Early Childhood Education (ECE) Leader

Kido is looking for an experienced Early Childhood Education (ECE) Leader to support the daily operations and quality of our early childhood program in Chicago.

This is a school-level leadership position for an experienced early childhood professional who enjoys leading educators, supporting staffing, providing teacher training and coaching, maintaining licensing compliance, and strengthening program quality.

The ECE Leader works closely with school leadership and teaching teams to ensure the center is properly staffed, compliant with Illinois childcare regulations, and providing a safe, nurturing, and high-quality learning environment for children.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Early Childhood Education professional, Preschool Leader, Childcare Program Leader, Assistant Director, Center Director, or Program Coordinator

Key Responsibilities

Early Childhood Leadership & Program Quality

• Support the overall quality and consistency of the preschool and early childhood education program.
• Partner with school leadership to implement Kido’s educational philosophy, curriculum, policies, and standards.
• Conduct classroom observations and provide teachers with constructive feedback and coaching.
• Support developmentally appropriate practices across classrooms.
• Identify opportunities to improve classroom environments, routines, curriculum implementation, and children's learning experiences.
• Help ensure children receive high-quality care and education throughout the school.
• Teacher Training, Coaching & Professional Development
• Train, coach, mentor, and support early childhood educators.
• Support onboarding and orientation for new teachers and staff.
• Identify professional development and training needs across the teaching team.
• Help facilitate staff training, workshops, meetings, and ongoing professional development.
• Model effective classroom management, child guidance, communication, and developmentally appropriate practice.
• Provide ongoing feedback and support to help educators grow professionally.
• Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and continuous learning.

Staffing & Scheduling

• Partner with school leadership to maintain appropriate staffing levels and classroom coverage.
• Support staff scheduling, classroom assignments, breaks, and daily coverage.
• Assist with hiring, interviewing, onboarding, and retention of qualified early childhood educators.
• Help respond to call-offs, staffing shortages, and coverage challenges.
• Ensure classrooms are staffed appropriately and that required child-to-teacher ratios are maintained.
• Help develop practical solutions to ongoing staffing and operational needs.

Licensing, Compliance & Safety

• Support compliance with Illinois childcare licensing requirements and DCFS regulations.
• Help maintain accurate and up-to-date employee, classroom, and licensing documentation.
• Monitor staff qualifications, certifications, required trainings, background checks, and other compliance requirements.
• Help ensure required child-to-staff ratios, supervision, health, safety, and classroom standards are consistently maintained.
• Prepare for and support Illinois DCFS licensing inspections and regulatory visits.
• Identify compliance concerns and work with school leadership to resolve them promptly.
• Help ensure staff understand and consistently follow licensing regulations, Kido policies, and health and safety procedures.

Family & Team Support

• Support positive relationships between teachers and families.
• Help address parent questions, concerns, and classroom issues professionally and effectively.
• Promote clear communication between teachers, families, and school leadership.
• Help create a welcoming, inclusive, and professional school culture.
• Serve as a resource and support for teachers when challenges arise.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys developing people, solving problems, building systems, and helping an early childhood center operate at a high standard.

Successful candidates will be:

• Experienced in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or licensed childcare.
• Confident leading, coaching, and supporting teachers.
• Knowledgeable about childcare licensing and regulatory compliance.
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Comfortable supporting staffing and scheduling needs.
• A strong communicator with teachers, families, and leadership.
• Comfortable providing feedback and holding teams accountable.
• Proactive, dependable, and solutions-oriented.
• Passionate about early childhood education and child development.
• Able to remain calm and professional in a fast-paced childcare environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED
• Experience working in a licensed childcare center, preschool, early learning center, or early childhood education program
• Experience supporting or leading early childhood educators
• Strong understanding of child development and developmentally appropriate practice
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• MUST be Director Qualified per Childcare Licensing DCFS 407 guidelines
• At least 18 years old

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Education, Child Development, or a related field

• CDA certification
• 5+ years of experience in a licensed childcare or early childhood education setting

Why You'll Love Working at Kido

People-First Culture
Work alongside supportive school leadership and a collaborative early childhood education team.

Leadership Development
Build your leadership skills through hands-on experience in teacher development, staffing, compliance, and program quality.

Professional Development
Access paid training, professional development opportunities, and tuition reimbursement.

Work-Life Balance
Competitive pay, paid vacation, paid sick time, paid holidays, and your birthday off.

Childcare Perks
Free childcare for children ages 18 months–5 years, a stocked teacher lounge, and well-supplied classrooms.

Health Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, company-paid short-term disability, and company-paid life insurance.

Bonuses
Annual tenure bonuses plus $500 referral bonuses.

Join Our Chicago Early Childhood Leadership Team

If you are an experienced Early Childhood Leader with a passion for supporting teams and building strong connections with children and families then we want to meet you!

Join Kido and help us develop great educators, maintain high standards of care and compliance, strengthen our school community, and create exceptional experiences for children and families.

Apply today and start your journey at Kido!

Discover more About Kïdo by visiting our website at : https://kidoschools.com/us/

As part of our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in our care, the successful candidate is expected to undergo an enhanced fingerprint-based background check. Kido is an equal opportunity employer.