Program Administrator - Early Childhood Development 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

Program Administrator - Early Childhood Development Center

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A cover letter is recommended for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Job Summary

The Program Administrator provides onsite leadership for the daily operation of the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) and ensures that the center operates in accordance with Michigan child care licensing requirements, University policies, and applicable program standards. The position leads daily staffing, classroom operations, family service, regulatory documentation, staff guidance, training, and continuous quality improvement.

This position works within a shared administrative structure. The licensee designee retains responsibility for institutional oversight, human resources, employee relations, and significant operational decisions. VCBF provides fiscal and grant administration. The Program Administrator supplies timely operational information and collaborates with these partners while remaining accountable for the licensing duties assigned to the Program Administrator.

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.

Required Qualifications

• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• A 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.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining required records, and responding effectively to family and employee concerns.
• 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 comprehensive 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.

• Perform other related duties consistent with the position and applicable licensing requirements.

Licensing Condition of Employment

Employment is contingent upon approval and continued recognition by the Michigan Child Care Licensing Bureau as qualified to serve as the center's Program Administrator. The selected candidate must maintain all credentials, training, background-check eligibility, and professional-development requirements applicable to the position.

Why Work at U-M Flint?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family, and plan for a secure future.

Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions after 12 months of eligible service with immediate vesting.
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses.

Eligibility for benefits based on your job group, your appointment percentage and the length of your appointment. Learn more about employee benefits and eligibility from the UM Human Resources Benefits and Wellness webpage .

UM-Flint offers tuition support for eligible UM-Flint staff members. In addition, UM-Flint offers dependent tuition support (DTS) for qualified dependents of faculty and staff from all UM campuses. Information can be found at: https://www.umflint.edu/hr/benefits / .

This position is fully onsite and not currently eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work.

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes .

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checksare performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Working Title

Program Administrator - Early Childhood Development Center