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Early Childhood Center Director at Temple Israel Minneapolis Status: Exempt Salary: $80,000-$90,000 plus generous benefits package To Apply: Please email letter of interest and resume to skline@templeisrael.com . Applications will be reviewed as they are received and the position will remain open until filled. Job Summary The Program Director provides strategic, operational, and relational leadership for Temple Israel?s Early Childhood Center, a NAEYC-accredited, Reggio-inspired, diverse Jewish preschool where children and families build Jewish identity, culture, values, curiosity, confidence, and belonging. This role is responsible for ensuring high-quality early childhood education; supporting teachers and staff; nurturing strong partnerships with families; sustaining enrollment and financial health; and maintaining compliance with licensing, accreditation, and regulatory requirements. The Program Director leads with a Jewish values lens grounded in Kedusha (Believing), Ma?asim (Acting), and Kehillah (Belonging), helping create a welcoming, inclusive, and sacred learning community for children, families, staff, and the broader Temple Israel community. The position requires strong leadership, sound judgment, abstract thinking, and the ability to translate program vision into daily practice. The Program Director must work independently and collaboratively, building relationships across Temple Israel, with clergy and administrative leaders, with families, and with community partners while honoring the values and traditions of Reform Judaism. Essential Functions Strategy, Vision, and Jewish Values Provide leadership, vision, and development of programming to ensure high-quality early childhood education that integrates Reggio-inspired practice, developmentally appropriate curriculum, and Temple values: Utilize data to inform decision-making and strengthen program effectiveness. Partner with Temple leadership to ensure alignment with Temple values and ECC identity. Engage families and promote opportunities for community-building. Budget and Program Sustainability Partner with Temple leadership to build and manage the Early Childhood Center budget, ensuring the program meets budgeted revenue and expense goals while sustaining a high-quality, mission-aligned learning environment. In partnership with the Executive Director, build and manage the ECC budget, ensuring that the program meets budgeted revenue and expense goals while sustaining a high-quality, mission-aligned learning environment. Regularly financial performance and staffing/enrollment ratios and proactively identify possible efficiencies. Partner with development, finance, and administrative staff to identify grants, scholarships, contributed revenue. Personnel Management and Staff Development Lead, supervise, and support ECC staff, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, retention, team culture, and professional development: Recruit, hire, support, and retain qualified teachers and program staff. Provide effective supervision to staff. Promote team-building and team alignment with Temple values and practices. Program Quality, Outcomes, and Family Partnership Oversee program quality, data collection, classroom documentation, family engagement, and outcomes. Create and organize an annual work plan that guides program priorities, classroom goals, accreditation needs, enrollment goals, and Jewish learning experiences. Ensure curriculum and classroom practices that include Jewish concepts and values and Reggio-Emilia philosophy. Licensure, Accreditation, Regulation, Compliance, and Professional Growth Ensure compliance with state licensing, accreditation standards, health and safety expectations, and best practices. Regularly review and update policies and guiding documents to reflect updated standards and best practices. Ensure that required trainings and certifications are up to date. Proactively identify opportunities for professional development. Qualifications Bachelor?s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, Jewish Education, or related field required. Master?s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Education, Jewish Education, or related field preferred. Knowledge of: ECC best practices, licensing and accreditation requirements, Reggio-inspired practice, and Jewish practice. Competency with Microsoft Office products required. Work Experience: 3+ years of supervision and/or leadership experience required, preferably in an early childhood, education, Jewish communal, or nonprofit setting. 2+ years of classroom, program administration, or early childhood education experience required. Skills/Abilities: Exceptional organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to manage complex program operations. Exceptional ability to problem-solve, innovate, prioritize, manage ambiguity, and respond calmly and thoughtfully to children, families, and staff. Outstanding interpersonal communication skills with an ability to build trust with staff, parents, clergy, Temple Israel leaders, and community partners.