Early Learning Manager - Child Development & Family Support (Multiple Openings)

Mt. Hood Community College; Gresham (OR); On-site; USD 72,000 - 108,000; Full time

Job summary

Mt. Hood Community College seeks a devoted leader to manage Head Start and Early Head Start programs across multiple preschool sites.

You will drive planning for teaching and learning, ensure compliance with Head Start standards, analyze data to improve outcomes, and supervise staff within a collaborative, cross-department framework. Responsibilities include budget management, policy development, and ongoing professional development for staff and families.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience working with children and families in an early childhood program, including at least two years as a classroom teacher
• Minimum 3 years of lead or supervisory experience
• Experience using assessment data to drive educational decision-making and improve student outcomes
• Experience working with diverse backgrounds within the College community, students, and staff; commitment to access and diversity

Responsibilities

• Leads site-level and program-wide planning for teaching and learning, ensuring alignment with Head Start Performance Standards
• Manages and monitors child observation and assessment systems; analyzes data to guide decisions
• Designs, leads, and delivers professional learning and training for staff and parents
• Establishes and maintains cross-agency collaboration to support children and families
• Ensures daily operations meet health, safety, nutrition, and facilities standards
• Recruits, orients, and supervises staff; evaluates performance and provides coaching
• Conducts classroom observations and provides feedback to managers and staff
• Manages department budget operations and contributes to budget planning
• Represents the College in community and state early childhood workgroups

Skills

Project management

Analytics

Multi-tasking

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Coaching

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or related field

Master’s degree in related field (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Windows

Data management platforms

Assessment systems

Job description

Job Summary And Responsibilities/Duties

Under general supervision, manages early learning programs for Head Start and Early Head Start across assigned preschool sites. Leads comprehensive planning for teaching and learning while ensuring classroom curricula and practices meet Head Start Performance Standards and program goals. Analyzes, interprets, and responds to child observation and assessment data to drive decision-making, support each preschool site, and continuously improve student outcomes. Leads professional learning initiatives, engages in cross-agency collaboration with staff serving families, overseeing health, nutrition, facilities, and safety operations. Develops and manages department policies and procedures, assists with strategic initiatives, manages department budgets, and provides direct supervision to staff in support of the College and CDFS vision, mission, and goals.

Essential Duties

• Leads site-level and program-wide planning for teaching and learning, ensuring the alignment of classroom instruction, social-emotional learning, and positive behavioral interventions with Head Start Performance Standards. Provides strategic support and input to the design and continuous improvement of early learning programs. Monitors compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, licensing requirements, and MHCC policies.
• Manages and monitors child observation and assessment systems. Analyzes assessment data to identify trends, evaluate instructional efficacy, drive site-specific decisions, and supervise the implementation of targeted interventions to improve child development outcomes across all preschool sites.
• Designs, leads, and delivers high-quality professional learning and training for staff and parents in early childhood education, assessment, and child development best practices. Promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in staffing, curriculum, center culture, and community engagement. Coordinates continuing education opportunities to ensure staff meet Head Start qualifications.
• Establishes and maintains strong cross-agency collaboration with staff serving families to ensure comprehensive, integrated support for children and families.
• Ensures day-to-day operations meet site health, safety, nutrition, and facilities management needs, and provides support when managers are not available. Provides input into classroom, playground, and facility design and safety feasibility to ensure compliance with state licensing and Head Start regulations.
• Recruits, selects, orients, schedules, and supervises staff. Evaluates staff performance, helps develop professional goals, and provides coaching and ongoing training; rewards and recognizes employees; holds staff accountable and takes disciplinary action, as needed.
• Conducts regular classroom observations across sites, providing structured feedback, coaching, and support to managers and teaching staff.
• Manages day-to-day department budget operations, ensuring spending remains within allocations, and provides input during budget planning.
• Establishes and maintains collaborative working relationships with internal College departments, business partners, community agencies, and educational institutions. Serves as a College representative on local and state early childhood workgroups as appropriate.

Additional Duties

• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field
• Minimum (5) years of experience working with children and families in an early childhood program, including at least two (2) years as a classroom teacher.
• Minimum (3) years of lead or supervisory experience
• Experience using assessment data to drive educational decision-making and improve student outcomes.
• Experience working with diverse backgrounds within the College community, students, and staff; commitment to access and diversity.
• Current driver’s license, insurance, and access to reliable transportation during work hours for travel between site locations.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in early childhood education, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Bilingual skills with oral and written fluency in English and Spanish, Russian, Arabic or another language that meets the community/department’s needs
• Supervisory experience in Head Start or Early Head Start programs.

Additional Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in the Oregon Central Background Registry prior to beginning employment, and enrollment must be maintained throughout employment.
• Post-offer fitness for duty evaluation (including TB screening and health appraisal) within 30 days of hire date.
• Must complete required Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care Self-Study Trainings within 30 days of hire

Skills In

Additional Qualifications and/or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

• Project management, analytics, multi-tasking, and problem-solving
• Strong organizational, human resource, coaching, and interpersonal skills with a team-based approach to leadership
• Motivating, training, developing, and evaluating a high-performing team of site managers and educators
• Building collaboration across departments and maintaining respectful working relationships internally and externally
• Technological proficiency, including Microsoft Windows applications, data management platforms, and assessment systems to gather data, analyze student progress, and generate programmatic reports

Ability To

• Plan, organize, and direct early learning operations and educational delivery across multiple preschool sites
• ability to anticipate site needs and make data-driven decisions
• Analyze complex assessment and observational data to drive decision-making and continuous quality improvement at each site
• Lead professional development sessions that address adult learning principles and evidence-based teaching strategies
• Oversee site facilities, health protocols, and nutrition operations to ensure safe learning environments
• Work effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders while maintaining high ethics and integrity

Knowledge Of

• Federal, state, and local regulations governing early childhood education and Head Start Performance Standards.
• Adult learning principles, curriculum design, assessment systems, and child development best practices.
• Facility, health, and nutrition standards applicable to early childhood centers.
• Institutional budgeting, accounting processes, and resource allocation.

Working Conditions and Important Information

Job Details

• Position: Hiring for multiple vacancies
• Employee Group: CDFS Management
• Classification: CDFS Management – Range 4
• Employment Type: Full-Time (1.0 FTE)
• FLSA Status: Exempt (Salaried)
• Compensation: $71,737-$107,651 Annually
• Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday
• Remote Eligibility: On-Site (Not eligible for remote work)

Working Conditions

Work is typically performed in a normal office and classroom environment while sitting at a computer terminal or conducting site visits. Visual eye strain and repetitive hand/wrist motion for data entry and keyboarding functions. Works assigned schedule and exhibits regular and predictable attendance. As necessary to meet workload demands, works outside of typical schedule, including evening and weekend hours. Work requires travel to multiple off-campus preschool site locations. Work is sometimes performed in an emotional and stressful environment.

Salary Placement

Initial salary placement will be based on years of applicable education, full-time equivalent experience, and other job-related qualifications at the sole discretion of the College and in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws. Please include all relevant education and full and part-time experience (including unpaid and volunteer experience) in your application that you want the College to review towards potential placement. Hired employees will not have an opportunity to update past experience or appeal initial placement after the time of hire.