Assistant Director

Direct Reports:

Regional Education Managers/Mental Health and Disability Staff

USC’s School for Early Childhood Education is dedicated to providing comprehensive, high-quality early childhood education services to children and their families in the South Los Angeles area. Founded in 1970 as a teaching school for future early-childhood professionals, the USC School for Early Childhood Education (USC SECE) seeks to promote school readiness, health/nutrition, mental wellness, and family engagement. Today, our licensed Head Start and Early Head Start centers serve more than 500 infants and pre-school children and their parents each year. We are seeking enthusiastic, creative, dynamic, and team-oriented individuals who enjoy working with children while fostering a supportive learning environment.

Job Overview:

The School of Early Childhood Education is seeking an Assistant Director, Educational Services.This position provides direction, oversight, and support for all services related to early learning and education (e.g., early interventionservices, special education support, classroom/home-based instruction, coaching/professional development). Ensures sitesmeet accreditation standards and childcare requirements (e.g., licensing, applicable health and safety regulatory).Authorized to acknowledge receipt of deficiency notices and to correct deficiencies that constitute immediate threats to children's health and safety. Files reports as required by governmental or agency guidelines and regulations.

Responsibilities and Duties: 

• Develops, directs and implements USC SECE’s education component. Plans andorganizes SECE program services. Monitors data. Ensures a comprehensive andintegrated approach to learning and compliance with program performancestandards and regulations (e.g., state, federal, Community Care Licensing).

• Provides strategic leadership, oversight, and accountability for the educational components of the Head Start and CA State Preschool Program (CSPP), ensuring that all teaching and learning practices meet or exceed federal and state requirements.

• Maintains readiness for federal and state reviews, audits and monitoring visits through proactive compliance oversight.

• Collaborates closely with Service Area leaders for implementation of high quality, research-based curriculum that promotes school readiness, supports individualized learning, and reflects developmentallyappropriate practices.

• Responsible for supporting and implementing SECE’s vision and programgoals. Confers with stakeholders to review achievements and discuss requiredchanges (e.g., goals, objectives, program emphasis). 

• Analyzes data to make operational changes. Ensures high-quality delivery ofservices. 

• Reviews analysis of activities, costs and operations. Forecasts data todetermine components progress toward goals and objectives. 

• Assists in preparinggrant proposals and in regular review and annual update of the agency’s strategicplan.

• Facilitates and designs training and professional development. 

• Oversees the collection, analysis, and interpretation of child assessment and outcome data; uses data to inform instructional practices, professional development needs, and program modifications.

• Expected to maintain full compliance with all federal, state and local regulations; develop program internal policies and procedures; ensure a holistic approach and collaboration with all comprehensive service departments. 

• Requires CLASS certification and CLASS observations and implementation across all classrooms.

• Supervises and provides guidance to the Family Advocates, Home Base Educators and team, and State Preschool Staff as well as administrative staff (as needed) to implement strategies to recruit and enroll children, engage parents in their children’s learning and development, support parent children relationships and integrate specific strategies for further engagement activities.  

• In collaboration with other managers, develops and implements staff and parent training plans to meet family needs.  

• Ensures all Program Information Reporting (PIR) is accounted for in all service areas, and work plans, action plans, and program delivery is assessed and customized to meet the needs of the families in the community.

• Encourages a workplace culture where all employees are valued, value others and have the opportunity to contribute through their ideas, words and actions, in accordance with the USC Code of Ethics.

• Other duties as assigned.

Schedule/Hours Requirements:

The position requires flexible hours, including weekend and evening work and some travel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Development, Education, Psychology, or other related field. 

• 5 years of experience in progressive leadership with demonstrated experience in early childhood education, including 3 years in a leadership or administrative capacity. 

• Demonstrated experience in HeadStart and CA Dept. of Education (CDE) regulations, and Community Care Licensing.

• Early childcare education and experience in a large-scalechildcare facility.

• California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Child Development, Program Director's Permit.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's in Early Childhood Development, Education, Psychology, or other related field.

• 7 years of experience in progressive leadership. 

• Ability to handle multiple tasks and to work with outside agencies. 

• Ability to accurately enter and transmit information within established timelines.

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing and to work well with others in a team environment.

• Ability to represent Head Start/Early Head Start positively to the community and with parents and families at all times

• Knowledge of Early Head Start and Head Start Performance Standards.

• Bilingual: English/Spanish Preferred

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to climb stairs, reach, bend, lift 20-30 pounds, crawl, kneel, stoop, twist, grasp with hands and fingers, use arms and legs, walk, and climb ladders if applicable. The usual and customary methods of performing the job’s functions require the following physical demands: lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; significant stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling.

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Physical exam

• TB test

• Background/fingerprint clearance

• MMR and Tdap vaccinations

• CPR

• Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training