Assistant Director - Early Learning Center

Priority Consideration Date: March 9, 2025

Located in the scenic Puget Sound area with Mount Rainier in the distance, Tacoma is the third largest city in Washington State with a thriving and diverse community of over 200,000 residents. Tacoma Community College (TCC) was built on the ancestral territory of Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Puyallup and Squaxin Island Tribes. The 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty forcibly removed them to Reservations to make way for colonizers; we recognize the privilege of utilizing this land has come at great cost. We honor the resilience of the Puyallup and Squaxin Island people, who still live here, defend their rights, and contribute greatly to the well-being of our community. Our institution aims to increase partnerships and community ties with the local indigenous populations. Moreover, TCC stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the Black community by further strengthening collaboration with the Black Student Union as well as community entities such as the Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective, the Tacoma Urban League, and local black-owned businesses.   In addition, we strongly support the Stop Asian Hate movement and have an active Asian Pacific Islander Student Club as well as an Asian and Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Coalition. TCC is committed to developing more culturally responsive curricula by infusing and incorporating more educational content focused on the lives, experiences, and contributions of Native, Black, Asian, and other marginalized communities. We continually strive to become an anti-racist institution.  

To grow our workforce, we are seeking creative, collaborative faculty who are reflective of the diverse community we serve. Tacoma Community College is a public Associate- and Bachelor’s-granting institution that serves a student-body of approximately 10,000 students.  Our students are 48% students of color, 60% female, and have a median age of 26.  We embrace our identity as a community college.   Our faculty are engaged in innovative work to improve student retention and program completion, and community success.   According to the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, TCC ranks high on measures of active learning and academic challenge, thanks to our creative and scholarly faculty.  

We are specifically focusing on improved support for traditionally marginalized populations, including Black/African- American, Indigenous, People of Color, Dreamers, justice-involved, immigrants and refugees, Veterans, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, and the LGBTQIA2 community. To this end, TCC seeks applicants who:

• Value intellectual curiosity and innovative teaching.
• Welcome difference and model respectful interaction with others.
• Recognize and honor the important role that diversity brings to an educational community.
• Have experience teaching or doing research in Native/Indigenous communities.
• Are committed to educating a racially and socioeconomically diverse student population.
• Are committed to teaching in a community college setting.
• Care deeply about student success.
• Intentionally support and promote efforts related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Honor TCC’s mission promoting equitable access to educational opportunities.
• Reflect the diversity of our community.

Position Summary:
The Assistant Director for the Early Learning Center (ELC) is responsible for supporting the Center Director in the daily operations of TCC’s Early Learning Center in accordance with state licensing requirements, Early Childhood Education and Assistant Program (ECEAP), Early Head Start (EHS), Child Care, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and other service areas within the Early Learning Center. The Assistant Director will report to the Director of the ELC.

• Assist managing and supervising the Early Learning Center’s facilities and programs to meet state licensing requirements and provide a safe, healthy learning environment.
• Assist with hiring, supervising, training and evaluating full and part time staff.
• Assist in Administer Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) according to contractual agreement.
• Communicate and engage with families. 
• Assist in overseeing grants and contracts with other agencies.
• Assess training and coaching needs of staff to create individualized coaching and professional development support. 
• Monitor and evaluate the progress of individuals and groups, adjusting coaching strategies as necessary to maximize effectiveness.
• Establish and maintain open lines of communication with all levels of staff and leadership to ensure that coaching interventions are aligned with ongoing organizational changes and challenges.
• Offer tools and resources to support ongoing development, including feedback mechanisms, self-assessment tools, and follow-up sessions.
• Assist in updating and maintaining employee training records and curriculum databases i.e. MERIT.
• Help to manage program budgets to include approving and tracking expenditures, reconciliation, and projecting program needs and making requests when Center Director is unable to.
• Assist in administering and supervising food program to comply with USDA/OSPI requirements.
• Assist in managing attendance records, billing statements and collection of accounts receivable.
• Help review the Center's programs and operations recommending changes, modifications and expansions with documentation and analysis.
• Represent the college at professional and childcare community organizations.
• Serve as liaison with Parent Education instructor making presentations in the classroom on a quarterly basis.
• Ensure good standing as an accredited program of Early Achievers.
• Listen attentively, identify issues, provide options, and fulfill services and/or exercises knowledge of laws and regulations to assist others and/or resolve complaints or conflicts.
• Provide support to families experiencing a crisis and refer to emergency assistance and crises intervention providers as appropriate.
• Communicate and collaborate with customers, public and community resources. 
• Work independently, and ability to multi-task.
• Demonstrated strong, positive customer service experience and skills.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Demonstrate a commitment to service-oriented characteristics including empathy, listening, and the development of personal growth of others.
• Ability to model integrity through self-awareness, personal accountability, ethical behavior, quality standards, and sustainable practices.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Duties of the position require knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Skills in planning, coordinating and supervising high quality, developmentally appropriate programs.
• Develop positive relationships with children and their families.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity and cultural pluralism by maintaining an environment that fosters and supports and honors multiple perspectives and dialogue.
• Ability to develop rapport with individuals of diverse cultural, social, and religious backgrounds of varied age, gender, and sexual orientation; must be able to demonstrate respect and integrate cultural sensitivity when providing services.
• Strong interpersonal skills with professional boundaries to interact with a diverse population, both within and outside the college.

• An appreciation of diversity and the benefits of a commitment to cultural awareness and sensitivity in the workplace.
• Conflict resolution and mediation skills with principles and practices.  
• Knowledge of and implementation of trauma-informed teaching practices. 
• Ethics, Integrity, and sound compassionate professional judgment.
• Ability to problem-solve with composure under pressure. 
• Ability to work independently and lead team members.
• A commitment to inclusion, equity, and ongoing learning strategies for culturally responsive teaching and learning in the workplace.
• Productive working relationships with college faculty, staff, students, and community members. 
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and balance a heavy workload with competing priorities.

Duties of the position required experience:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in human development, Early Childhood Education, Social Services or closely related field. 

• 2 years of experience teaching young children aged birth through five.
• OR equivalent education and or experience.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising staff, such as leading teams or mentoring teachers.
• Experience managing or supporting center operations such as scheduling, compliance, and budgeting

Required conditions of employment:

• Successful completion of a criminal history background check.
• Must possess a current, valid, unrestricted driver’s license.
• Valid First Aid and CPR Certification. (May obtain within 30 days of hire)
• Current HIV / Bloodborne Pathogen Certification. (May obtain within 30 days of hire)
• Valid Food Handlers Permit. (May obtain within 30 days of hire)
• Ability to lift children up to 45 pounds
• Record of a Tuberculosis (TB) test within the past 12 months
• Registered with Merit and STARS.
• 2 Years of experience as a teacher
• 2 Years of experience as an administrator
• ECE State Certificate

1. Tacoma Community College online application form.
2. Resume and cover letter - In your cover letter, describe how your background and experience align with the responsibilities for this position. 
3. Copies of unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
4. Diversity Statement: Tacoma Community College is committed to creating and supporting a multi-cultural climate that welcomes, fosters, respects, and celebrates diversity.  Please attach a statement (maximum two pages) describing your experiences with other cultures and communities, your level of cultural self-awareness and how you have integrated both experience and self-awareness into your living/working environment.
   
   

Salary : $69,000 - $74,000