Boulder County Head Start Center Director

Boulder County; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 62,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Boulder County is seeking a Head Start Center Director responsible for the daily operations of an early childhood education center in Boulder. This full-time role requires strong leadership and organizational skills, as well as a commitment to fostering a safe and developmentally appropriate environment for children. The Director will manage staff, budgets, and community partnerships while ensuring program goals are met. With a funding range between $62,520.00 and $76,284.00 annually, the position also includes benefits aligned with the Colorado state requirements.

Benefits

Paid breaks aligning with school calendar

Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years supervisory experience required.
• Proficiency in data management and reporting essential.
• CLASS Observer Certification or ability to obtain within 1 year of hire.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the Head Start center.
• Manage budgets and resources while ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Lead, coach, and support educators and staff.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Leadership skills

Data analysis

Education

Baccalaureate or advanced degree in education

30 credits of early education coursework equivalent to a major

Tools

Microsoft platforms

Job description

Boulder County Community Services Department (CSD) is seeking to hire three (3) Head Start Center Director. The Head Start Center Director is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the Head Start early childhood education center and is required to be on-site each day. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and promotes a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate environment for children and families. The Director leads, coaches, and supports a team of educators and staff, manages budgets and resources, coordinates with community partners, and ensures that all program goals related to child development, family engagement, and health services are met. Proficiency in technology and Microsoft platforms is essential for data management, communication, reporting, and administrative tasks.

Oversight and management of:
Cross Cutting Approaches - culture and language diversity, program professional development, and school readiness
Education and Development - child screening and assessments, disability services, curriculum, curriculum, learning environments, teaching practices, and transitions
Family & Community – family engagement, community engagement, family support & wellbeing
Health – mental health, oral health, physical health, nutrition, safety practices
Program Management – recruitment, registration, facilities, fiscal management, human resources, organizational leadership, program planning, transportation
Federal Administrative Procedures – federal monitoring, grant application, designation renewal system

This is a full-time, benefitedposition that will work Monday - Friday 7:45am - 4:15pm. This position will work out of one of Boulder County Head Start (BCHS) locations in Boulder and Lafayette, Colorado. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is exempt.

Boulder County requires its employees to reside in the state of Colorado as of the first day of work.

Hiring Salary Range: $62,520.00 - $76,284.00 Annually

Tentative Hiring Timeline:

• Phone Screening: June 30th
• First Round Interviews: July 7th
• Reference Check: July 9th

Boulder County employees may qualify for Public Service L oan Forgiveness (PSLF). Visit studentaid.gov for more information.

This position may receive paid breaks (summer/ fall/ winter/ spring) that closely align with the BVSD school district calendar.

Demonstrates sound ethical judgment and professional decision-making

Communicates clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing, with diverse audiences

Proficient in aggregating and analyzing data, and using data-driven insights to inform program planning, decision-making, and continuous improvement initiatives

Effectively utilizes agency resources, and state and federal guidelines to provide accurate information and support to staff and families

Capable of designing and delivering engaging training sessions and presentations to both large and small audiences

Collaborates effectively with community partners and possesses a strong understanding of local resources related to education and professional development

Works efficiently both independently and as part of a collaborative team

Monitor and supervise 2-4 classrooms to ensure effective curriculum implementation and compliance with Head Start Performance Standards and Head Start Act

Oversee implementation of Teaching Strategies GOLD child assessment system

Monitor and supervise teaching team's completion of anecdotal observations and Child Progress Checkpoints

Use reporting functions to support effective curriculum implementation by teaching teams

Monitor and ensure teaching staff maintain developmentally appropriate learning environments

Conduct classroom observations and use assessments (such as CLASS, ECERS, ELLCO) to enhance teaching practices and develop goals with and for teaching teams

Review and engage in weekly classroom lesson planning and observe teacher practices to support teaching teams in carrying out curriculum and applying developmentally appropriate and effective teaching practices. Coach and mentor on-site staff, as needed

Coordinate services for children with challenging behaviors (ISPs, parent meetings) and provide direct and/or emergent classroom support, as needed

Conducts performance appraisals, counsels employees concerning performance and recommends personnel actions in the areas of hiring, termination and discipline

Performs related work, as required

May be reassigned during emergency situations

PLEASE NOTE : When completing your application describe all relevant education and experience, as applications are assessed based on the required qualifications listed. Resumes and other attachments are not accepted in lieu of completed applications and will not be reviewed in the initial screening process. Any personally identifiable information (PII) such as name and address will be redacted from applications that meet the minimum screening requirements and are forwarded to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager selects you to advance in the hiring process, your attachments will then be shared with the hiring team.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Boulder County is looking for well qualified candidates to fill our positions. Any combination of relevant education and experience is encouraged. In this position, we are looking for a minimum of a Baccalaureate or advanced degree in education (e.g., early childhood, elementary) OR aBaccalaureate or advanced degree and 30 credits of early education coursework equivalent to a major, with experience teaching pre-school aged children and 3 years supervisory experience.

BACKGROUND CHECK & FINGERPRINTING :

• A job offer is contingent on passing a background investigation with fingerprinting
• All BCHS positions require 4 background checks per CO State Licensing regulations and Head Start Performance Standards. The 4 required background checks are: FBI, CBI, TRAILS, and Sex Offender.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Current CLASS Observer Certification or ability to obtain within 1 year of hire
• Current MyTeaching Strategies Inner-Rater Reliability for Preschool, including Dual Language Learners and Children with Disabilities or ability to obtain within 1 month of hire
• Current Directors License from the State of Colorado (Colorado Shines Level III) or ability to obtain within 1 month of hire

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of Head Start regulations and best practices.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work in diverse, multidisciplinary teams
• Working knowledge of the professional practices and principles of the assigned service component area
• Skill in communication and grant writing
• Ability to work effectively with children, parents, other employees, community agencies and the public

Boulder County is a workplace dedicated to supporting individuals and families of all types and to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.