Preschool Assistant Director

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning; Lancaster (Lancaster County); On-site; USD 80,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning in Lancaster, PA seeks an Assistant Director to lead curriculum delivery and maintain high-quality, safe classroom environments. You will guide Curriculum & Instruction Coaches and teaching staff, report to the Center Director, and oversee operations in their absence.

Ideal candidates have a Bachelor's in a relevant field, 5 years in similar roles, strong people management skills, and a commitment to CHS's mission. Start date November 16, 2026.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Elementary Education, Special Education or Human Services.
• 5 years of experience in a similar role.
• Experience in people management and conflict resolution.
• Comfortable with technology including MS Office Suite and willingness to learn.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership abilities in large teams.
• Commitment to the mission and values of CHS and MHS with integrity.

Responsibilities

• Assisting the Center Director in ensuring all Center staff deliver high quality, child-centered education to children.
• Supporting the teaching team in the effective application of curriculum and classroom safety procedures.
• Ensuring classrooms and additional learning environments are properly equipped and maintained.
• Developing and maintaining teaching staff schedules.
• Managing future classroom projections and coordinating enrollment opportunities with the Family Success team.
• Managing the execution and delivery of child developmental assessments.
• Providing timely, relevant, and engaging communication to families.
• Ensuring onboarding and ongoing training and development of teaching staff.
• Implementing policies and procedures to safeguard health and safety of families and staff per DHS/OCDEL and NAEYC standards.
• Providing feedback through performance evaluations.
• Optimizing daily operations and workflow with the Center Director.
• Building positive relationships with staff and stakeholders.
• Cultivating collaborative relationships with parents, staff, and community partners.
• Reporting to the Center Director and liaising with CHS Central Office on operational issues.

Skills

People management

Conflict resolution

Interpersonal skills

Leadership

Technology proficiency

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Elementary Education, Special Education or Human Services

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

The CHS Assistant Director will serve as the Center's educational leader, responsible for overseeing the delivery of curriculum and maintenance of high-quality, safe, and nurturing classroom environments. The Assistant Director will lead and guide all members of the Center's educational staff including Curriculum & Instruction Coaches, Lead Teachers, Associate Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Floaters. This individual will report to the Center Director, with whom the individual will work closely to shape the Center agenda, policies and culture by providing direct oversight of CHS's teaching department. The Assistant Director will be responsible for supporting day-to-day operations and management of the Center and will assume full oversight of Center operations in the Center Director's absence. This individual will serve as a role model for administrators, teachers, and students at the Center, and will guide staff in fulfilling the CHS mission and vision. The salary range for this position is $79,500 to $92,505 per year, based on expertise.

Responsibilities:

• Assisting the Center Director in ensuring all Center staff deliver high quality, child-Centered education to children
• Supporting the teaching team in the effective application of curriculum and classroom safety procedures
• Ensuring classrooms and additional learning environments are properly equipped and maintained
• Developing and maintaining teaching staff schedules
• In collaboration with other departments, managing future classroom projections and coordinating enrollment opportunities with the Family Success team
• Managing the execution and delivery of child developmental assessments
• Supporting teachers and family engagement staff in providing timely, relevant, and engaging communication to families
• Ensuring proper onboarding and ongoing training and development of teaching staff
• Implementing policies and procedures to safeguard health and safety of families and staff in compliance with the State requirements (DHS/OCDEL) and NAEYC standards
• Providing direct reports with timely and constructive feedback through ongoing performance evaluations
• In collaboration with other departments, optimizing daily operations and workflow management, and looking to resolve inefficiencies alongside the Center Director
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with all staff and encouraging Center growth and performance
• Cultivating collaborative working relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including parents, staff, and community partners
• Reporting to and working closely with the Center Director to achieve the mission and values of CHS
• Acting as a liaison to the CHS Central Office on any operational and strategic issues as necessary
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Elementary Education, Special Education or Human Services
• 5 years of experience in a similar role
• Experience in people management and conflict resolution
• Comfortability with technology including MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and/or willingness to learn
• Responsible, enthusiastic, and cares about working in a mission-focused organization
• Willingness to be held accountable and receive feedback
• Exceptional interpersonal skills including the ability to influence, lead, and educate large teams
• Commitment to the mission and values of CHS and MHS and demonstrated high degree of integrity as all MHS and CHS staff are considered to be role models for students
• Ability to effectively oversee a large department, multitask, and efficiently streamline operations
• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to effectively work with low-income families
• Ability to proactively identify problems and implement solutions
• U.S. work authorization and successful completion of pre-employment background checks and clearances

Candidate review and selection is currently underway for this position. The anticipated start date for the position is November 16, 2026.

As part of their employment, successful candidates will participate in Seeds to Lead, CHS's pre-opening professional learning program. This structured onboarding and paid professional experience equips educators with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on practice needed to confidently implement the CHS model to fidelity from day one when the center opens.