Senior Director, JCC Early Learning Centers

Are you an inspiring, big-picture leader ready to shape the future of early childhood education across Greater Boston? Do you thrive at the intersection of educational vision, operational excellence, team leadership, and community partnership? If so, this is your opportunity to lead as our Senior Director of JCC Early Learning Centers—guiding a network of exceptional schools, empowering Directors and educators, and creating lasting impact for children, families, and the communities we serve.

About JCC Greater Boston

Since opening its doors in 1983, JCC Greater Boston has been committed to its mission of creating a vibrant, inclusive, and diverse community by nurturing meaningful relationships. Through our network of early learning centers, day camps, regional teen and family programs, health and wellness offerings, and adult arts and ideas classes, JCC Greater Boston provides highly valued connections, learning, and experiences for the Jewish community and friends.

The JCC is deeply committed to valuing and celebrating the uniqueness of each constituent. We welcome staff and participants from diverse backgrounds. While being proudly Jewish, we strive in every way to provide an open and welcoming setting for all, irrespective of personal practices, beliefs, or background. We are guided by JCC Greater Boston’s core values: Belonging, Joyfulness, Collaboration, and Transformation, which we hope resonate with all.

JCC Core Values:

About JCC Early Learning Centers

JCC Greater Boston is a leader in early childhood education. While united structurally and pedagogically, each school has a unique personality shaped by the community needs and staff vision as well as the diverse backgrounds of our children.

The JCC’s early childhood education is grounded in the Sheva framework as its shared Jewish educational foundation, informed by Reggio-inspired practices and other best practices in early childhood education. The Senior Director ensures these frameworks are consistently and meaningfully reflected across all centers.

• Our Godine Early Learning Center, located in Newton, provides a nurturing and engaging environment for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years. This location features a state-of-the-art natural playspace and offers various enrichment activities to broaden your child’s horizons!
• Our Gilson Early Learning Center, located in Sharon, boasts a state-of-the-art natural playground, featuring a working garden, a huge sand play area, large grassy areas for outdoor actives, an abundance of nature, and more–all of which encourage children to engage with nature and discover new things.
• Our Hingham Early Learning Center is proud to be recognized as a nationally certified Nature Explore® Outdoor Classroom, designed to provide developmentally appropriate play spaces for toddlers and preschool-age children. Children have many opportunities to explore their surroundings, engage with other children and with nature, as well as learn through hands-on experiences in a safe and stimulating environment.

Job Summary

JCC Greater Boston is seeking a strategic and visionary Senior Director of Early Learning Centers to lead and strengthen a network of early childhood education programs serving families across the region. This senior leadership role provides strategic, educational, and operational oversight for multiple Early Learning Centers (ELCs), ensuring excellence in teaching and learning while supporting the long-term sustainability and growth of the system.

Reporting to the Chief Program Officer and serving as a member of the organization’s Leadership Team, the Senior Director will guide the overall health and success of the Early Learning Centers as a unified system of schools. The role sets and stewards a shared educational vision across sites while supporting Directors in leading their individual programs and responding to the needs of their communities.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced early childhood leader who combines educational vision, operational expertise, and strong people leadership to guide a thriving network of early learning programs.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & System Leadership
Provide vision, leadership, and oversight for the Early Learning Centers across multiple sites.

• Develop and implement a strategic vision for early learning aligned with the JCC’s mission and organizational goals.
• Ensure strong, consistent program quality across all centers.
• Monitor compliance with licensing regulations, health and safety standards, staffing ratios, and accreditation expectations.
• Lead system-wide initiatives and support potential expansion or growth opportunities.
• Represent the organization in regional early childhood networks, partnerships, and community
  initiatives.

Educational Leadership & Program Quality
Champion educational excellence across the Early Learning Centers.

• Steward a shared educational philosophy grounded in Jewish values, the Sheva framework, and Reggio-inspired practice.
• Ensure consistency in curriculum, teaching approaches, classroom environments, and family engagement across sites.
• Implement systems for continuous program improvement and evaluation of outcomes such as child readiness, retention, and quality indicators.
• Support professional development and coaching for educators and leaders aligned with early childhood best practices, licensing requirements and equity-centered pedagogy.

Operations, Financial Stewardship & Enrollment
Ensure the operational and financial strength of the Early Learning Centers system.

• Oversee overall departmental performance, including educational quality, enrollment growth, staffing stability, operational effectiveness, risk management, and financial sustainability.
• Develop and manage regional budgets for in-site operations, including program revenues, grants, philanthropy, and cost management.
• Partner with Directors to develop and implement enrollment strategies that support sustainable growth while maintaining accountability for system-wide enrollment outcomes.
• Identify opportunities for growth, innovation, and improved operational systems.

Community Engagement & Advocacy
Strengthen partnerships and advance equitable access to early childhood education.

• Build and maintain relationships with local early childhood systems, municipalities, school districts, families, philanthropic organizations, advocacy groups and community stakeholders.
• Represent the JCC in regional and statewide early childhood conversations.
• Advance equity, inclusion, and anti-bias practices across programs and community engagement.
• Lead efforts to address opportunity gaps in early learning and monitor outcomes related to access, participation, and child development.

Leadership & Team Development
Provide direct supervision and support for Early Learning Center Directors.

• Foster a collaborative leadership culture focused on accountability, professional growth, and shared goals.
• Mentor, supervise, and evaluate Directors while building leadership capacity across the system.
• Define and communicate a clear vision aligned with organizational goals and strategic priorities.
• Support recruitment, development, and retention of high-quality early childhood educators and leaders.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of resources, aligning budgets, staffing, and operations with strategic priorities while maintaining high standards of safety, service, and accountability.
• Serve as an active member of the leadership team, participating in JCC-wide initiatives, meetings, and organizational collaboration.

Supervisory Responsibilities
Directly supervises JCC Early Learning Center Directors. Supervisory responsibilities include, include and are not limited to:

• Drive leadership development, staffing & system support; lead system-wide efforts to recruit, develop, and retain high-quality early childhood educators and leaders.
• Actively supervise, support, provide feedback, and evaluate all Early Learning Center Directors and ensure accountability and continuous improvement; provide direct mentorship of new Directors.
• Set clear expectations and performance standards for Directors related to educational quality, enrollment health, staffing, operations, and family experience.
• Partner with Directors to strengthen leadership capacity, professional growth, and effective school management; ensure leaders and educators receive appropriate professional development, coaching, and support to implement high-quality early childhood practice.

What You'll Bring

This high-impact leadership role is an exciting opportunity for a strategic-thinking individual with experience managing a large school, a demonstrated track record of operational excellence, and a commitment to early childhood education.

The ideal candidate is a strong leader with a clear vision who is capable of overseeing budgeting, enrollment, and overall school success while shaping a positive, engaged, and high-performing school culture. They must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build trust among teachers, families, and the broader JCC community. Strong problem-solving, adaptability, and decision-making skills will be critical in navigating change management and enhancing the school’s environment.

Education and Experience

Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field, Master’s degree preferred. Requires 8-12 years of progressive leadership and supervisory experience in early childhood education, early learning or non-profit related sectors; Shows a proven track record of managing regional or multi-site operations in early learning, childcare or nonprofit settings.

• Minimum of five years of supervisory experience, including hiring, evaluation, and performance management.
• Massachusetts EEC Director II qualification required.

Skills and Abilities

• Must have strong computer skills: social media literacy, proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel.
• Deep knowledge of early childhood education, licensing, and regulatory requirements; Massachusetts early childhood systems, EEC licensing, state regulations, early learning quality frameworks and accreditation.
• Strong financial acumen: experience in budgeting, resource management, grants and revenue models for early learning.
• Demonstrated leadership through a clear, compelling vision, with the ability to articulate and champion that vision while fostering strong relationships, effective supervision, and active listening across teams and stakeholders.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-bias early childhood practice.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders and demonstrate strong interpersonal, organizational, and leadership communication.
• Flexibility and willingness to work some evenings/weekends, as needed.
• Demonstrated leadership through clear vision, relationship-centered supervision, and strong interpersonal and active listening skills.
• Systems-oriented thinker able to align people, programs, and policies to advance organizational goals.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple and sometimes competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively, building and sustaining strong partnerships across leadership teams, ELC Directors, and community stakeholders.
• Comfort working within and contributing to a Jewish values-based curriculum and organizational culture.
• Commitment to continuous professional growth, including leadership development, Jewish education, and current research and best practices in early childhood education.

Physical Requirements

This is an on-site/in-person position that may require local travel to our other JCC locations. Occasional evening or weekend work as needed to fulfill job functions and some administrative duties may be completely remotely. Must be able to handle a fast-paced, child-centered work environment. In the course of regular work, you may need to bend, reach, and lift and carry objects weighing up to 30 pounds. Must be able to work well in a busy, dynamic, and sometimes noisy environment involving multiple tasks and priorities. Able to sit and kneel; getting down at eye level with children regularly. Must be able to stand and walk for long periods of time.

ADA Statement:

Individuals must possess these criteria for knowledge, skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation and using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Why It's Great to Work At

JCC Greater Boston

JCC Greater Boston staff enjoy working in an innovative, friendly, and welcoming environment where their talents and contributions are appreciated. In our recent employee survey, staff rated their direct management and organizational alignment experiences close to 90% positive. If you want to upgrade your working experience and have a better work-life balance, we encourage you to explore becoming part of the JCC team!

In addition to a rewarding career within our supportive, professional, values-driven, and family centric environment, JCC Greater Boston proudly offers full-time employees a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive cost-sharing health and dental insurance
• JCC sponsored/paid health deductible reimbursement account
• JCC sponsored/fully paid group life insurance/LTD coverage
• Generous paid time off supporting a quality of work-life balance
• Tax-deferred 403(b) retirement savings plan and ROTH contribution options

This position is also eligible for a free family membership to JCC Greater Boston’s top class fitness, recreation, and wellness facility in Newton – offering virtual and in-person programs including indoor swimming, an extensive selection of fitness classes, state-of-the-art-fitness facilities, and discounts to JCCGB events, classes, outdoor pool membership, and more!

JCC Greater Boston is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich a diverse environment, we actively encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.