JCC MetroWest Early Childhood Associate Director – Preschool and Public Pre-K

Reports to: Early Childhood Director

Salary: $58K-$63K per year

Full Time (40 hours/week); Exempt

Position Summary:

Cultivate young minds. Engage with young families. Inspire Teachers. Join our dynamic team of professionals dedicated to fostering a love of learning in young children in a fast-paced, warm, and fun-loving Early Childhood Center (ECC). Inspire and lead in an innovative way adapting to the characteristics and varying needs of individuals and situations. You will be a key leader in creating a nurturing and responsive environment where children and families thrive and learn, where Jewish values and traditions are foundational, and where everyone’s experience matters.

Provide daily oversight of the program paying close attention to details and follow through. Manage the overall private preschool and Pre-K program as well as the Public Pre-K program, including parent communication, staffing, coaching and overall experience for students, families and teachers in collaboration with a supportive team of administrators in a positive environment.

Lead with Vision and Compassion. You will be a collaborative partner in shaping and maintaining the school’s educational philosophy in (1) private ECC classrooms that spark curiosity and engage children in schematic, emergent and project based work while highlighting Jewish holidays, traditions, and values; and (2) public pre-K classrooms in which teaching teams follow the High Scope Curriculum on which you will receive training. The Associate Director will guide staff to incorporate respect and responsiveness for the very young learners – always ensuring adherence to licensing guidelines, developmentally appropriate practices, and positive guidance as well as an environment of reflective practice and processes.

Benefits include health, dental, vision, paid time off, retirement savings plan, employee discounts, and free gym membership.

Essential Duties & Functions:

• Supervise, mentor and support educational staff to deepen their thinking about teaching and learning.

• Support the creation of meaningful learning opportunities

• Ensure learning meets and exceeds educational standards and kindergarten preparation

• Communicate effectively and efficiently with teachers, ECC team members, and parents

• Create meaningful professional development opportunities throughout the year

• Formalize teacher feedback, assessment and supervisory communication

• Classroom coverage as needed

• Review weekly teaching intentions and provide timely feedback

• Conduct age-group meetings on a regular schedule

• Be well versed in licensing policies and identify them in a classroom

• Ensure staff are in compliance with all directives

• Support public Pre-K staff in their High Scope Curriculum, assessments and materials. Assure compliance with the High Scope Curriculum as required by the West Orange Board of Education for the public Pre-K program

• Be point-person for West Orange Board of Education and oversee public Pre-K after- school participation and schedules

• Keep ECC Director informed

• Attend some of the family events at the JCC outside of school hours

• Maintain and plan for the daily ratio staffing in your classrooms

• Monitor posts on ECC communication app

• Interview, hire, train and mentor new staff

• Train and participate in Grow NJ Kids (state accreditation system) and New Jersey Child Care Information System (NJCCIS)

• Maintain teacher assessment records and conduct check-in meetings as needed

• Changeover to and oversight of summer program

• Create schedules for special events

• Serve as liaison between the Facilities Department and the ECC

• Follow up with prospective families as needed

• Attend weekly administrative meetings

• Flexibility to open and close the ECC (ECC hours are M-F 7:30am – 6:00pm); evening and weekend availability for meetings and events

Other Responsibilities:

• Collaborate on teacher assignments and children’s placements

• Communicate, cooperate and collaborate with other JCC Departments

• Build positive relationships

• Cultivate an environment that is built on a strong image of children and families with each having their own spark

• Provide equality and judgement-free zone for all backgrounds and experience; address concerns and questions with diplomacy and without judgment

• Provide insight into areas for professional growth for yourself and others

• Maintain positive view of the ECC

• Be a trusted and responsive point of contact for parents

• Foster open communication

• Maintain preschool environment and office

• Assist staff with JCC systems as needed

Physical Requirements:

• Ability and willingness to actively participate in children’s play and care: lift and carry children 5-10 feet; bend, stoop, kneel, regularly sit on floor and return to standing position without assistance; and in response to emergency situations be able to stand from a seated position on the floor unassisted in under 7 seconds.

• Regular/daily use of computer terminal screen; typing

Qualifications:

• BA/Masters in Early Childhood Education

• Knowledge in Emergent/Co-constructivist, Reggio-Emilia, schematic and project-based curriculum

• 5+ years of early childhood experience in a progressive early childhood program including at least 3 years of supervisory experience

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

• Ability to take initiative to plan and follow through with direction to the finish

• Strong and confident written and verbal communication skills

• Strong organizational and time management skills

Qualified candidates should email your cover letter and resume to the attention of Early Childhood Director Leslie Fleischman at lfleischman@jccmetrowest.org.

All applicants for employment shall be considered without regard to race, religion, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by law.

Agency Information:
JCC MetroWest has been at the center of our community for 144 years, bringing people together while providing educational, social, cultural and fitness programs. Here at the J, we take every precaution to keep our community safe and healthy, as well as warm, inclusive, and welcoming.