Head Start Compliance Director

Next Door; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Next Door is seeking a Director of Compliance to provide organization-wide leadership for compliance systems across Head Start programs. The role embeds compliance into daily practice and partners with program leadership, ERSEA, health, family engagement, education, HR, finance, facilities, and executive leadership to meet Head Start standards and licensing expectations.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, collaborative, and able to translate complex requirements into clear

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, education, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of compliance, program operations, or grant management in Head Start/early childhood settings.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance and documentation systems.
• Ability to manage deadlines and coordinate across multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an organization-wide compliance calendar.
• Build monitoring systems defining owners, due dates, and documentation.
• Lead preparation for federal monitoring, licensing visits, and audits.
• Coordinate mock reviews and readiness assessments across sites.
• Prepare compliance updates for COO and executive leadership.
• Create and manage centralized corrective action tracking.
• Partner with departments to address noncompliance and root causes.
• Support governance documentation and policy council processes.

Skills

Communication skills

Cross-department collaboration

Requirements translation

Detail-oriented

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management or related field

Tools

Microsoft 365

ChildPlus

Job description

Next Door is seeking a Director of Compliance to provide organization-wide leadership for compliance systems across Head Start programs. The role embeds compliance into daily practice and partners with program leadership, ERSEA, health, family engagement, education, HR, finance, facilities, and executive leadership to meet Head Start standards and licensing expectations.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, collaborative, and able to translate complex requirements into clear