Center Director III (Costano)

About The Role

The Center Director provides overall leadership and day-to-day management of a center serving multiple classrooms, ensuring high-quality program implementation. The Center Director supervises and supports teaching staff, maintains a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate learning environment, and upholds agency standards, policies, and performance expectations.

Our Costano Center supports a specialized language and literacy program and  features outdoor classrooms that incorporate environmental education and play-based pedagogy. The Center Director will provide guidance and leadership to help create a welcoming environment for all children while promoting parents and guardians as the child’s primary educators.

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Lead the daily operations of the center, ensuring full compliance with California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Community Care Licensing Division regulations (Title 22), California Department of Education (CDE) Early Education Division requirements including Title 5, and all applicable agency policies and contract terms.
• Maintain a safe, nurturing, clean, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for preschoolers, staff, and families.
• Implement and monitor a high-quality program model that integrates nature-based learning and a strong emphasis on early language and literacy development for preschoolers.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate teaching staff; support hiring, onboarding, professional development, and performance management in alignment with agency standards.
• Ensure appropriate staffing schedules to maintain required ratios and effective classroom coverage.
• Guide curriculum implementation and support teachers with lesson planning, classroom management, child observations, developmental assessments, and inclusion of IEP goals.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date site records, including enrollment, attendance, meal counts, child files, curriculum documentation, and visitor logs.
• Monitor enrollment to maintain full program capacity and provide tours and accurate program information to prospective families.
• Build strong partnerships with families, promote parents and guardians as the child’s primary educator, and address concerns in a timely and professional manner.
• Lead regular staff meetings and quarterly family engagement meetings to strengthen communication and engagement.
• Oversee health and safety practices, including monthly fire and earthquake drills, quarterly safety checklists, timely maintenance follow-up, and compliance documentation, serving as the site’s authorized representative for required reports and legal documents.
• Manage site budgets for classroom supplies and materials, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with community partners, school districts, and public and private agencies.
• Maintain confidentiality of children, families, and staff while promoting the mission and philosophy of the organization.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor's (BA/BS) degree required in early childhood education, social services, or other related field.
• Meet Title 5 and Title 22 requirements to qualify as a fully qualified site director plus 3 units of administration.
• Site Supervisor Permit from the Department of Education required.
• 3 to 4  years of work experience in a position with several of the duties outlined above.
• 2 to 3 years of work experience supervising others.
• Meet Title 5 and Title 22 requirements to qualify as a fully qualified site director plus 3 units of administration and 3 units of infant care if directing an infant program. 
• Site Supervisor Permit from the Department of Education required.
• Immunization records that comply with Senate Bill 792 (immunity for measles, pertussis, and influenza) 
• Required to be a mandated abuse reporter. 
• Ability to provide leadership and accept responsibility. 
• Required CPR/First Aid Training Certification. 
• Completion CCL Record Keeping Component; 16 hours of health and safety training which includes 1 hour of nutrition training. 
• Ability to provide leadership, accept responsibility, work independently and set own goals in a professional manner. 
• Ability to work on a variety of tasks simultaneously and able to work Kidango’s core work hours and work schedule as assigned, and a  flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends.
• Bilingual skills are a plus.