Onsite Program Leader - Early Childhood Center

University Of Michigan; Flint (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Michigan in Flint is seeking a Program Administrator for the Early Childhood Development Center. This onsite role leads daily operations, staffing, family service, regulatory documentation, and quality improvement in alignment with Michigan licensing rules and UM policies.

Responsibilities include developing center policies, ensuring licensing compliance, coordinating enrollment, supervising staff, and acting as primary onsite contact for families. A cover letter is encouraged.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in early childhood education, child development, education, a child-related field, business administration, public administration, organizational leadership, or a related field.
• At least one year of progressively responsible experience in a licensed early childhood, preschool, child care, education, or comparable child- or family-serving program.
• Must meet all qualifications for an Early Childhood Program Administrator under Michigan Child Care Center Licensing Rule R 400.8204.
• Must possess, or complete within six months of hire, at least two semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration, as required by Michigan licensing.
• Must be approved by the Michigan Child Care Licensing Bureau to serve as the center's Program Administrator before appointment to the position.
• Must satisfy and maintain all applicable background-check, MiRegistry, orientation, health and safety training, CPR/first aid, mandated-reporter, and ongoing professional-development requirements.
• Ability to organize competing priorities, make timely operational decisions, communicate clearly, maintain confidentiality, and lead calmly during staffing or safety disruptions.

Responsibilities

• Direct the center's day-to-day operations and remain available to address child, family, staff, safety, and operational concerns.
• Develop, implement, evaluate, and consistently administer center policies and operating procedures in collaboration with the licensee designee.
• Maintain compliance with the Michigan Child Care Organizations Act, current Child Care Center Licensing Rules, corrective-action requirements, and other applicable regulatory standards.
• Maintain required licensing records and documentation; prepare for inspections; respond promptly to licensing inquiries; and ensure required reports and notifications are completed.
• Coordinate daily staffing assignments, classroom coverage, breaks, call-in response, and substitute deployment to maintain required staff-to-child ratios and qualified classroom leadership.
• Monitor staff performance and classroom practices, provide coaching and direction, complete annual evaluations, and elevate employee-relations or corrective-action matters to the licensee designee and Human Resources.
• Verify staff background-check eligibility, MiRegistry records, orientation, health and safety training, CPR/first aid, professional development, and role-specific credentials.
• Provide leadership for developmentally appropriate curriculum, child assessment, active supervision, positive guidance, inclusion, family engagement, and classroom quality.
• Coordinate enrollment and classroom placement based on licensed capacity, staffing availability, children's needs, and program commitments.
• Serve as the primary onsite contact for families and respond effectively to questions, concerns, incidents, and service needs.
• Support Great Start to Quality and GSRP implementation, documentation, staffing compliance, monitoring, and improvement activities, as applicable.
• Provide accurate enrollment, staffing, purchasing, and operational information to VCBF for budget preparation, fiscal monitoring, grant administration, and required reporting.
• Designate and prepare qualified staff-in-charge coverage whenever the Program Administrator is not onsite.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the position and applicable licensing requirements.

Skills

Staff supervision

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Training & development

Policy development

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in early childhood education, child development, education, or related field

Tools

MiRegistry

Job description

The University of Michigan in Flint is seeking a Program Administrator for the Early Childhood Development Center. This onsite role leads daily operations, staffing, family service, regulatory documentation, and quality improvement in alignment with Michigan licensing rules and UM policies.

Responsibilities include developing center policies, ensuring licensing compliance, coordinating enrollment, supervising staff, and acting as primary onsite contact for families. A cover letter is encouraged.