Center Director

Child-Development-Schools; Cedar Hill (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Child-Development-Schools seeks a School Director to lead overall school performance, culture, enrollment growth, and compliance with licensing and safety standards. You will oversee staff leadership, financial health, and educational quality, while nurturing strong relationships with children, families, and the community.

The role requires guiding a team, maintaining ratios, delivering high-quality early education, and partnering with the District Manager to drive strategic training and

Qualifications

• Ability to foster trust and respect with children and parents.
• Strong patience and understanding of small children.
• Ability to communicate, train and educate children.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Proficient time management and multi-tasking flavors.
• Ability to be flexible in work and schedule.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop all school personnel by managing schedules, conducting evaluations, and ensuring operational excellence and educational quality.
• Build and sustain a high-performing school culture through ethical leadership and staff development.
• Invest in leadership pipeline development and internal growth planning, while maintaining classroom ratios.
• Ensure regulatory compliance across state childcare licensing, ratios, and wage laws; report suspected abuse as required.
• Maintain safe, healthy school environment with safety drills and audits.
• Oversee daily operations and facility standards, attendance, maintenance, and sanitation.
• Drive classroom excellence and program quality, lead accreditation and continuous improvement.
• Foster proactive family communication and engagement with families and conferences.
• Represent the school and brand with excellence in tours and stakeholder outreach.
• Own financial performance, tuition collection, and asset safeguarding; report variances.
• Lead data-driven decisions using enrollment, staffing, and retention metrics.
• Grow enrollment through local marketing and community partnerships.
• Collaborate with District leadership to align priorities and ensure execution.
• Maintain transparent communication with District Manager and regional teams.

Skills

Trust building

Patience

Communication

Time management

Flexibility

Job description

The School Director is accountable for the overall performance and culture of the school. This includes enrollment growth, financial health, staff leadership, licensing compliance, and the delivery of high-quality early education programs. The School Director sets the tone for the entire school community, drives operational excellence, and is responsible for developing a sustainable leadership culture that supports team growth and long-term school health. The Director is the primary leader responsible for all people inside the building, children, families, and staff alike.

• Lead and develop all school personnel by managing schedules, conducting performance evaluations, implementing improvement plans, and establishing clear expectations through consistent recognition, coaching, and accountability. Recruit, hire, onboard, train, mentor, and retain high-performing staff to ensure operational excellence and educational quality.
• Build and sustain a high-performing school culture by modeling ethical leadership, fostering a collaborative and professional work environment, coaching instructional staff on curriculum implementation, and developing and implementing strategic training initiatives in collaboration with the District Manager and company training department.
• Invest in leadership pipeline development by identifying and advancing high-potential staff through pathways from Assistant Teacher to Lead Teacher to leadership readiness, supporting internal growth and succession planning. Work directly in classrooms as needed to maintain state-mandated ratios and ensure operational continuity.
• Regulatory Compliance and Safety
• Ensure full regulatory and legal compliance across all state childcare licensing requirements, teacher-to-child ratios, company policies, and applicable wage and hour laws; fulfill all mandated reporter responsibilities by promptly reporting suspected child abuse or neglect to the appropriate agency in accordance with applicable law.
• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy school environment by adhering to all company safety procedures, communicating hazards and prevention measures to staff, and conducting routine safety inspections, emergency preparedness drills, and compliance audits.
• Oversee daily operations and facility standards by maintaining accurate attendance records, coordinating facility maintenance, equipment repairs, and schoolwide sanitation, and performing cleaning responsibilities as needed to ensure tour-readiness and compliance with all state health requirements.
• Educational Quality & Family Engagement
• Drive classroom excellence and program quality by developing schoolwide strategies that promote engaging, developmentally appropriate learning environments; encourage creative instructional practices including student work displays, evidence of learning, and instructional technology; and lead accreditation, quality assurance, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Champion proactive family communication and engagement by ensuring staff provide consistent updates on each child's social, emotional, behavioral, and academic development; building trust-based relationships with enrolled and prospective families; and conducting annual parent conferences and community stakeholder outreach.
• Represent the school and brand with excellence by conducting engaging tours for prospective families, effectively communicating the school's educational philosophy, curriculum, and program offerings, and demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the company's brand and educational model.
• Operations & Financial Accountability
• Own the school's financial performance by maintaining accurate records, ensuring timely tuition collection, safeguarding company assets, and assuming full accountability for P&L results; elevate significant budget variances to the District Manager promptly.
• Lead with data by analyzing operating statements, enrollment reports, staffing metrics, attendance trends, labor efficiency, and family retention data to drive strategic decisions and continuous improvement.
• Grow enrollment and community presence by executing locally focused marketing and outreach strategies, cultivating community partnerships, and delivering proactive family engagement that supports occupancy and retention goals.
• Partner closely with school leadership by working in alignment with the Assistant Director and all District-level leaders to reinforce shared accountability, ensure consistent execution of priorities, and facilitate regular team communication with clear agendas and documented follow-through.
• Maintain transparent, responsive communication with the District Manager and regional/support teams through timely updates, proactive issue escalation, and clear reporting.
• Lead through change with intention by communicating the "why" behind organizational shifts, supporting staff through transitions, and sustaining operational stability as priorities evolve.

#CDSSW

Requirements

• Ability to foster trust and respect with children and parents
• Strong level of patience and understanding of small children
• Ability to communicate, train and educate children
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Proficient time management and multi-tasking skills
• Ability to be flexible in work and schedule

My Small Wonders Facebook

CDS Privacy Policy

Employer Privacy Policy

EEO is the Law

ADP Privacy Statement

Artificial Intelligence

Google Privacy Policy

Google Terms of Service