Area Manager

Hire Up Recruiting; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Medical/dental/vision insurance

FREE tuition for the Director's kids

Life insurance

Opportunities for advancement

Paid time off

Professional development assistance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Hire Up Recruiting's client in the Nashville area seeks an Area Manager to lead and support Executive School Directors, ensuring schools meet educational and operational standards.

You will drive performance across budgeting, enrollment, and family experience while fostering a collaborative culture and readiness for growth across multiple locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required.
• Minimum of five years of progressive leadership in early childhood education.
• Experience leading multiple locations, schools, or operational teams.
• Strong knowledge of early childhood education regulations and licensing.
• Experience with budgeting, financial analysis, labor management, enrollment, and performance accountability.
• Strong leadership, communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyze data, establish priorities, and translate goals into action.
• Ability to meet state-specific director qualification requirements.
• Experience with NAEYC standards or accreditation processes preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, onboard, and develop Executive School Directors.
• Establish expectations, evaluate performance, and provide ongoing feedback.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, accountable culture aligned with school values.
• Conduct regular school visits to assess results and support leadership teams.
• Ensure compliance with programs, policies, processes, and standards.
• Oversee budgeting, revenue, profitability, and expense targets.
• Manage enrollment, occupancy, and retention strategies with marketing teams.
• Deliver a high-quality family experience and resolve escalated concerns.
• Partner with leadership to identify growth opportunities and align with regional plans.

Skills

Leadership experience

Coaching

Communication

Problem-solving

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field

Job description

Your interest in this position and application isvery importantto us.?We will respond to your application within one business day.

Our client is looking for an experienced and motivated Area Manager to join the leadership team at their premier preschool in theNashville area. This role leads and supports Executive School Directors to ensure each school fulfills

The Area Manager is accountable for operational excellence, educational quality, regulatory compliance, financial performance, enrollment, family experience, and team-member engagement across assigned schools.

• This is a Direct Hire position with the school

• Monday-Friday; year-round employment

Salary

• $80,000 - $90,000/year pending education, certifications, and professional Early Childhood Education experience

• Bonus incentive based on specified metrics

Benefits

• 401(k) with employer match
• Medical/dental/vision insurance
• FREE tuition for the Director's children
• Life insurance
• Opportunities for advancement
• Paid time off
• Professional developmentassistance
• Tuition reimbursement

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Development

• Recruit, onboard, lead, coach, and develop Executive School Directors.
• Establish clear expectations, evaluate performance, and provide ongoing feedback and support.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and accountable culture aligned withschoolvalues.
• Conduct regular school visits to assess results, reinforce expectations, and support school leadership teams.

Operational and Educational Excellence

• Ensure consistent execution of company programs, policies, processes, and operational standards.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and licensing requirements.
• Identifyoperational risks or performance gaps and developappropriate actionplans with school leadership.
• Ensure academic programming supports children's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth and meets applicable quality, certification, and accreditation standards.
• Support the successful opening, transition, and stabilization of schools within the assigned area.

Financial and Enrollment Performance

• Develop and manage school and area budgets in partnership with Executive School Directors and the Regional Director.
• Analyze financial and operational results and implement strategies to achieve revenue, profitability, and expense targets.
• Coach school leaders on staffing models, scheduling, productivity, and proactive labor management.
• Oversee enrollment, occupancy, and retention strategies, partnering with Marketing andschoolleadership asappropriate.

Family and Community Experience

• Ensure schools consistently delivera high-quality experience for children and families.
• Support thetimelyand professional resolution of escalated family or community concerns.
• Promote and modelVision, Promise, and Values within the schools and surrounding communities.

Strategic Partnership and Growth

• Partner with the Regional Director to develop and execute plans for the assigned area.
• Collaborate with organizational leaders toidentifyand support growth opportunities.
• Remain informed about industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices affecting school operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, ora relatedfield.
• Minimum of five years of progressive leadership experience within early childhood education.
• Experience leading multiple locations, schools, or operational teams.
• Strong knowledge of early childhood education regulations and licensing requirements.
• Experience with budgeting, financial analysis, labor management, enrollment, and performance accountability.
• Strong leadership, coaching, communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyze data,establishpriorities, and translate organizational goals into action.
• Ability to meet applicable state-specific director qualification requirements.
• Experience developing multi-site leaders, supporting school openings or transitions, and working with NAEYC standards or accreditation processes, preferred

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

This position works across multiple early childhood education and remote-work environments.Thisrolerequires regularly moving throughout school facilities, using a computer and other technology, and communicating in person and through telephone and virtual platforms. The position may occasionally require bending, reaching, kneeling, using stairs, and lifting or carrying materials weighing up to 25 pounds. The environment may include moderate noise, frequent interruptions, and conditions commonly present in early childhood education settings.

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.
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