Duties and Responsibilities:

• Guide the growth and development of the Center’s nature-based early childhood education program including Nature Preschool, kindergarten, and other programs for young children. 
• Manage and motivate a staff of full-time, part-time, and seasonal teachers.  
• Manage communication and positive relationships among the teaching staff, the Center’s staff, families, and children.
• Play a key role in assisting our marketing efforts to attract new audiences.
• Develop, evaluate, and manage the department’s budget.
• Evaluate and adjust the Preschool’s programs to ensure continued success, while working across departments to elevate the Center’s dynamic programming.
• Ensure compliance with all state and city regulating bodies and agencies.
• Represent the department at senior-level staff meetings, all-staff meetings, and Board of Trustee meetings.
• Represent the Center and the Preschool at professional meetings and conferences. 

Expected Competencies:

• Significant teaching experience in an Early Childhood Education setting required; experience managing a preschool, in emergent curricula, and in teaching nature-based lessons in an outdoor setting are all preferred.
• An understanding of childhood development, including stages of growth, and how social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs intersect with learning.
• Demonstrated ability in leading a staff, including hiring, developing, mentoring, and evaluation. 
• Strong knowledge of supporting risk assessment and implementing risk management procedures in a nature-based setting. 
• Experience leading workshops and presenting lectures in professional settings.
• Experience in successfully creating, managing, and meeting budgets.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills.
• Mastery of the full suite of computer programs, including email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google, etc. 

Physical Demands/Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described 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.

While the Director of Education spends most of his/her time indoors, the effective employee must be able to:  

• Spend multiple hours outdoors in all weather (heat, cold, rain, snow)
• Hike 2-5 miles on rough terrain, keeping pace with children and teachers being observed and evaluated 
• Engage in sustained physical activity throughout the day
• Lift up to 50 pounds (size of a small child)
• Hear children that might be out of direct sight-line
• Have 20:20 vision (with corrective lenses) to provide oversight during outdoor play

The employee is also regularly required to stand, walk and use hands and arms to operate general office equipment (PC, telephone, file cabinets, copier, fax machine and printer). The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to low.

Education, Experience and Qualifications

While a Master’s degree in early childhood education preferred is, a Bachelor’s is required.

At least two years’ experience in a leadership position at a comparable education institution, and at least five year’s experience teaching in an early childhood setting

Must pass background checks and complete all requirements mandated by the state.