The Academy Director will be responsible for managing all aspects of academy operations and meeting the state licensing requirements as outlined in the Minimum Standards for Child Care Centers. The Academy Director will promote and instill corporate values, vision and goals. The Academy Director will foster and maintain positive relationships with academy staff, key host church staff, parents, students, vendors and the local community while providing strategic leadership and oversight of the academy.
The Academy Director will report directly to the Regional Director and have direct reports from Community Director, Assistant Director, Lead Teachers, and all other academy support staff.
Visionary Leadership
Promote and maintain the vision, mission and core values of Lionheart Children's Academy
Exercise both professional and spiritual leadership and focus to ensure that the goals and vision for the academy maintain priority
Ensure that the culture of the academy is dynamic, inspiring and fun
Church Relations
Cultivate and develop strong relationships with church partners to maintain their satisfaction and ensure their goals are achieved.
Contribute to reports on progress and meet with Regional Director to assess effectiveness.
Maintain regular communications with key church contacts with academy updates and spiritual highlights
Assist in marketing efforts to cultivate additional church partners.
Outreach Marketing
Develop and strengthen partnerships with teachers, educational specialists, school/district administrators, churches and parent/teacher organizations
Produce effective marketing plans and other direct marketing strategies to achieve and maintain enrollment goals
Consistently grow the academy through on-going marketing and promotion of the academy
Work closely with the Regional Director and National Office on production of collateral, social media strategies, web content, etc. for promotion and operation of the academy
Staffing & Leadership Development
Recruit, hire, and train exceptional academy staff
Provide leadership to academy leadership and academy staff- including spiritual nurturing, coaching, mentoring, encouragement, educational and professional development - to ensure that they are passionate and joy-filled as they lead others
Be available to Academy leadership, staff, parents and church leaders for resourcing and/or problem-solving
Evaluate and document Academy staff job performance, development plans and compensation recommendations. Collaborate with NO and regional on all HR issues
Actively participate in key professional organizations so as to enrich personal and professional development.
Ensure that all staff have the LCA New Employee Orientation and state required training
Travel, as requested, to trainings, staff development events, new academy openings, etc. for support and ongoing training and development
General Operations
Implement and oversee all operating standards, processes and systems necessary to effectively operate academy to achieve stated outcomes
Ensure compliance with all licensing requirements and federal and state laws related to academy operations
Conduct annual tuition rate survey in order to adjust tuition rates, based on child care trends in the area
Work with National Office to leverage opportunities to receive competitive quotes from new vendors for products and services
Enforce tuition requirements and resolve problems for non-payment, when necessary
Ensure that information in the faculty, polices, and handbook remains relevant and up to date
Visit classrooms on a daily basis to ensure adherence to corporate and academy goals, standards and objectives
Maintain daily/weekly/monthly checklists for licensing standards compliance
Space & Equipment
Planning for and equipping outdoor areas
Planning for and equipping indoor areas
Arranging for custodial care, maintenance, and repairs
Do playground, bus, and facility inspections to make sure everything is safe and clean
Enrollment
Interviewing parents of prospective students
Use the CRM and 1Core daily to meet enrollment and retention goals
Oversee other administrators use of CRM to ensure accuracy
Orientation of newly enrolled students
Familiarizing the parents of newly enrolled students with school policies
Being alert to enrollment needs at all times
Update your monthly marketing calendar with both internal and external opportunities
Maintaining an advertising and public relations program to promote enrollments
Parents
Maintaining an active system of parent-school relationships
Planning and administering a parent-education program
Planning and administering a parent-participation program
Maintaining an open line of communication between parents and staff
Establishing and maintaining parents’ resource library
Health
Planning and implementing a health program for the school
Contacting recognized agencies that are able to help children with special needs
Maintaining a referral system for children who have special needs
Safety
Planning and implementing a safety program for the school
Must have licensing, Health and Fire regulations in good standing
Keeping informed of the school’s legal responsibilities and liabilities
Scheduling, conducting and recording fire and storm drills
Assuring that teachers plan activities to teach the children safety on an ongoing basis
Maintaining all vehicles and providing annual training for staff to ensure transportation safety
Community Relationships
Welcoming visitors to the school and arranging for the visits to be pleasant and worthwhile
Being available to community groups for public events that pertain to early childhood and to family life as a whole
Maintaining a liaison with representatives of various branches of local, state, and federal government for the purpose of supporting legislation concerned with education
Planning, Budget & Forecasting
Work closely with the VP of Operation to follow the Academy's annual financial plan including key outcomes and corresponding budget.
Manage weekly/monthly billing using the academy's management software
Collect, post, and deposit tuition payments daily
Collect outstanding tuition and implement academy policies regarding such
Provide weekly tuition aging report to Academy Director
Provide timely and accurate weekly and monthly records and reports - to include bank deposits, billing reports, contact logs and call backs, etc. to Academy Director as requested
Adhere to budgetary guidelines - specifically accounts receivable, labor expenditures and food purchases
Background, Experience, and Education
Bachelor's Degree preferred
1-3 years experience as Academy Director for a licensed child care facility
Must be a qualified Director in the state of Tennessee
Academic experience with infant, toddler, pre-school, and/or elementary teaching
Key expertise will include state licensing, marketing, recruitment, and staff supervision, operations management and customer service
Experience with Microsoft Office products, with proficiency in Outlook, Excel and/or other database management or CRM systems
Critical Gifts
Spiritual maturity - committed and passionate follower of Jesus Christ
Burning desire to reach children and parents
People builder - proven ability to build teams, grow leaders, and create culture
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
Results-driven, self-starter
Excellent customer-service skills and the ability to create effective partnerships with churches, families and staff
Well-versed in child care accreditation and licensing standards
Strong collaboration and teamwork
Salary - Based on Experience and Education
$55,000 - $75,000 a year
Seniority level
Not Applicable
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Education and Training
Industries
Child Day Care Services
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