Director of Professional Development

Job Description

Job Description

At Educare of Omaha, Inc., we invest in our staff just as much as we invest in our children. Reimagine your role. Rediscover your passion. Join the Fun . Make a Difference .

⭐ WHO WE ARE

Educare of Omaha, Inc. is a non-profit organization that has a collaborative partnership between Early Head Start/Head Start, Omaha Public Schools and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. Comprised of the two Educare Omaha Schools (Kellom and Indian Hill) and three Early Learning Centers (Skinner, Gateway and Kennedy), the mission of Educare of Omaha, Inc. is to promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children ages 0 to 5 through the provision of evidence-based education, health, nutritional, social, family engagement and other services to enrolled children and their families.

⭐ POSITION DETAILS

The Director of Professional Development provides strategic leadership for the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive professional learning system that strengthens staff effectiveness, leadership capacity, and organizational performance. This position develops and oversees high-quality, evidence-based professional learning opportunities for teachers, leaders, staff, and community partners that are aligned with Educare of Omaha's mission, strategic priorities, Head Start Performance Standards, Nebraska licensing requirements, and early childhood best practices.

The Director provides program oversight for the agency's professional development department by supervising, coaching, and developing the Infant Toddler Program Specialist and Training and Development Specialist, ensuring professional learning initiatives are effectively planned, implemented, and evaluated to meet organizational goals.

Working collaboratively across departments, the Director ensures professional development is data-informed and embedded into daily practice by translating child outcomes, family outcomes, classroom quality data, monitoring findings, and incident reviews into targeted learning, coaching, and continuous improvement strategies. The Director also leads professional learning efforts that support all five program locations in achieving and maintaining the highest Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) ratings, accreditation readiness, and excellence in teaching, leadership, and family engagement.

Through innovative adult learning practices and a commitment to continuous quality improvement, the Director advances a culture of reflective practice, accountability, and professional excellence that drives measurable improvements in child outcomes, school readiness, classroom quality, and organizational effectiveness.

???? SCHEDULE

Full Time (40 hours per week, Monday-Friday); 12 Months; Exempt. The position is based at Educare of Omaha at Kellom, but serves all five schools. A typical Monday-Friday schedule from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and flexibility as needed to meet organizational needs.

???? LOCATION

Educare of Omaha at Kellom (2123 Paul Street, Omaha, NE 68102)

⭐DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Professional Learning Leadership

• Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate a comprehensive professional development strategy aligned with the organization's strategic plan, Head Start Performance Standards, Nebraska licensing regulations, and evidence-based early childhood best practices.
• Design, coordinate, and evaluate agency-wide professional learning opportunities that strengthen teaching practices, leadership capacity, family engagement, health and safety, and organizational effectiveness.
• Ensure all professional development is job-embedded, data-informed, and directly connected to improving child, family, classroom, and organizational outcomes.
• Lead onboarding, orientation, annual pre-service, in-service training, coaching supports, and leadership development initiatives.
• Monitor compliance with required professional development, licensing requirements, credential attainment, and continuing education expectations.

Performance Expectations / Deliverables:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive annual professional development plan aligned with strategic priorities and organizational performance goals.
• Achieve 100% compliance with required licensing, Head Start, and agency-required professional development.
• Implement an evaluation system measuring the effectiveness and impact of all professional development offerings.
• Establish professional learning dashboards tracking participation, implementation fidelity, and impact on organizational outcomes.
• Present quarterly reports to executive leadership summarizing professional development participation, organizational trends, quality improvement efforts, SUTQ readiness, accreditation progress, and measurable outcomes.

Quality Improvement, Accreditation & Step Up to Quality (SUTQ)

• Serve as the agency lead for professional learning efforts supporting continuous quality improvement across all five program locations.
• Collaborate with leadership teams to develop and implement strategies that support each location in achieving and maintaining the highest Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) rating.
• Lead professional development planning related to Nebraska Step Up to Quality standards, CLASS®, curriculum implementation, teacher-child interactions, instructional practices, and continuous quality improvement.
• Coordinate professional learning activities that support the successful attainment and renewal of national early childhood accreditation, ensuring staff understand accreditation standards and evidence requirements.
• Monitor readiness for SUTQ and accreditation reviews by identifying professional development needs and implementing targeted improvement plans.

Performance Expectations / Deliverables:

• Coordinate professional learning activities that address identified gaps during SUTQ assessments and monitoring visits.
• Develop an agency accreditation readiness framework that includes professional development milestones, staff preparation, documentation support, and ongoing monitoring.
• Ensure staff receive ongoing training aligned with accreditation standards and quality indicators.
• Successfully support all accreditation review activities through staff preparation and continuous readiness efforts.

Continuous Improvement Through Data

• Partner with program leadership to analyze organizational, program, classroom, child, and family data to identify strengths, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Participate in agency data review meetings and facilitate structured professional learning debrief sessions that translate data into actionable improvement strategies.
• Collaborate with Education, Family Impact and Community Partnerships, Health, ERSEA, and Operations leaders to ensure improvement plans include meaningful professional development that addresses identified gaps.
• Utilize data from CLASS®, Teaching Strategies GOLD®, child assessment systems, family engagement outcomes, coaching observations, licensing reviews, monitoring reports, staff evaluations, and organizational dashboards to guide learning priorities.

Performance Expectations / Deliverables:

• Facilitate professional development debrief sessions following each agency-wide data review cycle.
• Partner with program leaders to develop measurable professional learning action plans designed to improve:

• Child assessment outcomes
• School readiness indicators
• Family engagement outcomes
• CLASS® scores
• Classroom quality measures
• Coaching outcomes

• Demonstrate measurable improvement in organizational quality indicators through targeted professional development initiatives.

Incident Response & Reflective Practice

• Participate in multidisciplinary incident debriefings involving program leadership following significant classroom, health and safety, family, or operational incidents.
• Facilitate reflective debrief sessions focused on identifying systemic causes, learning opportunities, and preventative professional development rather than individual blame.
• Develop and implement targeted professional learning, coaching, and follow-up activities based on incident trends to strengthen practice and reduce future risk.
• Track recurring incident patterns and recommend agency-wide training initiatives that proactively address organizational needs.

Performance Expectations / Deliverables:

• Establish a standardized post-incident reflective debrief process that includes professional learning recommendations.
• Develop agency-wide learning briefs identifying trends, root causes, and preventive training opportunities.
• Implement targeted training plans addressing recurring incidents and monitor reductions over time.

Coaching & Instructional Support

• Collaborate with coaches, supervisors, and leadership teams to ensure professional development is reinforced through monitoring, ongoing coaching, and reflective supervision.
• Support leaders in creating team-based development plans based on team’s observations, performance evaluations, coaching data, and organizational priorities.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning, reflective practice, and professional excellence across all departments.

⭐ EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Educational Leadership, Adult Learning, Curriculum & Instruction, Organizational Leadership, Human Services, or a closely related field.
  • Preferred: Doctoral degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) in Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Adult Learning, ora related field.
• Valid driver’s license and car insurance required.
• Ability to travel locally and out of state as required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certification.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in early childhood education, including experience in professional development, coaching, instructional leadership, or program leadership.
• Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience managing professional staff, coaches, or educators.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and evaluating adult learning and professional development systems.
• Demonstrated experience using organizational, classroom, child, and family data to drive continuous quality improvement and professional learning.
• Working knowledge of: Head Start Performance Standards, Nebraska Child Care Licensing Regulations, Nebraska Step Up to Quality (SUTQ), Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), Adult Learning Theory,andContinuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing organizational change.
• Excellent facilitation, presentation, written communication, organizational, and project management skills.
• Experience with Head Start, Early Head Start, Sixpence, or similar family-focused programs preferred.
• Strong understanding of family-centered, strengths-based, culturally responsive practice.
• Strong communication, collaboration, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal teams and external community partners.
• Must be able to pass a background check that meets compliance standards.

⭐ WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

✔️ Generous Paid Time Off:

• Up to 96 hours vacation and 96 hours sick time in your first year
• 10 paid holidays, including your birthday
• 2-week paid Winter Break
• 1-week paid Spring Break
• Paid inclement weather days

✔️ Competitive Pay & Benefits:

• Starting at $85,000 annually + (based on experience and tenure)
• Medical premiums starting at $40.32 per paycheck
• No copays for mental health therapy
• Dental, vision, FSA, life insurance, short-term disability, and more
• 403(b) retirement plan with 3% employer match

✔️ Thrive in Your Career:

• Ongoing coaching and professional development
• Tuition assistance available
• No contracts

Educare of Omaha, Inc. is committed to ensuring equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all hiring and employment practices. We are committed to equal treatment for all applicants and employees and will not discriminate based on age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, disability, sex/gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Equal Opportunity Employer