Director In Training

Child Development Schools, Inc.; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Child Development Schools, Inc. seeks a School Director in Durham, NC to lead a center with a strong focus on family experience, enrollment growth, and program quality.

You will drive occupancy, manage a P&L, and partner with families and partners to deliver outstanding care and education. You will oversee staffing, compliance, and program excellence while balancing educational goals with financial sustainability and community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Owns P&L of the school.
• Drive enrollment strategy and occupancy performance.
• Lead, coach, and develop school staff to high performance.
• Ensure licensing, accreditation, and quality standards are met.
• Balance educational quality with financial stewardship and sustainable revenue.

Job description

Accountable For

The School Director is responsible for the overall success and performance of the school, with a primary focus on family experience, enrollment growth, program quality, and financial performance. This role serves as the face of the center within the community, building strong relationships with families and external partners while ensuring operational excellence and sustainable revenue growth.

Key Responsibilities

Family Experience & Retention

• Owns P&L of the school.
• Create an exceptional family experience that promotes trust, engagement, and long-term retention.
• Build strong relationships with prospective and current families through consistent, effective communication and responsive service
• Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and engaging environment that promotes strong family relationships.
• Lead, coach, and support all school staff to ensure high performance and engagement.
• Lead strategies to increase family retention through consistent communication, satisfaction monitoring, and proactive issue resolution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for escalated family concerns and ensure timely, thoughtful resolution.

Enrollment & Commercial Excellence

• Own the school's enrollment strategy and overall occupancy performance.
• Utilize business data and performance metrics to make informed decisions that support sustainable growth
• Partner with marketing and local outreach efforts to increase visibility and demand within the community.
• Monitor enrollment trends and implement action plans to meet or exceed occupancy goals.

Community Leadership

• Build and strengthen the school's reputation through active community involvement and local brand awareness initiatives.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Shared Services to increase visibility and awareness in the local market.

Quality & Program Excellence

• Ensure the school consistently meets and exceeds licensing requirements, accreditation standards, company and brand standards, and regulatory expectations.
• Monitor school performance using program and educational metrics to maintain high quality and to drive continuous improvement.

Financial Management (P&L Ownership)

Maintain accountability for the school’s financial performance, including revenue growth, labor management and expense control

Analyze financial reports and key performance indicators to identify trends and implement improvement strategies

Balance educational quality with responsible fiscal management to ensure long-term sustainability

Develop action plans that improve profitability while maintaining exceptional serve and program quality

Leadership & School Culture

Lead the School Leadership Team by establishing clear priorities, expectations and accountability.

Develop a positive, collaborative, and high performing culture where employees feel valued, supported and empowered.

Coach, mentor and develop leadership team members to strengthen individual performance and prepare future leaders.

Foster collaboration among the School Director, Assistant Director, and Education Coordinator to ensure alignment across business, operations, and educational quality.

Lead organizational change initiatives with consistency, transparency, and professionalism.

Accountable For

• Overall school performance and achievement of key business and operational goals.
• Enrollment growth, occupancy, family retention, and community partnerships.
• Financial stewardship, including profit and loss performance, labor optimization, and budget accountability.
• Leadership, coaching, and development of the School Leadership Team.
• Execution of company initiatives while maintaining high standards of educational quality, safety, and compliance.
• Creating a positive school culture that supports children, families, and employees.
• Own state and facility quality