Montessori Head of School

Montessori Mint; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Dental coverage

Professional development funds

Job summary

Dandelion Chinese Montessori in Philadelphia, PA is launching a Mandarin-Chinese immersion Montessori program for ages 18 months to 6 years, with early childhood and toddler classrooms. The Head of School will drive pre-launch licensing, talent acquisition, enrollment outreach, and post-launch operations to build a premier program.

The ideal candidate combines deep ECE pedagogy, licensing expertise with PA DHS, and a commercially minded leadership style to achieve enrollment milestones while

Qualifications

• PA Chapter 3270 director eligibility: Bachelor's in ECE with 2+ years admin exp or Master's with relevant credits, background checks, CPR/First Aid, physical exam, TB test.
• Native or near-native fluency in Mandarin Chinese with strong English skills.
• AMI/AMS/MACTE Primary or IT certification required.
• 3–5 years of leadership in Montessori or Early Childhood Education.

Responsibilities

• Licensing & regulatory mandates: secure PA DHS Chapter 3270 licensing clearances.
• Talent acquisition & sourcing: recruit, interview, onboard dual-language staff incl AMI/AMS/MACTE certified teachers and assistants.
• Pre-enrollment marketing & business pipeline: lead outreach, family nights, admissions tours in the Greater Philadelphia market.
• Operational execution & business health: manage daily facility operations, health/safety, background checks, and staff-child ratios.
• Montessori immersion curriculum oversight: mentor staff to balance Montessori with high-fidelity Mandarin immersion.
• Community & stakeholder relations: build elite Philadelphia family brand, manage metrics, partnerships, and parent engagement.
• Talent acquisition & team leadership: hire staff, set compensation, ensure professional development, advise Founder/CEO.

Education

PA DHS Director Eligibility

Bilingual Mandarin/English

AMI/AMS/MACTE Certification

School Leadership Experience

Job description

Montessori Head of School | Dandelion Chinese Montessori | Philadelphia, PA

Department: Early Childhood / Chinese Immersion

Reports To: Founder/CEO

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Position Summary

We are seeking an entrepreneurial, strategic, and highly experienced Head of School to lead the multi-phase launch and ongoing business operations of a premier Montessori Chinese Immersion Toddler and Early Childhood school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating under a Mandarin Chinese Immersion Program with English as an Additional Language model, slated for an official opening in Spring 2027, this ground-up venture will serve children aged 18 months to 6 years across Toddler and Early Childhood Classrooms. The ideal candidate will combine a strong understanding of early childhood pedagogy, operational expertise navigating Pennsylvania Department of Human Services childcare licensing, and a commercially driven mindset to hit high capacity performance targets while maintaining premium educational fidelity. To view a full job description, see: Head of School Job Description.

Phase 1: Pre-Launch & Construction Strategy (Now through Spring 2027)

Licensing & Regulatory Mandates: Act as the primary Head of School on record to secure and complete all Pennsylvania DHS Chapter 3270 structural, environmental, and administrative licensing clearances.

Talent Acquisition & Sourcing: Recruit, interview, and onboard a world-class dual-language staff, including AMI/AMS/MACTE certified Infant/Toddler and Early Childhood teachers, native Mandarin-speaking classroom assistants, and an English language teacher.

Pre-Enrollment Marketing & Business Pipeline: Lead local community outreach, host informational family nights, manage prospective parent lead sheets, and execute admissions tours across the Greater Philadelphia market.

Phase 2: Operational Execution & Business Health (Post-Launch)

Daily Operations & Compliance Management: Direct daily facility infrastructure,

ensuring absolute compliance with health, safety, background-clearing registries, and

staff-to-child ratio matrices.

. Student Admission & Enrollment: Perform all admissions tasks necessary to achieve Dandelion Chinese Montessori’s enrollment objectives.

Montessori & Immersion Curriculum Oversight: Mentor teaching staff to balance authentic Montessori curriculum with high-fidelity total Mandarin immersion.

Community & Stakeholder Relations: Build a strong, elite school brand culture among Philadelphia families; manage corporate reporting metrics, handle escalated issues, and nurture parent partnerships.

Talent Acquisition & Team Leadership: Hire and onboard teaching staff, administer equitable systems of compensation, working conditions, and professional development for all staff; where necessary, counsel and advise school employees; advise the Founder/CEO of any personnel issues; and build and maintain a collaborative, respectful workplace culture focused on excellence rooted in Montessori principles and shared educational values.

Required Qualifications & Requirements

Pennsylvania DHS Director Eligibility: Must unconditionally fulfill PA Chapter 3270.35 requirements (e.g., a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with 2+ years of administrative experience, or a master's degree with relevant childhood credits, background checks, fingerprinting, CPR/First Aid certification, physical exam, and TB test).

Bilingual Fluency: Native or near-native fluency in Mandarin Chinese alongside strong functional, professional written and verbal English skills.

Montessori Certification: AMI, AMS, or MACTE (Primary or IT) Certification, required.

School Leadership Experience: minimum 3-5 years of leadership experience in a Montessori or Early Childhood Education setting, required.

Compensation & Organizational Benefits

• competitive salary package of $55,000-$65,000 tailored to experience, plus performance-based enrollment milestone bonuses
• comprehensive healthcare/dental coverage
• dedicated funds for continued professional development