Site Director - First Roots Hinesburg Infant & Toddler Program

Job Description

Job Description

Become a Part of a Flexible Senior Leadership Team That Appreciates Work/Life Balance!

The focus of the Site Director is to support the administrative and supervisory needs of the Senior Team onsite in the First Roots Hinesburg Infant Toddler program (FRH). The successful candidate will work as the Director on the license of FRH (with 12 current capacity), and serve as a member of the First Roots Wild Roots (FRWR) Senior Leadership Team. The senior leadership team creates plans, sets goals, and collaborates effectively to build community and achieve our Mission for all 3 of our centers. We're looking for an organized thinker who can manage multiple projects and is excited by the opportunity to combine their early education training with nature based learning and an emergent curriculum approach. As part of the senior team, you will be working in partnership with the FRWR Professional Development Coordinator/Curriculum Coach, the Director of People and the Program Director (with consultation from the finance department) to create a culture of "yes" to foster infinitely creative, inspired and supported educators.

Y(our) Challenge Is to Support the Performance and Happiness of the FRH Team:

We believe a great work environment comes from intentional relationships of key stakeholders in our program -- teaching teams ("we"), the Curriculum Coach and the Director of People and Culture ("us"), and the Program Director ("the future"). As Site Director of FRH, you will have administrative oversight of each teacher's success in the workplace as to how they're doing as both professionals and people. We value teachers who are inspired to work in professional and novel ways, share passions and be lifelong learners in and amidst nature. Their happiness and professionalism is the critical "growing edge" for you to nurture. Our senior team is here to help you succeed.

Our Mission: We are a 5 STAR, nature based early childhood education program that views each child as an individual with a unique developmental profile. Through developmentally responsive outdoor programming, we serve children ages 6 weeks to 8 years. Our mission is to Achieve the highest level of professional development, Build a community where families feel connected and respected, and Cultivate sustainable environmental choices and business practices to support the health and well being of all who work and play with us!

Our Purpose: These are our fundamental reasons for doing what we do. If these resonate with you, come and talk to us!

• Collaboration: We believe that our best work is done together with reflection and intention at the core.
• Empathy: We believe in putting people first.
• Quality: We believe in setting the standard for excellence in early childhood education.
• Positive Impact: We believe in building a better world through our work with children as competent meaning-makers with deep associations and experiences in nature.
• Sustainability: We believe in creating and developing practices that will sustain our planet, our local environment and our people.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee and Cultivate a Professional Team: Using your combined training in early childhood with experience leading teams, act as a professional mentor using our proprietary set of behavioral competencies as an onsite guide to support our program training and development. This will include designing team building activities, leading parts of staff meetings and overseeing FRH personnel management files. You will be working in close partnership with our Professional Development Coordinator/Curriculum Coach, our Director of People and the FRWR Program Director to create and support the success of our teachers on the FRH team as a whole.
• Engage and Cultivate Strong Home-School Connections Between Families and Staff at FRH: You will be our face to staff and families as well as early education teaching professionals seeking employment in the Underhill location. Proactive communication with families and designing opportunities for community engagement are an essential part of our mission. Assist in sourcing and responding to inquiries from families and prospective teachers. Participate in the interviewing and hiring decisions. Participating in onsite orientation of new employees. Leading the 90-day and annual reviews for staff at FRH. Working with the Professional Development Coordinator/Curriculum Coach to coordinate teaching and/or behavioral competency reviews, documenting and following up as noted on each staff's Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) for the upcoming year.
• Enhance Our Work Culture: Nurturing our program's dynamic culture and workplace well being . Provide ongoing communication and encourage teachers' growing edge as professionals in the field. Surface any issues that are preventing us from being a great place to work! Develop appreciative inquiry opportunities, celebrate achievements and professional successes for the staff at FRH.

Some of the Things We Are Looking for in You:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or related field; Director Credential Level 1, 2 or 3 a plus.
• Center-Based Early Education Work Experience: Perhaps you have work experience in an early childhood environment as a classroom teacher or as an Assistant Director. We are looking for the ability to inspire and motivate folks as people, beyond their teaching role.
• Human Resources Experience: Successful experience/coursework with supervision processes and personnel issues, facilitation roles or organizational psychology.
• Business Savvy: Solid understanding of the key drivers of an early education business model.
• Self-Starter Mentality: Proactive thinker looking to build an outstanding culture and HR processes as we grow our business.
• Communication Skills: Distill and be able to have fair, clear and sometimes challenging conversations with all audiences.
• Interpersonal Skills: Build trust and effectively collaborate with everyone.
• Sense of Humor: Everything is easier if you can laugh -- and it brightens the day!

More About the Folks You'll Be Working With:

All our teachers put their heart into teaching and value nature-based play as the core of this work. This shows when our teachers support children by responding to and extending their play interests with natural materials, in the out of doors, through storytelling and songs to encourage language, numeracy, science, and social interaction to develop a strong appreciation of the wider world. And our team understands and appreciates the value of a really good question! They do this because our teachers share a common passion for professional development, community building and care for our environment -- and for having a sense of humor and a sense of FUN!

Our Commitment to a Healthy Work Environment: We constantly strive to create an environment that allows our employees to do the best work of their lives. We are also committed to keeping our employees healthy, motivated, focused and creative. We've designed our benefits program with these goals in mind. In a nutshell, we've built a place where teachers truly love to work, and we think you will too. Developing a strong partnership with our other 2 programs is critical to the success of all.

Our Commitment to Diversity: We believe that a workplace, classroom or community thrives when all voices are at the table and can be heard! We don't discriminate against employees or applicants based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, citizenship, disability, pregnancy status, or any other differences. Supporting diversity in the workplace is one of our 9 fundamental behavioral competencies for every employee.

Achieving Highest Level of Professional Development:

• Lead, develop and report to senior management on specific functional areas.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of First Roots - Wild Roots current A-B-C Mission, vision and strategy.
• Support the implementation of First Roots - Wild Roots current operational plans for FRH and program wide.
• Self-development and continuing personal development consistent with First Roots - Wild Roots behavioral competencies and IPDP.
• Support compliance with all state and federal laws, regulations and policies and licensing regulations.
• Support maintenance of a system of staff and student records (in accordance with the State child care licensing regulations and First Roots - Wild Roots systems) for FRH operations.
• Support teachers in-class as needed for emergency coverage, supervision, support or quality evaluation.
• Develop and execute an on-going program of activities which contributes to the care, growth and development of the children at the center and of each child as an individual (includes maintaining STARS accreditation, Specialized Service Provider, Eco-Healthy Child Care Certification).

Building a Community:

• Work to build a cohesive professional team and culture with FRH and wider First Roots Essex (FRE) and FRWR teachers.
• Support development of teaching Quality and Professionalism through mentoring and coaching of teachers (e.g. CLASS, Nature based curriculum, ASQ-3).
• Support and guide one of the Program Committees for FRWR staff (PD/Community/Sustainability/Funshine).
• Maintain and develop First Roots - Wild Roots organizational culture, values and reputation with all staff, customers, families, vendors, and childcare regulatory/VT State bodies.
• Conduct oneself as a role model by the First Roots - Wild Roots team, ethically and professionally.

Cultivating Healthy Environmental Choices and Sustainable Business Practices:

• Ensure all planning and curriculum is in accordance with First Roots - Wild Roots Mission and that the team operates an effective budget.
• Support Eco-certification status and work to improve compliance and extend outdoor and nature based programming and education for children and families.
• Support financial responsibilities of budgeting and prudent fiscal and financial management in consultation with Owners.
• Implement strategies to recruit and maintain enrollment of families.
• Implement strategies at FRH to promote sustainability and tenure of FRH staff.
• Document attendance in CCDIS system and ensure CCFAP eligibility status for families who receive it.
• Evaluate facilities, resources, teaching and support personnel, and make recommendations or decisions about promotions, salaries and dismissals.
• Positively impact the profitability of the company through tactical management decisions, recommendations, mindful expenditures (eco-footprint) and new program results.

Job Type: Full-time

Location: In person

Pay: $58,720 – $62,880/year

Benefits:

• 120 hours of PTO per year, prorated from start date.
• Three additional paid closure weeks each year — February, July and December.
• Paid holidays (Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving & the day after).
• Employer-paid group health insurance.
• $1,200/year Employee Benefit Health Reimbursement Account.
• Dental and vision coverage available, including 50% employer contribution toward single dental coverage.
• Employer-paid short-term disability insurance.
• $25,000 employer-paid life insurance.
• Up to $500/year tuition reimbursement.
• Paid professional development.
• Childcare tuition benefits.
• Relocation assistance for eligible candidates, including up to $1,000 toward moving expenses and potentially up to 90 days of rent-free housing, based on availability.

Plus a Few Fun Extras: monthly staff lunches and bagel days, coffee and snacks, branded L.L.Bean gear, pickleball, access to walking trails, our Zen room and our in-ground pool!

We believe that classrooms and workplaces thrive when all voices are welcomed and respected . We encourage applicants of all identities, backgrounds and experiences to apply.