House Child Care Center Administrator (Strategic Advisor)

The House of Representatives Child Care Center (HRCCC), has been providing full-day, year-round, quality childcare for children of the Members of Congress, staff, and House support personnel since 1987. Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the HRCCC is a developmentally based childcare program where staff work as partners with parents in the development of the whole child, including their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. Our mission is to provide exceptional quality care and developmentally appropriate learning experiences in a safe, nurturing, and diverse environment to support the children and families of the House Community.

The HRCCC began a substantial expansion in 2018 which has resulted in a move to a new facility, almost tripling staff size and opening the center doors to over 90 additional children and their families.  The team now requires guidance and coaching to effectively develop a new strategic plan and to implement and communicate associated activities to their staff, the families they support and various key stakeholders throughout the House community.

The HRCCC Administrator will serve as a senior executive with the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and be responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership at the HRCCC. The incumbent will lead, coach and supervise the administrative team, teachers, and other support staff.

Major Duties:

Supports the Director of the HRCCC, Assistant Directors and administrative team to plan, secure approval of, and follow through on comprehensive long-term strategies, goals, objectives, and operational needs. Develops process, framework, and associated tools to measure the successful implementation of new initiatives. Facilitates conversations with administrative team to prioritize, sequence and delegate activities.

Develops and implements strategic initiatives, communications and engagement plans for HRCCC staff, community and other stakeholders. Contributes to development of program(s) and/or other best practices to enhance recruiting outreach activities, increase employee engagement, and strengthen retention.

Focuses on teaching, mentoring, facilitating, and professional coaching of professional and experienced administrative and teaching teams. Cultivate the capabilities of each team member in their specific role and enable them to deliver consistent value. Assists in establishing and evaluating performance goals and objectives; career counseling and development; and employee engagement techniques.

Coaches management team to foster a culture of open dialogue and continuous performance conversations with staff. Assists management on strategies to improve performance and engagement including writing and discussing effective performance reviews for staff members. Identifies appropriate training opportunities for all levels of management within the center.

Develops and delivers official correspondence and other reports/analysis responses to requests and/or inquiries from other CAO staff and Member offices. Provides requested and/or anticipated background materials to the CAO and other applicable senior leadership.

Advises on program and project management, organizational change, and service management challenges and opportunities on behalf of the Immediate Office and in the conjunction with the HRCCC community, as required.

Remains abreast of industry trends and oversees the administrative team’s continual review of policies and procedures to ensure substantial compliance with standards set forth by the NAEYC Networks and meets with other local administrators, parents, and stakeholders to identify best practices and provide guidance on ensuring consistent, yet reasonable, application of enhanced policies and procedures throughout their organization.

Examines learning materials, visits classrooms and observes teaching methods in coordination with the Director and Administrative team.

Provide executive level leadership to assist in implementation and/or enforcement of laws, rules, regulations, procedures, and policies related to health and safety. Ensures the teaching staff is aware of safety factors, appropriate adult-child ratios, and emergency protocols.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience and/or Education Requirements:

Master’s degree in early childhood development and/or early childhood education required; Ph.D. preferred.
Minimum 10 years’ experience supervising staff and/or programs in an early childhood and/or elementary school setting required.
Experience in principles of collaborative instruction and supervising and training teachers required.

Knowledge, Skill, and Ability (KSA) and Competency Requirements:

Skill in strategic planning, project management, program implementation, coordination, and management, and budget formulation and execution (personnel and program).

Ability to develop, implement, and champion new strategic initiatives through effective change management practices.

Ability to present and interact confidently with principals throughout the House, including House Leadership, Members, other House Officers, and senior staff.

Ability to build and maintain relationships with senior business leaders and the ability to coach and develop colleagues at all levels.

Skill in strategic communications, organizational awareness, analytics, project management, and stakeholder management.

Proven ability to inspire trust, lead and facilitate with strong interpersonal skills, and move from ideas to action.

Knowledge of and ability to apply the philosophy of early childhood education as expressed in the standards for the accreditation process of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Ability to understand and apply childcare educational research and best practices

Knowledge of and ability to apply principles and best practices related to classroom control, behavior management, behavioral observation, teaching practices, and instructional methodologies.

Ability to develop, implement, and maintain internal workplace policies, standards, procedures, and practices.

Ability to conduct research, develop reports and management briefings.

Knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations related to childcare.

Skill in crisis management and emergency response; ability to always maintain composure.

Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with tact.

All employees within CAO are expected to demonstrate the following general competencies: Accountability, Adaptability, Collaboration, Communication, Customer Orientation, Knowledge of Relevant Policies, Procedures, and Processes, Priority Management, and Problem Resolution.

All employees in leadership positions within CAO are expected to demonstrate the following leadership competencies: Coalition Building, Decision-Making, Leading People, Results Orientation, and Strategic Planning.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

This position is in a school setting that is adequately heated, lighted, and ventilated. Normal safety precautions apply. The work involves light physical activity and may include moderate physical activity. The incumbent must be able to meet minimum physical requirements and work environment demands. Specifically, the incumbent must:

Lift and/or move 50 pounds or more.
Participate in moderate physical exercise for extended periods of time.
Possess hearing and visual capabilities necessary to monitor the environment and children’s wellbeing and promptly respond to emergency situations.
Participate in training to obtain/maintain awareness of and ensure adherence to all safety policies, procedures, and processes to include but not limited to allergies, other dietary restrictions, health conditions, and emergency response protocols.
Ability to acquire and maintain the following certifications within 60 days of hire date: Infant/Child/Adult CPR Certification and First Aid Certification.
Ability to successfully complete a physical exam and tuberculosis test (at the incumbent’s expense) prior to employment and annually thereafter (current documentation may not be older than 12 months).

Security Requirements:

Must successfully complete a criminal history records check.
Employee may be subject to drug testing in accordance with the CAO Drug Free Workplace Plan.
Must successfully complete a Public Trust investigation with a Child Registry check.

Apply here.