Senior Program Manager (RECE

Senior Program Manager (RECE)

Permanent, Full-Time
Annual Salary: $95,000–$110,000

Join a team of passionate educators and leaders who are pioneers in their field, contributing to our 35-year reputation as leaders of high-quality early learning and child care. At Umbrella Family, you're not just supported - you're empowered. You'll join a collaborative, reflective, and values-driven organization where your leadership shapes programs, people, and the future of child care across Hamilton.

Stepping into this Senior Program Manager role means making a meaningful impact during children's formative years while influencing the growth, quality, and strategic direction of a dynamic multi-site organization.

Umbrella Family and Child Centres of Hamilton operates full-day early learning and child care centres for infant, toddler, and preschool children, as well as extended day programs before and after school for kindergarten and school-age children throughout the Greater Hamilton Area.

We are currently recruiting for an experienced, strategic, and pedagogically grounded Senior Program Manager (RECE) to join our Leadership Team.

As a large multi-site licensed childcare organization operating within HWDSB schools, Umbrella Family is committed to delivering high-quality early learning programs grounded in How Does Learning Happen?, relationship-based practice, and Reggio-inspired pedagogy.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Childcare Programs, the Senior Program Manager provides elevated operational, pedagogical, and people leadership across multiple child care locations. This role requires a seasoned leader with strong business acumen, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead organizational initiatives, mentor leaders, and ensure excellence in program quality and service delivery.

• Serve as the primary operational backup to the Senior Director of Childcare Programs, ensuring continuity of leadership and decision-making.
• Lead organization-wide initiatives, pilot projects, and strategic change efforts that strengthen program quality, operational efficiency, and organizational readiness.
• Support multi-year operational planning, sector strategies, and organizational priorities.
• Represent Umbrella Family with HWDSB, the Ministry of Education, the College of Early Childhood Educators, and sector committees.

• Provide leadership, mentorship, coaching, and performance management to Supervisors and program teams across multiple sites.
• Oversee complex operational matters including licensing, compliance, serious occurrences, investigations, and high-risk situations.
• Lead the planning, development, and opening of new child care centres and program expansions.
• Analyze operational needs and implement strategies that support organizational effectiveness, service quality, and continuous improvement.

• Ensure program quality and pedagogical alignment with How Does Learning Happen?, relationship-based practice, and Reggio-inspired approaches.
• Provide advanced pedagogical guidance to Supervisors and educators, strengthening reflective practice and documentation.

• Support financial accountability through budgeting, forecasting, enrollment management, occupancy planning, and resource allocation.
• Monitor performance outcomes and indicators of success across programs, identifying variances and implementing corrective actions.

• Build leadership capacity across the Programs Department through strategic coaching, knowledge sharing, and implementation of best practices.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and learning-focused workplace culture.
• Lead teams through organizational change, growth, and evolving sector expectations.

• Build strong relationships with families, school partners, community stakeholders, and internal leadership teams.
• Lead resolution of escalated partnership issues and ensure compliance with sector expectations.

• Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Educators.
• Twelve (12) years of progressive experience in licensed child care, including a minimum of five (5) years in multi-site leadership.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational-wide initiatives, strategic projects, pilot programs, and change management efforts across multiple locations.
• Proven ability to step into senior leadership…