Early Childhood - Executive Director

Summary
Leila Day Nurseries seeks an Executive Director to begin as early as July 1, 2023. The Director develops and administers the full program, is responsible for its operation and financial health, adheres to all licensing and NAEYC accreditation requirements, and works collaboratively in a manner consistent with the educational philosophy and policies set forth by the Board of Managers. This is a year-round position with competitive salary and benefits.
Leila Day was founded in 1878 to serve immigrant families; today it serves a broader population but has remained committed to accessibility by operating with a sliding scale for tuition. Leila Day?s emergent curriculum is play-based and nature-based, reflecting the deep belief that children make discoveries, form ideas, and reach deeper understandings about themselves and about their communities through the natural world.
The school sits on 2.5 acres, affording each classroom its own outdoor space. An outdoor educator collaborates with classroom teachers to align the learning that happens in both spaces.

Duties
Program leadership and management: Recruit, develop and lead a high-performance team; create effective systems to track and evaluate program quality; promote healthy organizational culture and climate; ensure compliance with licensing and accreditation standards and requirements.
Financial management and fundraising: Collaborate with Board to prepare annual budget; monitor income and expenses and report regularly to the Board; supervise all bookkeeping and financial record keeping and ensure annual audit.
Communications: Maintain and update all materials and communications (print, online, web-based) for and about Leila Day for different audiences including current and prospective families, funders, donors and others.
Personnel: Work with Assistant Director to recruit and hire teaching staff and assign/deploy existing staff; supervise all non-teaching staff and contractors; ensure regular evaluation process and professional development opportunities for all employees; maintain personnel files for all staff; update and ensure adherence to the Personnel Handbook.
Enrollment: Recruit and enroll a diverse mix of working families; meet with prospective families to provide school tours; review applications and admit children in accordance with mission.
Development and Fundraising: develop and manage all staff, Board and parent-led development and fundraising activities. Attend School Readiness Provider council meetings and prepare annual RFP and develop other grant applications.
Community Relationship: Develop and foster community relationships and partnerships to support programming and development, including but not limited to early childhood programs and professionals.
Family Relationships: Ensure regular communication between Leila Day and families; plan and participate in Leila Day community events; share information about events and opportunities for families with young children; meet with parents when appropriate including post-Leila Day schooling advising.
Physical Plant: Oversee and ensure optimal use and care of the physical plant and equipment.
Board relations: Communicate and meet regularly with the Board and committees to review the overall functioning of the program and actively engage board members; attend Board meetings; facilitate communication between Board and staff.
Strategic Planning: Identify short- and long-range issues and opportunities, and establish short and long-range strategic goals.
Requirements

• Excellent leadership and management skills, reflected in a strong, steady hand; commitment to collaboration; a community-wide growth mindset; and a distributed leadership model that includes strong supervision and performance assessment;
• Love of young children and commitment to supporting their parents as they enter the early years of their children?s ?formal? schooling.
• Strength in oral and written communication;
• Educational credentials to meet CT's administrative leadership qualifications (or willingness to earn them);
• Deep understanding of early childhood development, play-based learning, and experience working with young children;
• Ability to sustain a safe, happy place in which to work and learn;
• Proven success as a team builder, both at the faculty/staff and administrative levels;
• A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a passion for providing the best in early childhood education to diverse families;
• Knowledge of NAEYC accreditation standards, CT licensing requirements, and other regulatory and quality measures (or willingness to learn this);
• A master?s degree in early childhood education, or a related discipline;
• Capacity to lead and participate in both enrollment management and fundraising for the school;

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience directing an early childhood program is a plus.

Benefits
Health and Dental insurance
Retirement benefit
About Us

Leila Day is an accredited, nonprofit child care center serving children of working families from diverse economic, racial and cultural backgrounds from New Haven and surrounding towns. In operation since 1878, this celebrated program's mission is to foster children's social, emotional, intellectual and physical development within a warm and nurturing environment built on sound

principles of child development. Leila Day emphasizes nature and outdoors education and children and teachers spend time learning outside every day.