District Support Director

The Gardner School; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Gardner School seeks a District Support Director to provide district-wide operational and leadership support across multiple schools. Reporting to the District Manager, you will help ensure consistent execution, strong leadership, and a high-quality experience for children, families, and staff.

You will partner with Executive School Directors, support during leadership transitions, enrollments, and staffing needs, and travel between district schools to maintain standards and drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, business, or related field preferred.
• Director Qualified in the relevant state/market.
• Previous leadership experience in an early childhood education environment required.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Willingness to travel regularly between schools.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership coverage and operational support across district schools.
• Support schools during transitions, enrollment growth, onboarding periods, or other operational needs.
• Partner with Executive School Directors and the District Manager to ensure consistency with The Gardner School standards.
• Assist with budgeting, scheduling, staffing coordination, and daily operations.
• Support onboarding, coaching, and development of school teams.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Relationship building

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, business, or related field

Director Qualified in the relevant state/market

Job description

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.Position SummaryThe District Support Director is a district-level school leadership role that provides operational and leadership support across multiple schools within The Gardner School. Reporting to the District Manager, this role serves as a flexible leadership resource for the district, supporting schools with operational execution, leadership coverage, team support, and key school initiatives based on business needs.This position partners closely with Executive School Directors and school leadership teams to help ensure operational consistency, strong execution, and a high-quality experience for children, families, and team members. The role may support schools during leadership transitions, staffing gaps, enrollment growth, onboarding periods, or other operational priorities.The District Support Director serves as both a district operational support leader and a developmental leadership role designed to expand readiness for future school leadership opportunities. Through hands-on district support experiences and partnership with Executive School Directors and the District Manager, this role provides exposure to the operational, leadership, and business responsibilities aligned with Executive School Director expectations.The anticipated salary range for this position is $60,000 – $70,000 per year, which represents what The Gardner School reasonably expects to pay for this role based on the position location, experience, education, internal equity, and other job-related factors.Actual compensation may vary depending on these factors and geographic market conditions.Primary ResponsibilitiesSchool Leadership & Operational SupportProvide leadership coverage and operational support across district schools based on business and staffing needs.Support schools during leadership transitions, leaves, staffing gaps, enrollment growth, onboarding periods, or other operational needs.Partner with Executive School Directors and school leadership teams to support day-to-day school operations and maintain alignment with The Gardner School standards and expectations.Help ensure consistency in operational execution, family experience, and leadership practices across district schools.Support classroom coverage and staffing coordination when needed to maintain safe and effective school operations.Help identify operational gaps, escalate concerns appropriately, and support follow-through on action items and operational priorities. Support implementation of company initiatives, operational processes, and best practices across schools.Support compliance with licensing requirements, health and safety standards, and company policies.Help maintain organized school operations, operational readiness, and documentation standards.Support enrollment-related activities, including tours, family follow-up, lead management, and execution of school enrollment priorities.Assist with budget awareness and financial support activities, including labor management, supply oversight, expense awareness, and follow-through on district or school financial priorities.Assist with scheduling, ratio management, opening and closing responsibilities, and daily operational organization.Provide additional leadership support during high-volume operational periods, school events, enrollment initiatives, or special projects.Support implementation and follow-through of company initiatives, operational priorities, district initiatives and best practices across schools.Leadership & Team SupportSupport Executive School Directors and Assistant Directors with operational priorities, team support, and school initiatives.Build positive relationships with children, families, and team members across district schools.Support onboarding, coaching, and development of school team members when appropriate.Help reinforce a positive, collaborative, and solutions-oriented culture within schools.Support family communication and service recovery efforts as needed.Model professionalism, accountability, flexibility, and leadership presence consistent with The Gardner School culture and expectations.Leadership DevelopmentPartner with Executive School Directors and the District Manager to continue building leadership and operational capabilities.Gain exposure to school leadership responsibilities including staffing, enrollment, parent communication, compliance, team development, financial awareness, and operational planning.Participate in leadership development experiences and district-level initiatives designed to broaden operational knowledge and leadership capability.Continue developing decision-making, communication, organizational, and leadership skills through hands-on district support experiences.QualificationsBachelor’s degree in early childhood education, Business, or related field preferred.Director Qualified in the relevant state/market.Previous leadership experience in an early childhood education environment required.Demonstrated ability to lead with professionalism, flexibility, and strong communication skills.Strong organizational skills with the ability to adapt quickly to changing operational and school needs.Ability to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with multiple school teams.Working knowledge of licensing standards and early childhood school operations preferred.Ability to travel regularly between schools within the district.Work Environment & Physical RequirementsFrequent travel between schools within the district is required.Ability to move throughout the school environment, including classrooms and playgrounds.Ability to occasionally lift up to 40 pounds.Ability to supervise children and support classroom operations as needed.Ability to work a flexible schedule based on school and business needs.The Gardner School extends equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual’s age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other reason prohibited by law.