Job title: Early Childhood Center Director

Reports to: Senior Director of Education

Duration: Full Time (exempt)

Summary: The Early Childhood Director oversees the daily operations of IKAR’s Early Childhood Center (ECC), currently serving up to 50 children ages 18 months to 4 years old, with plans to launch an infant program this year. The Director ensures a welcoming, safe, nurturing, stimulating, child-centered, play-based and inclusive learning environment grounded in Reggio Emilia principles and Jewish values.

The Director is responsible for faculty supervision, program development, compliance, family communication, strategic visioning, and financial oversight. This position is ideal for an inspired leader who brings warmth, creativity, and professional excellence to early childhood education, and who will continue to build on our culture of community, curiosity, resilience, social justice and joyful learning.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a visionary leader to join a vibrant, mission-driven organization and steward a beloved and thriving school community into and through its next chapter. This person will lead the expansion of the Early Childhood Center and vision of the new space for the preschool in the IKAR Center for up to 80 students. The Director will join a strong, collaborative team within one of Los Angeles’s most dynamic Jewish institutions led by Rabbi Sharon Brous, leading a program that values joy, justice, creativity, and belonging.

**Key Responsibilities:
**-Leadership & Vision

• Develop and articulate a clear educational vision aligned with Reggio Emilia philosophy and Jewish values.

• Foster a warm, inclusive, and welcoming environment for children and families of all backgrounds.

• Serve as the primary ambassador for the ECC, cultivating strong relationships with families, faculty, IKAR leadership, and the broader community.

• Cultivate a community culture that encourages ECC alumni and their families to continue their Jewish learning and journeys at IKAR

• Report annually to the board on ECC financial targets, achievements, and challenges

-Administration & Operations

• Oversee all day-to-day operations, including faculty scheduling, parent engagement, communication, and supervision of the ECC Operations Manager.

• Manage the ECC budget, tuition planning, financial tracking, and resource allocation in alignment with organizational priorities.

• Maintain and update institutional policies and ensure full compliance with California licensing requirements.

• Ensure classrooms and outdoor environments reflect Reggio Emilia best practices.

• Launch or expand infant care and toddler care programs, as appropriate. [Note: We are currently in the process of applying for an infant license and hope to launch infant care this school year.]

-Community Engagement & Outreach

• Schedule and lead school tours for prospective families.

• Guide enrollment, re-enrollment, and onboarding processes.

• Develop strategies for retention, recruitment, and enrollment growth.

• Represent IKAR ECC at community preschool fairs, open houses, and IKAR-wide events.

• Maintain strong visibility during school hours and attend key community programs, including some evenings and weekends.

-Faculty Leadership

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate teaching staff, ensuring high-quality instruction and alignment with the ECC’s mission and values.

• Lead ongoing professional development, goal-setting, and classroom observations.

• Cultivate a collaborative, positive work environment that promotes teamwork and shared learning.

• Support teachers with parent conferences and written assessments.

• Collaborate with educators to plan emergent, child-centered curricula that integrate Judaic and Hebrew learning.

-Educational Oversight

• Provide vision and leadership for continuous program improvement, staying current on early childhood education and Reggio Emilia developments.

• Partner with teachers to plan instructional activities and holiday and Shabbat related programming.

• Facilitate all-school programs including Shabbat, InterGen, Katira Day, and holiday celebrations.

• Design family education opportunities that deepen engagement in Jewish life and strengthen community connection.

• Offer guidance on behavioral and developmental needs, supporting individualized plans for children when appropriate.

• Oversee committees involved in parent education and community-building initiatives.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field required; Master’s degree strongly preferred.

• Minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience in early childhood education, ideally in a Reggio Emilia–inspired or play-based environment.

• Deep passion for working with young children and a commitment to fostering joyful learning grounded in Jewish values and social justice.

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.

• Exceptional organizational, time-management, and multitasking abilities.

• Creativity, flexibility, and a collaborative spirit.

• Experience ensuring compliance with California child care licensing regulations.

• Proven ability to manage budgets, operations, and administrative systems.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Google Workspace, and school management platforms.

• Knowledge of Reggio Emilia philosophy and of Jewish life, holidays, rituals, and values.

• Demonstrated ability to supervise, coach, and develop staff.

• Able to support and interact with infants through Pre-K in a developmentally appropriate manner, which may include floor-level engagement and occasional lifting, as needed.

Salary & Benefits: Pay range is between $90,000 and $110,000 with a generous benefits package including full health, vision, dental, life insurance, and a 401K plan with company matching.

Equal Opportunity & Diversity: IKAR prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Systemic inequities in hiring have caused women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ folks, and others to apply to jobs only if they meet every requirement. We encourage you to break those statistics and apply, as no one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. We look forward to your application.

How to Apply: Please include a brief cover letter (no more than one page) that helps us understand who you are beyond your resume. Please send your resume and cover letter with answers to questions below to eccdirectorsearch@ikar.org.

In your letter, we invite you to share:

• Why this role excites you, and how your experience has prepared you to lead a Reggio-inspired, Jewish values-driven early childhood program.

• How you connect with IKAR’s mission and Jewish life, and how you see yourself contributing to a joyful, inclusive, justice-oriented Jewish community.

• What unique perspective or vision you would bring as we enter a new chapter of growth.

About IKAR: IKAR, an innovative model for Jewish engagement, launched in 2004 in an effort to reclaim the vitality and relevance of Jewish religious practice and reimagine the contours of Jewish community. Recognized nationally for its success in engaging young and disaffected Jews, IKAR is a positive and proactive response to the declining trend in affiliation in the Jewish community. IKAR is dedicated to reanimating Jewish life through imaginative engagement with ritual and spiritual practice and a deep commitment to social justice. Fusing piety and hutzpah, obligation and inspiration, we are harnessing an untapped energy in the Jewish community –attracting and mobilizing Jews who contribute their vast intellectual and creative resources to address real world concerns effectively and unapologetically. Since its founding, we have witnessed exponential growth from a handful of people to a community of 1,000+ member households – making it one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the country. Hundreds of others – both in Los Angeles and nationally – participate in a wide diversity of IKAR programs and services. In addition to establishing a vital presence in Los Angeles, we have also become a leading model of engaging, authentic, resonant Jewish life that is inspiring change in synagogues and communities around the country.