Children's Creative Center - Roscoe Village We're Looking for More Than Just a Director We're looking for someone who can do more than just keep a childcare center running. We want someone who can really take ownership of it . Children's Creative Center is a small, privately owned childcare center serving children from infancy through Pre-K. Because we're independently owned, this is not a corporate environment where every decision has to go through multiple people. You'll work directly with the owner, and you'll have real input into how the center operates. We're looking for someone who sees a problem and thinks about how to fix it. Someone who notices when something could be better. Someone who can manage people, make decisions, communicate with families, and keep the center moving in the right direction. Basically, we're looking for someone who wants to run a center , not just have the title of Director. What Makes This Position Different A lot of director positions are mostly about schedules, paperwork, ratios, and putting out fires. Those things are obviously part of the job, but we're looking for more than that. We want someone who can look at the whole operation and understand how everything connects. Staffing affects classrooms. Classrooms affect families. Enrollment affects the business. Poor communication creates problems. Good employees need to be supported, and employees who are struggling need to be coached and held accountable. We want a director who understands all of that. You'll have the opportunity to help shape how the center operates instead of simply maintaining what already exists. What You'll Be Responsible For You'll oversee the day-to-day operation of the center, including: Staffing and scheduling Maintaining classroom ratios Hiring and interviewing Training and onboarding Coaching and managing employees Addressing performance issues Supporting lead teachers Parent communication Enrollment and tours DCFS compliance Classroom quality and safety Policies and procedures Supplies, vendors, and operational needs Helping control unnecessary overtime and staffing costs Identifying problems and coming up with solutions We don't expect you to do everything yourself. We do expect you to know what is happening in the center and make sure things get handled. The Type of Person We're Looking For You're probably a good fit if you're someone who naturally takes responsibility. You don't need someone constantly telling you what to do next. If something isn't working, you notice it. If there's a staffing issue, you deal with it. If an employee needs coaching, you have the conversation. If a parent has a concern, you're comfortable handling it. You know how to support people, but you're also comfortable holding them accountable. You care about children and education, but you also understand that a childcare center is a business and has to operate efficiently. You don't need to know everything on day one. But you should be curious, organized, confident, and willing to learn. Most importantly, you should take pride in running a good center. What Success Looks Like We're not going to measure success by how many hours you sit in the office. We'll measure it by how the center is actually running.

That means:

Staff know what is expected of them Strong employees want to stay Problems are addressed early Parents feel comfortable with leadership Classrooms are properly staffed DCFS compliance is strong Enrollment remains healthy Scheduling is efficient Unnecessary overtime is kept under control Communication is clear The center continues to improve The owner does not need to be involved in every small decision The goal is simple: The center should run well whether the owner is standing in the building or not.

Qualifications You should:

Meet or be able to meet Illinois DCFS Director qualification requirements Have childcare, preschool, early education, or similar leadership experience Have experience managing, coaching, and developing employees Have a strong understanding of early childhood development Understand age-appropriate curriculum and classroom expectations from infancy through Pre-K Be able to evaluate whether curriculum is actually being implemented effectively in the classroom Understand lesson planning, developmental goals, assessments, and school-readiness expectations Be able to support teachers with curriculum ideas, classroom management, and instructional quality Understand staffing, scheduling, ratios, and licensing requirements Have a strong understanding of health, safety, supervision, and childcare compliance Be comfortable communicating with parents Be able to handle parent concerns professionally and confidently Be comfortable having difficult conversations when necessary Know how to hold employees accountable while still supporting and developing them Be able to recognize when a classroom, employee, or process is not working and figure out what needs to change Be organized and able to keep track of multiple things at once Be dependable and consistent Be able to prioritize and make decisions without needing approval for every small issue Be proactive instead of waiting for problems to come to you Be comfortable stepping into classrooms when needed and understanding what teachers are dealing with firsthand Understand that staffing, enrollment, classroom quality, parent satisfaction, and finances all affect one another Be willing to learn the business side of running a childcare center Be able to look at the center as a whole, not just one classroom or one department Take pride in keeping the center organized, professional, and continually improving Experience with enrollment, budgeting, staffing costs, marketing, or the business side of childcare is a big plus. Experience with enrollment, budgeting, staffing costs, or the business side of childcare is a big plus. Compensation $75,000 - $85,000 , depending on experience and qualifications. There may also be an additional performance-based bonus tied to specific center goals. If someone comes in and shows that they can truly take ownership of the operation, we are willing to compensate accordingly. One Last Thing We're not looking for someone who wants to come in, sit behind a desk, and simply make sure the paperwork gets done. We want someone who looks around and says: "This is my center to run. How do I make it better?" If that sounds like you, we'd like to hear from you. When applying, please send your resume and answer one simple question: What do you think separates a really good childcare director from an average one? We actually want to hear your answer.

Pay:

$75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person