Early Education Center (EEC) Manager

Department: Early Education Center (EEC)

Location: COA’s Riverwest Center campus (909 East Garfield Avenue)

Reports to: Riverwest Center Director

Direct Reports: Teachers

Indirect Reports: None

Salary: $65,000 annually plus benefits

Summary

The Manager implements the program. It is a full-time, on-site position, eligible for benefits. This position is responsible for the oversight and supervision of all teachers as well as reporting and compliance standards.

Main Job Responsibilities

Leadership

Goal: support staff to reach their greatest potential

• Demonstrate a leadership style focusing on communication, coaching, and support but is willing to discipline appropriately as needed.
• Regularly meet with direct reports and follow performance development system. Ensure they meet performance standards and continuing education requirements.
• Create and maintain staff files.
• Onboarding: DCF/governing bodies orientation, generally orientation weeks one and two.
• Role-model on-going professional learning and application in the classroom. Manage child behavior through positive reinforcement, redirection, and parent involvement.

Goal: staff scheduling that is timely and fits the needs of the Center

• Create and manage the staff schedule, including time off requests
• Monitor attendance and tardiness

Goal: consistently enforce agency policies and procedures

• Be able to answer questions about policies and procedures
• Communicate details, rationale, and plan of action of agency-wide decisions

Goals: ensure successful, meaningful experience for volunteers and practicum students

• Provide leadership and coaching, ensuring they have the information and tools to be successful
• Track hours and sign-off on documentation needed

Program Management/Compliance

Goal: Ensure programs are high quality, innovative, relevant and meet standards/grant/funding requirements

• Review monthly lesson plans and provide meaningful feedback
• Support classrooms/provide coverage, as needed
• Double-check monthly site health and safety observations
• Next Door: monthly meeting with Family Advocate, Coach, Behavior Specialist, and others

Relationships with Parents

Goal: professional and trusting relationships with parents

• Represent the program to parents
• Navigate parent concerns
• Communicate with parents in a timely manner regarding positive things and incidents in a calm and professional manner

Financial

Goal: use resources responsibly

• Work in partnership with Riverwest Center Director, Finance Director, and Enrollment & Billing Specialist to ensure budget needs
• Oversee receipts, documentation, and the tracking system to report monthly to Next Door on in-kind

Partnership/Collaboration

Goal: leverage available resources to provide the best experience for participants

• Collaborate with other COA departments
• Develop strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships with stakeholders.

Other

• Role model appropriate behavior at all times. This includes developing and maintaining appropriate professional relationships with youth, colleagues, parents, facilitators, community members, etc.
• Represent the program and the agency appropriately to stakeholders and the general public
• Attend professional development, staff meetings, and conferences, trainings (including weekends and Saturdays) to remain current in industry knowledge
• Responsible for opening or closing of center and perform opening and closing duties as assigned
• First to be called to substitute in classroom
• Support for picture days, parent teacher conferences and family engagement

Qualifications

Education/Experience

• A Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in education, and a minimum of two years of supervisory experience and five years of early childhood education experience
• Minimum Registry Level 14
• Must be at least 25 years old with a valid Wisconsin driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

Competencies

• Philosophical compatibility with COA mission and youth development methods
• Willingness to learn and ask questions
• Knowledge and expertise in program philosophy and practice, with an orientation to participant guided and culturally relevant services
• Strong budget creation and oversight skills and the ability to develop reasonable projections that include both fiscal and programmatic benchmarks.
• High level of creativity and problem solving ability. Demonstrated examples of coaching, managing through crisis, producing quality improvements, and implementing changes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Must be computer literate: able to use Word to create, edit and format documents and flyers as well as Excel to enter in and manipulate data.
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills; extremely detail oriented
• Effective interpersonal skills to develop strong working relationships
• Must be a self-starter, take initiative, and be able to work independently
• Creativity in program development and delivery
• Very good written communication skills
• Patience, positive attitude, and cultural competency

Physical Requirements / Working Conditions

The physical requirements are the ability to sit and stand for long periods.

The work environment is an active environment with youth and families. This requires the ability to respond quickly to changing situations and be able to move around the COA site as needed. This position also requires some evening and weekend work.

These characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

The above is intended to describe the general content and requirements of this job. It is not meant to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. In other words, other duties as assigned.