Early Childhood Director

YMCA of Greater New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement benefits

Medical coverage

Free YMCA membership

Job summary

YMCA of Greater New York is seeking an Early Childhood Director at the Ridgewood YMCA. The role oversees safe, high-quality programs, staff supervision, budgeting, curriculum development, and compliance with DOE/DOH and funders. It drives enrollment growth and program portfolio expansion to serve more children.

The director leads program strategy, supervision, and community collaboration, with responsibilities spanning operations, family engagement, and staff development.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with 30 credits in Early Childhood.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education with state certification; enrolled in a related Master’s program.
• Current teaching license or certificate valid for NY UPK regulations.
• Minimum of two years Lead Teacher experience for children under six.
• Knowledge of Early Childhood education principles and socioemotional growth.
• Strong communication, organization, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve the quality of all Early Learning and after-school programs.
• Plan and create new Early Learner, youth, family, and community programs.
• Ensure DOE/DOH compliance and funder/program mandates.
• Supervise staff and volunteers, provide training and coaching.
• Develop and manage budgets; hire and evaluate personnel.
• Lead marketing and communications for programs to local groups.
• Promote inclusive, welcoming environment; ensure health and safety.
• Participate in meetings and training; may serve as Manager on Duty.
• Other duties including classroom teaching as needed.

Skills

Staff supervision

Budget management

Curriculum development

Interpersonal communication

Organizational skills

Bilingual (English + another language)

Education

Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education

Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education

NY State teaching license or UPK certificate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Windows-based applications

Job description

Salary: $85,000 Annually

The YMCA of Greater New York is here for all New Yorkers — to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community. Founded in 1852, today the Y serves a diverse population of more than half a million New Yorkers who learn, grow, and thrive through programs and services at our 24 branches. Community is the cornerstone of the Y. Together, we connect active, engaged New Yorkers to build stronger communities.

To help fulfill our mission, we cultivate a culture of learning, leading, and collaboration to enhance community impact. Through our talented staff and “LEAP” career framework (Leadership, Empowerment, Accountability, Personal Growth), we are committed to a people-first approach that fosters trust, inclusion, growth, and development for all.

The Ridgewood YMCA is seeking an Early Childhood Director who will be responsible for implementing a safe and quality program, including, but not limited to, staff supervision, training, budgeting, curriculum development, and YMCA, funder, and regulatory compliance for DOE Center Base Classrooms, Early Childhood Learning Centers, fee-based enrichment, Early Childhood summer day camp, and wrap around or Early Childhood after school programming.

The Early Childhood Director provides leadership for the strategy, systems, supervision, and structure of the programs, including, but not limited to, the overall development, administration, and evaluation of programs. They will grow enrollment and the program portfolio to serve more children via structured, engaging, educational, recreational, and developmentally appropriate activities. The Early Childhood Director will ensure a high level of quality, communication, and collaboration within the Early Childhood programs. They will support family and community programs and sit on Branch and community committees, as needed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Successfully maintain and continue to improve the quality of all Early Learning, Early Childhood after-school programming, and Early Childhood enrichment programs.
• Plan and create new and innovative Early Learner, youth, family, and community programs that meet the needs of the community, in keeping with the Branch's priority objectives and strategic plan.
• Ensure that all contractual and regulatory obligations of the Department of Education and the Department of Health are met while fulfilling the program mandates of the YMCA of Greater New York and funders.
• Supervise exempt, full-time, part-time, non-exempt staff, volunteers, and interns by monitoring performance, providing support, training, coaching, and recognition, and holding staff accountable for performance expectations.
• Develop, manage, and successfully meet budget objectives.
• Act as the Branch’s liaison with other community organizations and coalitions within the borough, and partner appropriately to provide services, programs, and referrals to YMCA participants and families.
• Represent the Branch at Early Childhood Cabinet meetings. Become an active member of all Youth & Family-related committees at the Branch level.
• Successfully maintain and continue to improve the quality of all Early Childhood programs. Leverage program surveys to improve programming and maintain consistent quality.
• Become a certified trainer in two youth areas (such as Child Abuse Prevention and Ethics and Boundaries) and lead training events.
• Work with the Branch and AO leadership to design, develop, and implement a marketing and communication plan that promotes the Early Learner Programs, Early Childhood after-school programming, and Early Childhood enrichment programs to local community groups.
• Maintain accurate and timely program documentation (attendance, sign-in/out forms, behavior reports, incident reports, and accident reports, as appropriate). Report all incidents in accordance with the Y's policies and procedures.
• Promote an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful environment that embraces the diversity of all staff and participants.
• Ensure the health, safety, and well-being of participants by understanding, maintaining, and ensuring that staff and participants follow Risk Management and safety procedures.
• Actively participate in designated meetings, all training sessions, and special events.
• May serve as a Manager on Duty (MOD) when requested.
• Other duties as assigned, including classroom teaching responsibilities as the program dictates.

Desired Skills & Experience:

• Must have one (1) of the following:
• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (or a related field with 30 credits in Early Childhood) and has State Certification.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, has State certification in Early Childhood Education, and is enrolled in a Master’s program related to Early Childhood Education.
• Current teaching license or certificate valid for services in early childhood or childhood grades, according to New York State Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) regulations.
• Minimum of two (2) years of Lead Teacher experience in a program for children under the age of six (6).
• Knowledge of principles and practices related to Early Childhood education and socioemotional growth.
• Demonstrated commitment to Early Childhood education and enrichment.
• Ability to identify/document necessary information for program functioning and evaluation.
• Creative, strategic, and analytical thinker with the ability to manage multiple projects preferred.
• Experience developing and managing budgets, and hiring, training, supervising, and assessing personnel preferred.
• Knowledge of Creative Curriculum preferred.
• Knowledge of implementing new curriculum within a team preferred.
• Strong and polished interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills that facilitate the achievement of desired results.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel, and working knowledge of Microsoft Suite.
• Knowledge of Windows-based computer applications and database management.
• Bilingual English and another language commonly spoken in our community preferred.
• Must be a self-starter, highly organized, patient, and able to work well with others.

Benefits:

• The YMCA of Greater New York offers a variety of benefits to its staff members, including retirement benefits, medical, paid time off, free YMCA membership, and more!
• Benefit eligibility is determined by an individual’s employment status (i.e., full-time or part-time), tenure, and/or the number of hours scheduled to work.