Early Learning Center Manager - Beverly

Pathways for Children, Inc.; Beverly (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Internal growth

Professional development

Health and dental insurance

401(k) with employer match

Earned time off

Job summary

Pathways for Children, Inc. seeks a visionary Center Director to launch Anchor Point Early Learning Center in Beverly, MA. You will lead startup, hiring, and culture, partnering with senior leadership to realize a high-quality early learning program for infants to preschoolers.

You will oversee licensing readiness, curriculum implementation, family engagement, and community partnerships, ensuring safety and developmental outcomes from day one.

Qualifications

• Lead center startup from concept to operation while ensuring compliance with state regulations.
• Develop policies, schedules, and operating procedures for a new program.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, and develop the founding center team.
• Foster a positive, mission-driven culture and strong family partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Lead all startup activities, planning, and launch readiness.
• Ensure licensing readiness and MA EEC regulatory compliance.
• Develop operating systems, policies, and schedules.
• Coordinate classroom setup, equipment, and materials.
• Provide supervision and professional development to staff.
• Engage families and community partners to promote enrollment.
• Monitor safety, learning environments, and developmental outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Staff development

Licensing compliance

Recruiting

Curriculum planning

Community engagement

Budgeting

Education

Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education

Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education (preferred)

Job description

Are you excited by the opportunity to build something extraordinary from the ground up? Pathways for Children is seeking a visionary leader to spearhead the launch of Anchor Point Early Learning Center, a new early childhood program designed to serve and strengthen our community. As Center Director, you will lead the center from concept to reality, recruiting and developing a dedicated team, establishing a culture of excellence, creating engaging learning environments, and building strong relationships with families and community partners. This is more than a center leadership role; it is a chance to leave a lasting legacy by creating a program where children thrive, educators grow, and families feel connected, supported, and empowered from the very first day.

Location: Beverly, MA

Schedule: 40 hours M-F

Rate: $65,000-$80,000 based on education and experience

What You’ll Do:

Startup Leadership & Center Launch

• Lead all aspects of center startup, planning, and launch activities.
• Support licensing readiness and ensure compliance with all Massachusetts EEC regulations.
• Develop center operating systems, policies, procedures, schedules, and protocols.
• Coordinate classroom setup, equipment procurement, materials, and learning environments.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, and develop the founding center team.
• Establish a positive, collaborative, and mission-driven center culture from the first day of operation.
• Partner with senior leadership to implement the vision and strategic goals of the Anchor Point Early Learning Center.

Program Leadership & Educational Excellence

• Ensure implementation of a high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood program serving infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children.
• Oversee a play-based, inquiry-driven curriculum that supports cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and language development.
• Promote engaging learning experiences including STEAM, nature-based learning, creative arts, literacy, and social-emotional development.
• Foster inclusive practices that support children and families from diverse backgrounds, cultures, languages, and abilities.
• Monitor child assessment and progress monitoring systems to support positive developmental outcomes.
• Conduct regular classroom observations and provide coaching, feedback, and professional development to teaching staff.
• Ensure classrooms maintain high standards for safety, learning environments, child engagement, and developmental outcomes.

Staff Supervision & Development

• Provide meaningful and supportive supervision to assigned staff.
• Support team members across the employee lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and employee relations.
• Help educators establish and achieve professional growth goals aligned with organizational priorities.
• Schedule and facilitate regular staff meetings.
• Collaborate with the Deputy Director to plan and deliver professional development opportunities.

Family & Community Engagement

• Build strong relationships with children, families, community partners, and local organizations.
• Support enrollment growth and family recruitment efforts.
• Facilitate ongoing parent engagement, communication, and conflict resolution when necessary.
• Support family involvement activities and center committees.
• Provide parent education opportunities to strengthen child development, literacy, and school readiness.
• Serve as a community ambassador by participating in outreach events and promoting Pathways programs.

Operations, Compliance & Fiscal Management

• Ensure compliance with Massachusetts EEC regulations and all applicable licensing, funding, and agency requirements.
• Monitor classroom safety practices, attendance, and supervision procedures.
• Provide on-site leadership and staffing support to maintain appropriate ratios when necessary.
• Partner with the Deputy Director to identify classroom and playground equipment and materials needs.
• Support sound fiscal management, including payroll, budgeting, purchasing, and resource allocation.
• Review and approve biweekly timecards for assigned staff, ensuring accuracy and timely follow-up.
• Maintain effective communication with administration, staff, families, and community partners.

Why Join Pathways?

When you join our team, you’re joining a supportive community that offers:

• Access to professional development and training
• Career advancement opportunities within the organization
• A collaborative and inclusive work environment grounded in our core values:

Respect, Trust, Collaboration, and Opportunity

What do you need?

• Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) Director II Certification.
• EEC Lead Teacher Preschool Certification.
• EEC Lead Teacher Infant/Toddler Certification (required if supervising infant and toddler classrooms).
• Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with at least 18 credits in Early Childhood Education.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience as a Lead Teacher in an early childhood setting.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, and developing educational staff.
• Strong knowledge of Massachusetts EEC regulations and early childhood best practices.
• Excellent communication, organizational, leadership, and relationship-building skills.

Preferred

• Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field.
• Experience leading a center, program, or multi-classroom early childhood setting.
• Experience supporting startup initiatives, program growth, or organizational change.
• Head Start and/or early education leadership experience.

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

Internal growth! We often hire from within to help our employees reach their greatest potential

On-going training and Professional Development provided free of charge, and tuition reimbursement

Generous Heath and Dental Insurances, Life and Long Term Disability Insurances

Retirement Plans such as 401 (K) and ROTH – with employer match upon meeting eligibility and vesting requirements

Earned Time Off (sick and vacation time)

Pathways for Children provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.