Childcare Center Director Jobs
Childcare Center Director jobs are open across private childcare chains, nonprofit early-education programs, public school districts, and community organizations, at every level from assistant director to multi-site executive director, with specializations in curriculum development, licensing compliance, and staff management. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Childcare Center Manager Hands-On Operations & Leadership Role
It Takes A Village 24hr Childcare Center | Syracuse, NY
Pay: $19.00–$21.00 per hour Hours: Approximately 35–45 hours per week Schedule: Flexible schedule based on program needs; early-morning availability required Potential Start Time: As early as 6:30 AM Position: Full-Time
Ready to grow beyond the classroom?
Do you love working with children but know you have more to offer?
Are you the person who notices what needs to be done, remembers the details, follows through, and helps keep things running?
Can you work with an infant in the morning, solve an operational problem before lunch, communicate professionally with a parent, create a sign or document on the computer, and help a team member find the answer they need?
If so, this may be your next step.
It Takes A Village 24hr Childcare Center is seeking a dependable, organized, resourceful, and highly adaptable Childcare Center Manager to help manage the daily pulse of our childcare center.
This is a unique, hands-on leadership position that bridges childcare, administration, family communication, regulatory compliance, and daily center operations.
This is not a sit-behind-a-desk management position.
Our Childcare Center Manager must be willing and able to support children from infancy through school age, assist classrooms when needed, communicate with families, help manage administrative responsibilities, solve routine problems, and gradually develop the judgment and confidence to help the center operate successfully without constant direction from the Owner/Director.
This position is ideal for an experienced childcare professional who is ready to grow into leadership.
What You’ll Do
As our Childcare Center Manager, you will help:
- Open the childcare center and prepare the building for a successful day
- Maintain awareness of what is happening throughout the center
- Greet children and families warmly and professionally
- Learn children’s names, routines, personalities, and individual needs
- Work hands-on with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children
- Step into classrooms when needed to support staffing and required ratios
- Receive, document, and follow up on important parent messages
- Monitor attendance, child supplies, paperwork, and routine family needs
- Help ensure daily childcare regulations, policies, and safety procedures are followed
- Complete and organize administrative paperwork
- Use email, Google tools, ChatGPT, printers, scanners, and internet resources to complete tasks efficiently
- Create professional signs, notices, reminders, checklists, and simple documents
- Help team members locate answers and understand routine procedures
- Notice operational problems and help solve them before they become larger issues
- Keep accurate notes and follow-up lists
- Communicate important information to the Owner/Director
- Learn which decisions can be made independently and which matters require escalation
- Take increasing ownership of daily center operations as knowledge and trust develop
We Are Looking for Someone Who Is:
- Extremely reliable and punctual
- Comfortable beginning work as early mornings and/or ending into the evening sometimes
- Organized and attentive to details
- Excellent at following through
- Warm and confident with children of all ages
- Professional and responsive with families
- Comfortable moving between classrooms and office responsibilities
- Resourceful and willing to search for answers
- Comfortable using technology
- Able to remember important information—or disciplined enough to write it down
- Calm and practical when problems arise
- Open to coaching and feedback
- Able to use sound judgment and common sense
- Interested in professional and leadership growth
We value someone who is observant, thoughtful, consistent, dependable, responsive, and willing to learn.
Minimum Qualifications
- Professional experience in childcare, education, youth development, or a related field
- Experience working directly with children
- Ability and willingness to work with multiple age groups, from infants through school age
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Basic computer and technology proficiency
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries
- Ability to meet all health, background-check, training, and regulatory requirements for employment in a licensed childcare program
Childcare leadership, administrative, supervisory, or center operations experience is strongly preferred.
This Role May Not Be for You If:
- You want to work exclusively in an office
- You only want to work with one age group
- You need frequent reminders to complete responsibilities
- You wait to be told what to do when you can clearly see that something needs attention
- You are uncomfortable communicating with families
- You dislike paperwork, technology, or learning new systems
- You want a management title without hands-on responsibility
- You are not comfortable receiving direct feedback and being held accountable
Growth Opportunity
We are intentionally looking for someone who wants to grow.
The Childcare Center Manager will work closely with the Owner/Director and gain hands-on experience in:
- Childcare center operations
- Regulatory compliance
- Family communication
- Administrative systems
- Team support
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
- Leadership
As the successful candidate demonstrates consistency, judgment, initiative, and readiness, there may be opportunities for expanded leadership responsibilities.
Growth at It Takes A Village is based on demonstrated readiness and performance—not simply time in the position.
About It Takes A Village
It Takes A Village 24hr Childcare Center is a community-rooted childcare program serving children and families in Syracuse.
We believe childcare is both heart work and serious professional work.
Our work is deeply connected to the children, families, educators, and community we serve. We are looking for someone who values relationships while also understanding the importance of safety, professionalism, accountability, organization, and high standards.
If you are an experienced childcare professional who knows you are capable of more and are ready for your next opportunity to learn, lead, and grow, we would love to hear from you.
Pay: $19.00 - $21.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
Childcare Center Director Jobs by Experience Level
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Find JobsChildcare Center Director Job Market
Who's Hiring
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in childcare center director jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child development, or a related field
- State childcare director credential or administrator license as required by jurisdiction
- Minimum three to five years of experience in an early childhood or childcare setting
- Knowledge of state licensing regulations, NAEYC accreditation standards, and health and safety codes
- Experience managing staff hiring, scheduling, performance reviews, and professional development
- Proficiency with childcare management software for enrollment, billing, and family communication
Tips for Your Childcare Center Director Job Search
Tailor your resume to licensing requirements
Highlight your state childcare director credential, CDA, or ECE degree prominently. Hiring managers screen for compliance experience first, so list every license renewal, inspection outcome, and regulatory body you've worked with directly on your resume.
Quantify enrollment and staff metrics
Directors who list center capacity managed, staff headcount supervised, and budget size get more callbacks than those who describe duties in general terms. Pull those numbers from your last role and anchor every achievement to a concrete figure.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists childcare center director openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Filter by accreditation type when targeting openings
NAEYC-accredited centers and Head Start grantees have distinct compliance cultures and hiring criteria. Targeting listings that match the accreditation frameworks you already know shortens your ramp time and makes your cover letter much more specific.
Prepare a scenario answer on ratios and staffing gaps
Almost every childcare director interview includes a question about handling sudden staff shortages while keeping child-to-staff ratios within state limits. Script a real example in advance so you can walk through your decision process without hesitation.
Negotiate start date around licensing transfer timelines
If you're relocating across state lines, your director credential may need reciprocity approval or a new state application before you can legally run a center. Raise this early in the offer stage so both sides plan around the actual clearance date.
Childcare Center Director Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most childcare center directors?
The most active employers for childcare center directors right now are The Learning Experience UK, Chroma Early Learning Academy, and Childcare Network, and the most openings are in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Demand tends to be highest in metro areas with large working-parent populations and active state subsidy programs.
How many childcare center director jobs are remote?
About 3% of childcare center director openings are fully remote or hybrid as of July 2026, since most director roles require on-site supervision of staff, children, and facility compliance. The sub-areas most likely to allow remote work include regional training coordinator roles, curriculum director positions for multi-site operators, and corporate childcare program management.
How do you become a childcare center director?
Start by earning a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or child development, then accumulate direct classroom and supervisory experience. Obtain your state's required director credential or administrator certificate, which typically involves coursework in child development, administration, and health and safety. Building familiarity with licensing inspections and staff management before stepping into a director role substantially strengthens your candidacy.
Can you get hired as a childcare center director with limited experience?
Some employers hire assistant directors or program leads with two to three years of classroom experience and a director credential, especially at smaller independent centers. Emphasizing any experience you have managing staff schedules, handling parent communications, or running a classroom as lead teacher helps close the gap. Volunteering to coordinate licensing renewals or staff training at your current center can also demonstrate director-level readiness.
What does the childcare center director interview process look like?
Most childcare director interviews involve an initial phone or video screen with an HR contact, followed by an in-person panel with the regional or area director and sometimes a board member at nonprofit centers. Expect scenario-based questions on licensing compliance, staff conflicts, and enrollment challenges. Some employers add a facility walk-through or ask you to review a mock budget or staffing schedule as a practical assessment.
Where can I find and apply to childcare center director jobs?
You can find and apply to childcare center director jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your credentials, experience level, and preferred location, then apply directly to each listing that fits your background.
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