Director - Early Childhood Education

Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington; Wilmington (NC); On-site; USD 63,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

401(k) plan

Paid leave

Childcare discount

Job summary

Spark Academy in Wilmington, NC is seeking a Director - Early Childhood Education to provide strong operational, educational, and administrative leadership for a 5-star early childhood center serving 100 children from 6 weeks through Pre-K, with growth to about 165.

The Director will ensure high-quality programming, regulatory compliance, and a nurturing environment while collaborating with Beacon Education for centralized support and strategic planning.

Qualifications

• Current North Carolina Level III Administrator Credential or higher.
• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, Human Services, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and daily oversight of the center and its operations.
• Ensure licensing compliance with NC child-care requirements and DCDEE regulations.
• Promote a high-quality developmentally appropriate educational program for all ages served.
• Recruit, supervise, coach, and develop early childhood educators and staff.
• Build strong relationships with families and manage family communications.
• Assist with developing and managing the center's operating budget and resources.

Skills

Leadership

Operations

Regulatory compliance

Educational leadership

Staff development

Family relations

Health & safety

Budgeting

Education

NC Level III Administrator Credential

Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education or related field

Job description

Director - Early Childhood Education

Full-Time | 12 months | Monday - Friday

Location: 1802 S. 17th Street, Wilmington NC 28401

At Spark Academy, we believe every child deserves a strong start. We are seeking an experienced, highly qualified, and dynamic Director to lead our 5-star early childhood education center serving approximately 100 children from 6 weeks through Pre-K, growing to approximately 165.

The Director is responsible for providing strong operational, educational, and administrative leadership while ensuring the highest standards of quality, safety, compliance, and family service. This individual will serve as the primary leader of the center, building a positive culture among teachers and staff while maintaining a nurturing, engaging, and developmentally appropriate environment for children.

Spark Academy is supported and managed through a nonprofit organization, Beacon Education, that provides centralized administrative and operational support, including admissions, enrollment, human resources, operations, and financial management. This structure allows the Director to focus on what matters most: providing exceptional early childhood education, developing and supporting a strong teaching team, maintaining a high-quality learning environment, and building meaningful relationships with children and families.

The Director serves as the primary on-site leader and is responsible for the overall quality, culture, educational program, day-to-day center operations, and staff leadership of Spark Academy. The Director works closely with the nonprofit's centralized support team to ensure that center operations, staffing, enrollment, financial practices, and administrative systems are aligned with organizational goals.

The ideal candidate is an experienced early childhood professional who understands the unique responsibilities of operating a high-quality child-care center in North Carolina and is committed to continuous improvement, staff development, regulatory compliance, and exceptional family relationships.

At Spark we have a passionate, mission-driven team that values collaboration, professional growth, and creating an environment where both children and educators can thrive.

Position Details

Title: Director - Early Childhood Education

Reports To: CEO

Salary: $63,000-$68,000

Key Responsibilities

Center Leadership & Operations

• Provide overall leadership and daily oversight of the center and its operations.
• Ensure the center consistently meets or exceeds the standards expected of a 5-star early childhood education program.
• Establish clear expectations for staff performance, professionalism, classroom quality, and customer service.
• Develop and maintain efficient systems for daily operations, staffing, communication, and administrative functions.
• Maintain a safe, organized, welcoming, and professional environment throughout the center.
• Monitor enrollment, staffing levels, classroom ratios, schedules, and operational needs.
• Address operational challenges promptly and implement effective solutions.

Licensing, Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Maintain full compliance with North Carolina child-care licensing requirements, regulations, policies, and applicable local and state requirements.
• Maintain compliance with North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) requirements and applicable local, state, and federal regulations.
• Ensure all required staff qualifications, background checks, training, documentation, health and safety requirements, and personnel records are current and properly maintained.
• Maintain required center records and documentation in an accurate and timely manner.
• Prepare the center for licensing visits, inspections, assessments, and quality reviews.
• Monitor classroom and center practices to ensure ongoing compliance. Lead continuous quality improvement efforts designed to maintain and strengthen the center's 5-star rating.

Educational Leadership

• Promote a high-quality, developmentally appropriate educational program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and Pre-K children.
• Ensure curriculum implementation supports children's cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and language development.
• Conduct regular classroom observations and provide meaningful feedback to teachers.
• Support teachers in creating engaging, age-appropriate, and inclusive learning environments.
• Monitor lesson planning, classroom documentation, child assessments, and developmental practices (alongside the Curriculum and Instructional Coach).
• Encourage evidence-based early childhood practices and ongoing professional growth.

Staff Leadership & Development

• Recruit, interview, hire, onboard, and retain highly qualified early childhood educators and support staff.
• Provide effective supervision, coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold staff accountable for meeting them.
• Conduct staff evaluations and performance reviews in a timely and professional manner.
• Identify professional development opportunities and ensure required training is completed.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, respect, accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Recognize strong performance and address performance concerns promptly and appropriately.
• Develop staffing plans that support classroom stability and consistent quality of care.

Family & Community Relations

• Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with enrolled families.
• Serve as a visible and approachable leader for parents and guardians.
• Respond to family questions, concerns, and feedback promptly and professionally.
• Partner with the nonprofit's admissions and enrollment team to support enrollment goals and maintain strong classroom utilization.
• Communicate center policies, expectations, events, and important information effectively.
• Work to create a positive family experience from enrollment through graduation.
• Represent Spark Academy professionally within the local community.

Health, Safety & Child Well-Being

• Maintain the highest standards of child health, safety, supervision, and security.
• Ensure staff consistently follow all health and safety policies and procedures.
• Monitor compliance with safe sleep practices, sanitation procedures, supervision requirements, emergency procedures, and incident reporting.
• Ensure appropriate procedures are followed for accidents, injuries, illnesses, emergencies, and other safety concerns.
• Maintain an environment that supports children's physical and emotional well-being.

Administrative & Financial Management

• Assist with developing and managing the center's operating budget.
• Monitor expenses and resources responsibly.
• Oversee purchasing, supplies, equipment, and facility needs.
• Monitor enrollment and work collaboratively to support enrollment goals and retention.
• Maintain accurate administrative records and reports.
• Partner with Beacon Education on strategic planning and center initiatives.

Leadership Partnership with the Nonprofit

The Director will work closely with centralized nonprofit support teams, including:

• Admissions & Enrollment — lead generation, tours, enrollment processes, and family onboarding.
• Human Resources — recruitment, employee relations, benefits, compliance, and personnel support.
• Operations — facilities, systems, technology, safety, and operational infrastructure.
• Finance — budgeting, payroll coordination, purchasing, financial reporting, and fiscal oversight.

The Director is expected to be an effective partner with these teams, providing timely communication, following organizational procedures, and leveraging available resources to strengthen the center.

Required Qualifications

• Current North Carolina Level III Administrator Credential or higher, required.
• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, Human Services, or a related field preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in early childhood education administration or center leadership.
• Strong knowledge of North Carolina child care licensing requirements and early childhood best practices.
• Experience supervising, coaching, and developing early childhood educators.
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships with children, families, and staff.
• Strong organizational, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
• Commitment to maintaining a high-quality early learning environment.
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining professionalism and attention to detail.
• Ability to successfully complete all required background checks and meet applicable North Carolina child care employment requirements.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Health insurance through the State Health Plan of North Carolina
• Employer-paid dental, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Additional voluntary benefits available at the employee's expense
• Industry-leading 401(k) program with employer match
• Employee-accrued paid leave
• Discounted childcare for employee's dependents at Spark Academy