Head Start Center Director

Boulder County; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 64,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Boulder County Head Start seeks a Center Director to oversee daily operations of our on-site early childhood center in Boulder, Colorado. The Director leads teachers and staff, ensures regulatory compliance, and protects a safe, nurturing environment for children and families.

Qualifications include a bachelor’s in early childhood education or related field (or equivalent plus 30 ECE credits), preschool leadership and supervisory experience, and strong data/reporting, budgeting, and community

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years lead teaching experience in a preschool setting.
• Minimum of 2 years supervisory experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in ECE/SPED/family studies or related field, or bachelor’s with 30 ECE credits and teaching experience.
• Knowledge of Head Start regulations and data/reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the Head Start center on-site.
• Lead, coach, and support educators and staff.
• Manage budgets and resources.
• Coordinate with community partners to meet program goals.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Utilize data and Microsoft platforms for reporting and admin tasks.
• Create a safe, nurturing environment for children and families.
• Monitor Head Start Performance Standards and teaching practices.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Data management

Budgeting

Grant writing

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education/special education, family studies, or related field; or bachelor’s degree with 30 ECE credits

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Boulder County Head Start is seeking to hire a Head Start Center Director. The Head Start Center Director is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the Head Start early childhood education center and is required to be on-site each day. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and promotes a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate environment for children and families. The Director leads, coaches, and supports a team of educators and staff, manages budgets and resources, coordinates with community partners, and ensures that all program goals related to child development, family engagement, and health services are met. Proficiency in technology and Microsoft platforms is essential for data management, communication, reporting, and administrative tasks.

Oversight and management of:

1. Cross Cutting Approaches - culture and language diversity, program professional development, and school readiness
2. Education and Development - child screening and assessments, disability services, curriculum, curriculum, learning environments, teaching practices, and transitions
3. Family & Community – family engagement, community engagement, family support & wellbeing
4. Health – mental health, oral health, physical health, nutrition, safety practices
5. Program Management – recruitment, registration, facilities, fiscal management, human resources, organizational leadership, program planning, transportation
6. Federal Administrative Procedures – federal monitoring, grant application, designation renewal system

This is a full-time, grant funded, benefited position that will work 7:45am to 4:15pm, Monday - Friday in Boulder, CO. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is exempt.

Hiring Salary Range: $63,828.00 - $77,886.00 Annually

Tentative Hiring Timeline:

• Phone Screening: Week of October 19th
• First Round Interviews: Week of October 19th
• Second Round Interviews: Week of October 26th
• Reference Check: Week of October 26th

1. Demonstrates sound ethical judgment and professional decision-making
2. Communicates clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing, with diverse audiences
3. Proficient in aggregating and analyzing data, and using data-driven insights to inform program planning, decision-making, and continuous improvement initiatives
4. Effectively utilizes agency resources, and state and federal guidelines to provide accurate information and support to staff and families
5. Capable of designing and delivering engaging training sessions and presentations to both large and small audiences
6. Collaborates effectively with community partners and possesses a strong understanding of local resources related to education and professional development
7. Works efficiently both independently and as part of a collaborative team
8. Monitor and supervise 2-4 classrooms to ensure effective curriculum implementation and compliance with Head Start Performance Standards and Head Start Act
9. Oversee implementation of Teaching Strategies GOLD child assessment system
10. Monitor and supervise teaching team's completion of anecdotal observations and Child Progress Checkpoints
11. Use reporting functions to support effective curriculum implementation by teaching teams
12. Monitor and ensure teaching staff maintain developmentally appropriate learning environments
13. Conduct classroom observations and use assessments (such as CLASS, ECERS, ELLCO) to enhance teaching practices and develop goals with and for teaching teams
14. Review and engage in weekly classroom lesson planning and observe teacher practices to support teaching teams in carrying out curriculum and applying developmentally appropriate and effective teaching practices. Coach and mentor on-site staff, as needed
15. Coordinate services for children with challenging behaviors (ISPs, parent meetings) and provide direct and/or emergent classroom support, as needed
16. Conducts performance appraisals, counsels employees concerning performance and recommends personnel actions in the areas of hiring, termination and discipline
17. Performs related work, as required
18. May be reassigned during emergency situations

PLEASE NOTE: When completing your application describe all relevant education and experience, as applications are assessed based on the required qualifications listed. Resumes and other attachments are not accepted in lieu of completed applications and will not be reviewed in the initial screening process. Any personally identifiable information (PII) such as name and address will be redacted from applications that meet the minimum screening requirements and are forwarded to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager selects you to advance in the hiring process, your attachments will then be shared with the hiring team.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Boulder County is looking for well qualified candidates to fill our positions. Any combination of relevant education and experience is encouraged. In this position, we are looking for a minimum of

• Three (3) years of lead teaching experience in a preschool setting. Two (2) years of supervisory experience.

AND

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education/special education, family studies, or related field or a bachelor’s degree and 30 credits in early childhood education with early education teaching experience.

Additional related education may count towards required experience.

BACKGROUND CHECK & FINGERPRINTING:

• A job offer is contingent on passing a background?investigation with fingerprinting

PREFERRED QUALIFICAITONS:

• Current CLASS Observer Certification or ability to obtain within 1 year of hire
• Current MyTeaching Strategies Inner-Rater Reliability for Preschool, including Dual Language Learners and Children with Disabilities or ability to obtain within 1 month of hire
• Current Directors License from the State of Colorado (Colorado Shines Level III) or ability to obtain within 1 month of hire

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of Head Start regulations and best practices.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work in diverse, multidisciplinary teams
• Working knowledge of the professional practices and principles of the assigned service component area
• Skill in communication and grant writing

Boulder County is a workplace dedicated to supporting individuals and families of all types and to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.