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Jewish for Good serves as the vibrant hub where everyone belongs, nourishing the roots of local Jewish life. We provide engaging opportunities that deepen Jewish connections, knowledge, and relations to Israel, services for helping those in need; immersive Jewish learning experiences; programs that foster healthy living; and pathways for charitable giving. We are located in the Levin JCC at 1937 West Cornwallis Road, Durham, North Carolina, 27705.
The Learning Division is one of four key programmatic pillars of Jewish for Good, which includes the Sandra E. Lerner Jewish Community Day School, the Lerner Early Childhood Center and the Beth El Early Childhood Center. Collectively these programs serve over 200 children infant through 5 th grade each year with an operating budget of $3.5 million.
At Jewish for Good, the Early Childhood Center is focused on exploring, imaging, and creating. Children will explore Jewish life and values; imagine and engage in enriching experiences; all while creating a meaningful community. To provide an inclusive Jewish environment, while meeting the guidelines set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children regarding five interrelated dimensions of early childhood practice. These dimensions are:
• Creating a caring community of learners;
• Teaching to enhance development and learning;
• Constructing appropriate curriculum that dovetails with early learning standards through a variety of multisensory activities and follows curriculum themes;
• Continually observing and assessing children's learning and development; and
• Establishing reciprocal relationships with all families.
These dimensions are infused on the program each day through the programs learning through play educational philosophy and developmental building blocks.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Director of the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) is a full-time, salaried exempt position responsible for the educational leadership, programmatic quality, faculty supervision, and family experience of the Early Childhood Center.
The Director serves as the primary leader for all matters related to teaching faculty, classroom environments, curriculum implementation, child development, and parent relationships. This includes establishing clear expectations, ensuring consistent implementation of policies and procedures, providing ongoing faculty coaching and evaluation, and maintaining a positive, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for children ages six weeks through five years.
Working in close partnership with the Director of Learning Administration and Director of Learning Admissions, the ECLC Director ensures that the educational program operates effectively while responsibilities for administrative systems and enrollment management are coordinated across the leadership team.
The Director reports to the Senior Director of Learning and supervises the ECLC Teacher Coach and designated classroom faculty.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Build and Support Faculty
• Lead, supervise, mentor, and evaluate ECLC faculty, establishing clear expectations for performance, professionalism, and accountability.
• Oversee faculty recruitment, hiring, onboarding, daily classroom staffing, and substitute coverage.
• Conduct regular classroom observations, provide constructive feedback, and address performance concerns with appropriate documentation and follow-up.
• Partner with the Teacher Coach to lead faculty meetings, professional development, and ongoing instructional support.
• Ensure consistent implementation of organizational policies, classroom procedures, and licensing requirements.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and professional workplace culture grounded in Jewish for Good's values.
Parent Relationships, Communication & Engagement
• Serve as the primary contact for enrolled families regarding their children's educational experiences, development, and classroom needs.
• Build strong, trusting relationships with families through proactive, timely, and consistent communication.
• Address parent questions, concerns, and complaints, ensuring appropriate resolution, documentation, and follow-up.
• Oversee parent-teacher conferences, developmental discussions, and individualized support plans as needed.
• Ensure faculty communicate effectively with families and consistently implement school policies.
• Partner with the Director of Admissions on family engagement, retention, and classroom transitions
Create Environment for Learning and Growing
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of a high-quality, developmentally appropriate curriculum rooted in learning through play.
• Ensure consistent educational practices and alignment with state and accreditation standards across all classrooms.
• Oversee lesson planning, classroom environments, developmental assessments, and individualized learning support.
• Partner with the Teacher Coach to strengthen instructional practices through classroom observations, coaching, and professional development.
• Ensure Jewish values, traditions, holidays, and culture are meaningfully integrated into classroom experiences.
• Regularly assess program quality and implement improvements that support children's growth and development.
Ensure Operational Excellence
• Ensure a safe, nurturing, inclusive, and enriching environment for all children and faculty.
• Oversee consistent faculty implementation of health, safety, supervision, behavior guidance, and child protection policies.
• Monitor classroom compliance with licensing requirements and organizational standards.
• Respond to classroom incidents, safety concerns, and child-related challenges, ensuring appropriate communication and follow-up.
• Partner with the Director of Administration on licensing documentation, required records, and administrative compliance.
• Serve as an active member of the Learning Division leadership team, supporting organizational goals and strategic priorities.
• Partner with the Director of Administration on operational systems, staffing records, licensing documentation, and administrative needs.
• Partner with the Director of Admissions on enrollment transitions, classroom placements, family engagement, and retention.
• Maintain regular communication with the Senior Director of Learning regarding faculty, families, curriculum, and program quality.
• Establish and monitor annual goals focused on faculty performance, family satisfaction, and educational excellence.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or other related field
• Experience and passion for working with young children, birth to 5 years old and their families
• Several years of supervisory and/or leadership experience in an educational setting, ideally in an early childhood center
• Experience developing and implementing creative programming for young children and understanding of developmentally appropriate practices
• The flexibility to meet job requirements beyond the school day.
• Knowledge of Jewish culture and traditions.
• Demonstrated:
• Strong written, oral, and non-verbal communication skills, including interacting with compassion and empathy
• Modeling of growth mindset and commitment to professional and personal growth
• Positive attitude and good judgement in the face of challenging situations
• Capacity for creative problem solving, critical thinking, ability to think on one's feet, and flexibility
• Excellent work ethic, models respect, honesty, and integrity