Program Lead

Program Lead

The Program Lead manages all programmatic and staffing aspects of an early care and education center, in accordance with the agency’s program and people management goals. This position ensures program quality is maintained in a single Catalyst Family Inc. licensed childcare center. The Program Lead position provides oversight of the planning, implementation, assessment, reflection, and program requirements for school age and/or infant/toddler age children.

Program Leads are a classroom/program leader that must be able to coach, mentor and provide ongoing observation and feedback to teaching staff that results in implementation of quality programming. Program Lead ensures that all children receive quality staff-child interactions and are supervised, at all times, in a safe and healthy environment.

• Liaison for communicating Catalyst Family Inc. vision, mission, philosophy, and curriculum approaches to staff, parents, school personnel, the community, and State and local government agencies, as needed.
• Ensures streamlined processes for documented learning from observations/anecdotes to lesson plans, documentation, all assessments, internal and external reviews are consistent with Catalyst Family Inc.’s mission, values, philosophy, and position statements.
• Shares program information and assessment results with the center, supports, mentors’ and role models for teachers in the creation and implementation and evaluation/completion of center action plans through diverse strategies or approaches.
• Collaborates with center staff to provide an enriched, dynamic indoor/outdoor environments, that meet the diverse and cultural needs and interests of children, utilizes staff, family, and community expertise. Environments are safe, clean, well maintained and meet agency and industry standards (ERS)
• Assess program quality and curriculum implementation, health/safety, and licensing standards; take steps to continuously improve in alignment with our agency’s quality standards as well as meet/exceed licensing and other external quality tools.
• Fully participate and lead QRIS for Infant/Toddler programs.
• Maintains knowledge of Developmentally Appropriate Practices and applicable curriculum influences such as Reggio Emilia, California’s Learning Framework and Foundations, Search Institute, and Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC) - as applicable to the age group(s).
• Using staff observations and program assessment tools, work with staff to develop and implement child growth plans.
• In partnership with center leadership and all staff, follows Catalyst’s Positive Behavior Approach and protocol with family members and provides tools and resources to support implementation of agreed upon strategies.

• Manage a team at the center with a size ranging from 2-5 staff depending on center size and enrollment.
• Manage staff performance proactively; coach, support and provide feedback to staff regularly so that they can deliver their best.
• Conduct Annual Performance review on time and provide regular feedback.
• Facilitate highly effective, participatory team meetings that foster ownership for expected outcomes.
• Observe staff interactions with children, effectiveness of planned activities, maintenance and development of the learning environment and give staff immediate and useful feedback to achieve high program quality.
• Provide on-site mentoring and modeling in the classroom. Train and mentor teaching staff as needed, including frequently observing weekly lesson plans to include a range of age-appropriate activities that support social emotional, physical, cognitive development, observe impact of curriculum implementation, and provide relevant and constructive feedback.
• Orient and integrate new staff into the team to achieve high staff retention. Set and communicate clear job expectations. Communicate Mission, philosophy to all staff; ensure behavior and outcomes of center are staff consistent with agency values.
• In partnership, develop professional growth plans with staff and provide opportunities for continuous growth and development.
• Ensure that individual…