Early Childhood Lead Teacher
YM&YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood
New York, NY, USA
USD 55k-65k / year
Posted on May 12, 2026
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Location and Job Title:
Early Childhood Lead Teacher
YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood
54 Nagle Ave
New York, NY 10040
Principal Responsibilities:
About the Job
The lead teacher will help to support our program while working with three-year-old children through the implementation of an enriching classroom environment within our state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor facilities. The successful candidate will bring great presence and creativity to the position and will collaborate with our teaching teams and with the directors of the program to help develop and implement an emergent, play-based curriculum incorporating exciting units of study.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Work directly with students to support and enhance their learning within our classroom of three-year-old's.
- Collaborate with the classroom teaching team to plan units of study based on the interests of students and families.
- Create and actively promote a welcoming environment where every child and parent are treated with dignity and respect.
- Along with the assistant teacher, develop and implement an exciting and creative classroom experience incorporating science, cooking, large motor activities, waterplay, story time and art.
- Establish meaningful relationships with families and maintain effective communication, both oral and written.
POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK
- Full-time position; work done during the 42 weeks of the NYC school year.
- Monday - Friday
- Usual hours: 8:00AM-4:00PM
COMPENSATION:
- $56,070 to $71,054 per year; paid at $35.60 to $45.11 per hour - dependent on early childhood education credentials.
- Eligible for salary increases under the collective bargaining agreement. (CBA)
- Competitive benefits package. (Health Insurance; Generous Paid Time Off; Optional Pension Plan; Optional 403b Plan; Life Insurance; Flexible Spending Account; Commuter Benefit Plan; Free Y Fitness Center/Gym Membership)
Minimum Qualifications:
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's degree in Early Childhood Education or an acceptable study plan.
- New York State Early Childhood license preferred.
- Must have Early Childhood experience.
- The ability to work within a team approach.
- Knowledge of early childhood education best practices.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to interact effectively with colleagues and families.
- Competency in general computer skills.
WORK AUTHORIZATION & CLEARANCES:
- Documentation of U.S. citizenship or eligibility to work in the U.S.
- Must pass the background check, medical form and fingerprinting through the Departments of Health and Education.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other functions and responsibilities may change or may be assigned.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.
Salary:
$55,000 - $65,000
Agency Information:
Established in 1917 as one of the first Jewish community centers in New York City, the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood (the Y) is a thriving and visionary not-for-profit human services organization in Northern Manhattan. We welcome people of diverse ethnicities and all ages, from pre-school to older adults, into the Y family with a wide range of educational, recreational and social services and programs that focus on improving the quality of their lives. With a long and distinguished history, the Y is a multi-service community center that is well known for its nurturing environment and non-judgmental philosophy.