Early Learning Instructional Coach

Position Summary:

YMCA of Greater Houston's Early Learning Instructional Coach is a grant-funded position, that supports the work of the Y, a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. This position will provide instructional leadership and professional development for classroom teachers in implementing the grant-funded Early Childhood English Learners Initiative (ECELI) program. The Instructional Coach will create a safe and positive atmosphere that welcomes and respects all individuals while inspiring youth and staff to discover their passions. This position will enthusiastically represent the Y by displaying a positive attitude, maintaining a high level of energy and commitment to quality throughout all aspects of the job. The position must maintain a culture of inclusion, integrity, character, and life-long learning within the YMCA that reinforces, encourages and promotes values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

The Early Learning Instructional Coach will be responsible for coaching and mentoring classroom teachers at two specific YMCA early care centers participating in the ECELI program in integrating best practices and resources to support English Learners and their families enrolled in the program. The incumbent will be expected to model best practices on parent engagement, language and literacy development, and social-emotional development of English Learners, between zero and three. The Early Childhood English Learners Initiative (ECELI) aims to support the success of English Learners (ELs) enrolled in licensed facility and home childcare programs in underserved, low-income Harris County communities. The initiative is intended to identify best practices and resources needed to provide a robust professional development model for early childhood leaders, teachers, and families of English learners, ages zero to three. The Early Learning Instructional Coach will also assist in supporting teachers that need additional support in the classroom, at specific early care sites.

Essential Functions:

1. Leadership: Provide leadership and vision in the improvement and development of existing and new innovative early care learning centers to better meet the needs of members and the community. Provide leadership in the recruitment and retention of staff and children, curriculum implementation, management of budget, management of community relationships and program growth.

1. Strategic Planning: Lead growth strategy plan and business model development, in collaboration with early care team.

1. Project Management: Demonstrate the ability to effectively manage multiple projects and assignments under severe time constraints and changing priorities. Provides oversight and management to program staff and youth development programs.
2. Staff Development: Develops and leads staff recruitment strategy plan for hiring and retention of program site staff needed to meet DFPS minimum licensing standards and Y staffing ratios. Reviews and evaluates staff performance. Develops strategies to motivate staff to achieve goals.
3. Fiscal Management: Create a budget according to the given budget guidelines. Forecast and manage the approved budget and take appropriate action to correct variances. Meet fiscal performance goals.
4. Market Growth & Analysis: Conduct annual program analysis on assigned sites to include pricing structure, growth opportunities, funding opportunities and other needs. Expands program within the community in accordance with strategic and operating plans. Partners with center leadership at assigned centers to design programs that meet the needs of each individual community.
5. Marketing & Promotions: Oversee internal marketing and communication efforts for program locations to maximize enrollments and program participation. Monitors implementation and coordinates marketing and promotion goals to ensure the successful completion of projects.
6. Program Planning: Lead the planning and preparation process for early care and day camp, including securing new sites, marketing, staff and student recruitment, preparing compliance items, curriculum development, field trips, transportation and partnership development for the following program year.Coordinate and cooperate with the Senior Director of Early Learning in formulating in-service training programs for all site directors, and teachers in each site. Assist in organizing and planning summer school programs and activities pertaining to the early care site.
7. Community Engagement: Actively engages in advocacy work and center based community events to build deeper relationships and YMCA brand awareness. Manages and supports family-school-community partnerships.
8. Center Engagement: Assist in the promotion and integration with other YMCA departments to ensure the productive, effective and efficient operation of the center. Actively participates in YMCA center activities, meetings, and staff trainings to foster strong positive relations with center leadership and better collaborate with center teams.
9. Strategic Partnerships: Manages partner relationships and ensures all parties meet partner expectations. Creates and executes partner appreciation opportunities to deepen the relationships with community and other partners. Secures annual and/or multiyear partner agreements with assigned site locations; including facilities, food, field trips, and vendors.
10. Relationship Building: Develops and maintains relationships with center leadership, state child care licensing agency, school and district administration, parent groups and other organizations and agencies related to assigned programs. Resolves escalated inquires, issues, and complaints by internal YMCA departments/centers, parents, schools and community agencies in a timely manner.
11. Program Evaluation: Oversees and conducts ongoing program evaluations and surveys to ensure that high levels of quality in programs are maintained at all times; ensure outcomes align with the needs of the community and the agency's strategic plan. Ensure the data collection completion for all grant-funded programs and strategic initiatives.
12. Annual Campaign: Leads annual staff campaign to meet department goals. Supports annual fundraising campaign at the center.
13. Child Abuse Prevention: Reports suspicious and inappropriate behaviors and policy violations. Follows mandated abuse and incident reporting requirements.
14. Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

YMCA Culture & Cause Expectations

Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. It's who are, who we aspire to be and how we show up every day. We are cause-driven. We don't just show up, we show up with purpose. As a cause driven leader you are expected to be:

Welcoming-Accept neighbors eagerly, warmly, hospitably, and as equal participants.

Nurturing-To care for, support, and help develop through encouragement.

Hopeful-Take an optimistic or positive view of future outcomes.

Determined-To devote full strength and concentrated attention to the cause.

Genuine-To be honest and open in relationshipswith others.

Job Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Bachelor's or Associate's degree in education, early education or another appropriate discipline plus a minimum 3 years of experience in early childhood education.
2. Five to seven years related experience preferred, as a director of childcare program
3. Two years related experience of managing of multi-site operations
4. Experience with strategic planning and fiscal management oversight
5. Experience managing $1+ million budget
6. Experience working effectively with diverse community populations
7. Proficient in Microsoft Office products including Work, Excel, Power Point, Outlook and Internet Explorer.
8. Minimum age of 21 years.
9. CPR, First Aid, AED certifications and Child Abuse prevention trainings required upon hire.
10. Previous experience with diverse populations.
11. Strong organizational, planning, project management, time management and problem resolution skills.
12. Excellent communication and member service skills.
13. Fulfillment of state-specific hiring standards (if any) and completion of YMCA program specific certifications.
14. Available for trainings and special events on occasional weekends and after hours

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

May directly supervises full time and part time employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; reviewing and approving timesheets; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; monitoring and updating all required staff certifications; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

COMPUTER LITERACY

Skills are essential in all of the Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Access. Ability to use these programs to lighten workload, develop reports and to automate procedures is very necessary. Ability to diagnose basic PC problems and to communicate those problems is very important.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TRAVEL

Travel is primarily local between assigned centers during the workday, although some out-of-area and overnight travel may be expected.

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.