Center Director - $4,000 Sign on Bonus

One Hope United; Joliet (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Legal plans

Pet insurance

EAP (Employee Assistance Program)

Career development

Supervision hours

Job summary

One Hope United in Joliet, IL is seeking a Center Director to lead the Joliet Early Learning Center. This role oversees daily operations, staffing, program quality, and family engagement to ensure children’s development and safety.

The Center Director will partner with staff and the agency to meet funding requirements, manage budgets, implement educational standards, and build community partnerships. OHU offers tuition assistance, generous time off, health benefits, and a strong culture of care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in ECE or related field is required.
• Master's degree is preferred.
• One year of professional experience working with children in a childcare or school setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Developing and coordinating systems to create a developmentally supportive environment for children
• Collaborating with staff at the center and agency to manage client relationships and center operations
• Managing daily staffing, recruitment, hiring, and staff orientation
• Assessing and planning for long-range center development and facilities
• Ensuring food service, health, and sanitation procedures are followed
• Maintaining public and private contacts to develop community relations
• Coordinating staff development and evaluating performance for salary decisions
• Handling administrative tasks such as purchasing, budgeting, and facility maintenance
• Ensuring compliance with funding contracts and reporting requirements
• Monitoring and evaluating educational programs and center utilization
• Supporting families' access to supportive services like mental health and speech services

Education

Bachelor's degree in ECE or related field

Master's degree

Job description

Position:Center Director - $4,000 Sign on Bonus

Location: Joliet, IL

Job Id:1579-2

# of Openings:0

Center Director

“ We are such an inclusive organization; we don’t turn anybody away. Everybody is welcome. Working here, I feel like family. I’ve never felt so appreciated working in a place before. They really take care of you here, listen to your concerns, and act on them. It’s just amazing! And it’s really easy to make it amazing when the people you work with are amazing.”

Shari Conley, Joliet Early Learning Center (Joliet, IL)

Culture of Care

The ELCD program at OHU is known for its closely knit teams that often work together for years at a time! The team members join together through their shared love of educating young children, creating a warm and positive working environment. New employees who come from a corporate environment quickly fall in love with the atmosphere at an OHU child development center!

What you would be doing:

• Developing and coordinating systems that will generate an environment for children that supports them developmentally, physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally
• Working with staff of the center and of the agency to ensure proper handling of clients' needs; assuming overall responsibility for the agency's client relationship while the client is in the center
• Managing daily staffing needs, delegating responsibility and authority to staff, recruiting, hiring, and staff orientation
• Evaluating program of facilities and plan for long-range future of center, provide guidelines for plans, and make recommendations
• Developing procedures and controls for food service, health, and sanitation
• Maintaining a wide variety of public and private contacts to develop and maintain public relations of center; working with staff in other social service agencies, welfare councils, professional organizations and other public groups
• Coordinating ongoing staff development; evaluating performance of assigned staff, making recommendations or determinations regarding salary and other personnel actions
• Administering operational details of the center and planning for execution of administrative functions, including purchasing of supplies and equipment and maintenance of the physical facility
• Meeting contractual agreements with funding agencies, preparing all necessary reports per agreements
• Continually monitoring and evaluating the educational program
• Developing and implementing systems to ensure that the day care center remains at maximum utilization and managing the eligibility and re-determination process of clients
• Participating in development and management of assigned budget
• Overseeing data collection, reporting, and billing for the center
• Constructing and maintaining a system that ensures enrolled families have access to support systems such as mental health and speech services

What you can expect from us:

• OHU program leaders work to provide warm and supportive leadership that flexes around your life as much as possible when needed
• Staff Celebrations (including weekly lunches!)
• Ongoing professional development tailored to meet your needs and those of your classroom.
• If you desire to advance in your career over time, program leaders will work with you to do so (OHU has 5 child development centers in the Chicagoland area!)
• You will be part of a center that grows programs in keeping with the community needs
• You will also be part of a well-respected company (OHU is 125 years old!) that has a seat in community partnerships

What we will expect of you:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in ECE or related fieldrequired
• Master's degreepreferred

Experience

• One year of professional experience working with children in a childcare or school settingpreferred

We Invest in You!

Tuition assistance up to $2500 per fiscal year

Up to 4 weeks paid Vacation Days, up to 6 paid Personal Days, 1 paid Mental Health Day, and up to 5 paid Sick days annually

Medical, dental, vision, 403 (b) retirement, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, dependent care, commuter and transit

Agency-paid Life&ADD insurance up to $50K based on salary and short-term disability

Agency-paid long-term after 1 year of employment

Voluntary Supplemental Life&ADD, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital for Employee, Spouse, and Child(ren)

Voluntary Legal Plans

Voluntary Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program with 6 free counseling sessions

Career ladders, professional development, and promotion opportunities

Free LCSW and LCPC Supervision hours available in some locations

A Different Kind of Employer: One Hope United is strong and ready to grow. Are you ready to grow with us?

• 800+ talented professionals strong, serving 10,000 children and families in Illinois and Florida
• Fiscally stable, $70 Million agency-- strong since 1895
• Energetic leadership and a rich community of support

One Hope United does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. One Hope United is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace. OHU participates in E-Verify.