Colorado Nonprofit Association

Early Learning Center Assistant Director – Alameda

The Assistant Director at the Mile High United Way Early Learning Center at Warren Village’s new Alameda campus will oversee all areas of child health and enrollment, child and family integration, on-site administration of CACFP, and Director support.  The ELC will serve children ages 6 weeks to 10 years old in a comprehensive, high-quality early learning environment.  Teaching teams provide a supportive and nurturing learning environment with a strong emphasis on whole-child development, teacher training, and application of Conscious Discipline®.  This center will be attached to a permanent supportive housing complex for low-income families.

Construction will finish in October 2024, and the ELC will welcome students starting January 2025.  It will be open to families living on-site and the surrounding community.  Joining the ELC now provides unique opportunities for new staff to participate in classroom set-up, make supply recommendations, build team culture, get familiarized with technology components, study the curriculum, and more!  The staff at Alameda will also collaborate with those at Warren Village’s ELC @ Gilpin to form a strong, cooperative team.

Warren Village recognizes that our backgrounds are broad, and our talents are many, from different lived experiences.  We value and leverage our differences to encompass and reflect the communities we serve.  We align our policies, practices, and resources so that people of all races, cultures, identities, and socioeconomic status may feel valued and respected.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Staff Supervision and Development
• Monitors and (indirectly) supervises staff, including oversight of teaching activities, addressing concerns, and providing feedback.
• Directly supervises the Food Services Coordinator, including recruitment, selection, development, and disciplinary action as needed.
• Assists the Director in staff evaluations, performance improvement plans, hiring, onboarding processes, and compliance-related training.
• Works with the Educational Coach to ensure data consistency, cover classrooms as needed, and ensure compliance with licensing regulations and quality standards.

Recruitment, Enrollment, and Family Orientation

• Manages the enrollment process, including: monitoring of waitlist and classroom capacities, responding to inquiries, giving tours, processing applications, and maintaining accurate, updated family records.
• Manages family communications with appropriate confidentiality, including: notifying staff of new enrollments and withdrawals, and working closely with Family Services (in applicable cases) to ensure a seamless enrollment experience.
• Partners with external agencies and the Family/Supportive Services teams to ensure complete student enrollment and eligibility criteria for funding sources like Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), Denver Preschool Program (DPP), Universal Pre-K (UPK), State Funded Program (SFP), and Head Start are met.  Competently stacks funding sources to ensure organizational cost-effectiveness while providing excellent service to each family.
• Maintains child health records, ensuring compliance with regulations and coordinating as needed with staff to ensure necessary accommodations.
• Serves as the primary administrator for medication management, including training staff and coordinating with the school nurse consultant.
• Ensures compliance with emergency procedures and drills, trains staff on these protocols, and manages documentation and readiness.
• Liaises between parents and external service providers for special needs referrals, including IFSP, IEP, and other support services.
• Communicates the nature of illness and incident reports to parents daily.

Nutrition and Food Program Compliance (CACFP/USDA)

• Ensures the Food Services Coordinator meets CACFP and Department of Health standards.
• Maintains accurate records, conducts trainings, and prepares for site visits.
• Oversees food purchasing, menu planning, and kitchen maintenance to meet compliance and health standards.

Family and Community Engagement

• Provides resources and referrals to families, responds to parent concerns, and manages tuition payments.
• Communicates policies on pick-ups, illnesses, and other procedures.
• Assists in planning and facilitating family and staff events, ensuring clear and constructive communication through various channels.

Operational and Administrative Duties

Other duties as assigned

Competencies and Traits

• Commitment to the mission, goals and values of Warren Village.
• Accountability:  Demonstrates clear decision-making and problem-solving, commitment to addressing conflicts and errors promptly, successful task prioritization, and ability to meet deadlines with professionalism.
• Collaboration:  Builds trust and strong relationships, works effectively with others, and supports collective growth and well-being.
• Empowerment: Embraces continuous learning, adapts strategies, and remains open to innovative ideas and changes, modeling flexibility to meet business needs.
• Excellence: Exhibits strong management, organizational, and leadership skills, communicates effectively, and understands best practices for childcare management.
• Inclusion:  Implements inclusive practices to meet the instructional, behavioral, developmental, medical and mental health needs of children and adults.
• Integrity:  Acts with honesty, transparency, and initiative.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• Ability to work regular evenings and weekend hours.

Minimum/Required Qualifications:

• High school education or general education degree (GED).
• Valid State of Colorado Large Center Director Certificate.
• Fluent in both English and Spanish languages, proficiently communicating verbally and in writing.
• Three years of related experience, including at least one year in a supervisory role.
• Two years of computer experience, including database management skills – primarily using Brightwheel.
• Ability to pass State of Colorado (and out-of-state, as applicable) fingerprint and background checks.

Preferred education, knowledge, and/or experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, or related field.  4 years of experience may be substituted for education.
• Experience with culturally diverse populations.
• Valid Colorado driver’s license.
• Experience with Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), Denver Preschool Program (DPP), Universal Pre-K (UPK), State Funded Program (SFP), Teaching Strategies Gold®/Interrater Reliability, Creative Curriculum®, Conscious Discipline®, and trauma-informed practices.
• Experience with Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Child Care Licensing Rules & Regulations.
• Experience with Head Start, Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), ESI (Early Screening Inventory), and Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3/ASQ-SE2).

Work Environment: The working environment is an approximate balance of 50% office work (using a personal computer and other office equipment) and 50% movement inside/outside the center.  This position frequently communicates with staff, families, children, community support agencies, consultants, and government agencies, which requires the ability to exchange accurate information.

Work may involve moderate exposure to unusual elements such as weather, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises.  The employee may be exposed contagious and/or ill children and must be conscious of the health and safety of the children, their parents, school personnel, and themselves.

Physical Demands: While performing these duties, the Assistant Director will occasionally be required to lift up to 40 pounds and frequently sit, stand, walk, bend, and crouch, within and outside the building.