency requirements.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree required with a minimum of 12 credits in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Special/Inclusive Education, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of program management and supervision required with at least 1-year spent supervising staff in an early childhood setting or related program.
• Experienced trainer able to explain complex concepts in an understandable way and adapt materials to different learning styles.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Familiarity with NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) regulations and program compliance preferred.
• Excellent analytical skills and highly proficient in creating, updating, formatting, analyzing and reporting data e.g., graphs, charts, spreadsheets, database, and other information systems.
• Knowledgeable in employee time and attendance, payroll administration function, and Human Resources policies
• Demonstrates outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Passion for Daystar Kids mission and impact
• Demonstrates growth mindset, resiliency and accountability
• Embraces Daystar Kids culture with systems knowledge to support it
• Self-starter, self-disciplined with attention to detail and deadlines

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
• The employee must be able to regularly stand for long periods of time, sit, bend and assume postures in low positions to best engage children and ensure visual contact.
• The employee must be able to regularly stand for long periods of time, sit, bend and assume postures in low positions
• The employee is regularly required to move from a seated position to a standing position promptly
• The employee is regularly required to use hands; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud
• The employee is expected to work on-site in an office environment.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $85,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• No nights
• No weekends

Work Location: In person

Salary : $85,000 - $105,000