[Wheat Ridge] Childcare Center Director

Tierra Encantada; Wheat Ridge (CO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with 3% employer match

Performance bonus

Paid holidays

Job summary

Tierra Encantada in Wheat Ridge, CO seeks a Center Director to lead the center’s performance, staffing, licensing compliance, and family experience. You will oversee enrollment growth, labor management, and educational quality while ensuring regulatory compliance and a high-quality center environment.

The role requires leading a diverse team, managing budgets, and maintaining strong family partnerships. Salary range $65,000–$85,000 with a performance bonus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Management, Business, Marketing, Early Childhood Education, or related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of leadership experience in an educational setting.
• Fluent in English and Spanish (oral and written).
• Familiarity with business functions such as human resources, marketing, and budget management.
• CPR, First Aid, and Food Protection Manager certification required (or willingness to complete within 90 days).

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall performance of the center, including enrollment growth and expense management.
• Coach, onboard, and retain a high-performing team; conduct evaluations.
• Ensure licensing compliance and complete safety drills and reporting.
• Oversee curriculum fidelity, classroom observations, and coaching to improve teaching quality.
• Deliver a responsive, relationship-driven family experience and strong onboarding for families.

Skills

Leadership

Bilingual English/Spanish

Budget management

HR & marketing knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Management/Business/Ed

Tools

Microsoft Office

G-Suite

Job description

About Tierra Encantada

Tierra Encantada, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN is the leader in Spanish immersion early education®, and provides high-quality language immersion education and care to children 6 weeks through 6 years of age. At Tierra Encantada, we believe the earliest years should open a world of possibilities. As the Leader in Spanish Immersion Early Education®, we nurture the whole child through joyful play-based learning and a globally inspired culinary program featuring wholesome meals prepared from scratch each day. By fostering curiosity, confidence, cultural understanding, and healthy habits, we prepare children for a lifetime of learning while creating warm, engaging environments that families trust. Join us and be part of a mission-driven team that is committed to making a lasting impact-one child, one family, and one community at a time.

Position Overview

The Center Director is the business leader of the center, responsible for delivering strong enrollment and financial performance, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and a high-quality educational and family experience. This role leads all aspects of center performance, including staffing, retention, onboarding, coaching, family satisfaction, compliance, educational quality, and facility readiness.

The Center Director is accountable for achieving key performance targets related to staffing, family retention, enrollment growth, labor management, and overall center quality. This role must meet state licensing requirements and be capable of stepping into classrooms when needed, while primarily serving as a strategic and operational leader.

Tierra Encantada is currently hiring for a Center Director in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Applications are anticipated to be accepted through September 19, 2026. Tierra Encantada may extend the application period if the position has not been filled.

Pay and Schedule

This is an onsite, full-time, salaried, and exempt position that works Monday-Friday, with some weekends required occasionally.

Base salary range is $65,000 to $85,000 depending on qualifications, education, and experience.

This position is also eligible to participate in Tierra Encantada's monthly performance-bonus program, subject to applicable program terms and performance goals.

Key Responsibilities

Business & Financial Management

• Lead the overall performance of the center, including center growth and expense management
• Track and respond to key metrics including enrollment, labor and withdrawals
• Achieve center FTE targets and improve tour-to-enrollment conversion performance.
• Oversee inventory management for supplies and food to ensure accurate reporting
• Execute local marketing, community partnership, referral, and reputation-building opportunities to support enrollment growth, including community outreach and Google review engagement.

Leadership & Team Management

• Build, develop, and retain a high-performing, fully staffed team aligned with Tierra Encantada's values.
• Maintain staffing levels that support ratio requirements and labor targets at all times.
• Drive strong retention outcomes for both new hires and tenured team members.
• Ensure all team members complete onboarding and required training within expected timelines, including licensing-related annual requirements.
• Conduct regular coaching conversations, onboarding check-ins, and annual performance evaluations.
• Address performance concerns consistently, including drafting and maintaining corrective action documentation when needed.
• Manage staffing roles, schedules, time-off requests, workforce planning, and accurate timekeeping.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Maintain full compliance with all licensing, health, safety, food program, and company policies.
• Achieve strong results on inspections, audits, and accreditation reviews.
• Oversee completion of required safety drills, reporting, and documentation
• Maintain complete, accurate, and current child and staff records.
• Ensure incident reports are completed accurately, resolved promptly, and communicated professionally.

Educational Leadership

• Ensure curriculum is implemented with fidelity across all classrooms.
• Conduct regular classroom observations and provide timely, actionable coaching to improve teaching quality.
• Ensure lesson plans, classroom environments, and instructional practices meet company standards.
• Partner with staff and families to support behavior plans and child development needs.

Family Experience

• Deliver a responsive, relationship-driven family experience that builds trust, satisfaction, and long-term retention.
• Address family questions, concerns, and feedback in a timely and professional manner
• Create a welcoming, inclusive, and high-quality center experience for all families
• Ensure each child and family experiences a strong onboarding and transitions experiences

Facility & Environment

• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized center environment at all times
• Ensure classrooms and common areas are fully prepared and operational each day
• Oversee maintenance needs and ensure timely resolution of facility issues

Position Requirements

• Minimum of 2 years of leadership experience, ideally in an educational setting, demonstrating the ability to develop, engage, and inspire teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Management, Business, Marketing, Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, or a related field, or equivalent combination of relevant experience and education.
• The Center Director must have ONE of the following as defined by Colorado's Rules Regulating Child Care Centers (Rule Section 2.214):
  • Large Center Director certificate issued by the PDIS; OR
  • An active Early Childhood Professional Credential (ECPC) Level 3 or higher.
• Fluent in both English and Spanish, proficient in oral and written communication.
• Familiarity with business functions such as human resources, marketing, and budget management; experience in revenue generation preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional maturity, strong work ethic, attention to detail, and proactive attitude.
• Proven track record of building a supportive team culture focused on professional development and continuous improvement.
• Organized, adept at multitasking, and skilled in strategic problem-solving.
• Strong customer service orientation, capable of collaborating effectively across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• CPR, First Aid, and Food Protection Manager certification required (or willingness to complete within 90 days of hire).
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word) and G-Suite (Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar); ability to learn new technologies as needed.

Physical Requirements

• Requires the ability to frequently walk, stand, climb stairs, crawl, sit, squat, stoop, bend, reach, kneel, rise from the floor, and twist.
• Requires the ability to carry and lift 25 pounds or less, use repetitive or fine hand movements, and occasionally push, pull, run short distances, and carry and lift 25-50 pounds.
• This position requires the ability to observe children and their surroundings, communicate effectively, respond promptly to safety needs, and perform the listed physical activities, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 12 paid holidays
• Paid time off, including applicable sick leave
• 401(k) with 3% employer match
• Performance bonus
• Discounted childcare and waitlist priority for enrollment
• Company paid professional development(subject to applicable eligibility requirements and plan terms).

Additional Information About the Position

• Once a job offer has been accepted, the candidate must pass a background check and fingerprinting.
• Tierra Encantada is an E-verify employer.
• Tierra Encantada is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, military status, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, disability status, marital status, family status or any other basis prohibited by law.
• Tierra Encantada is committed to making https://www.tierraencantada.com/ accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Tierra Encantada Talent Acquisition at [e-mail]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.