Program Director, Compass Children's Center

About the organization:

Compass Family Services is a 100+ year old nonprofit working on the front lines of San Francisco’s homeless crisis. We provide families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with comprehensive support to address immediate needs and ensure long-term success.

Compass Children’s Center is a nationally accredited enriched early childhood education center with a curriculum tailored to meet the specific needs of children living in extreme poverty and homelessness. The Center serves 70 children, ages 0-5, and their families each day, and addresses the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the children as well as the well‑being of the families.

$110,000 – 120,000 annually

Monday – Friday, standard business hours

144 Leavenworth Street, San Francisco

Accountable / Adaptable / Client-centered / Collaborative / Committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging / Resourceful

The Program Director provides full center operational oversight and is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, quality, and compliance of all early childhood education and family support services within the center.

The Director is ultimately responsible for all program operations, staffing, curriculum implementation, family engagement, fiscal management, and regulatory compliance.

The Director establishes a clear vision for quality, maintains high standards of practice, and ensures that the needs of children and families are met in alignment with organizational mission, funding requirements, and regulatory standards.

• Provide comprehensive leadership and management of all center operations.
• Establish and maintain a vision for high-quality early childhood education and family services.
• Promote best practices in early childhood development based on California Curriculum Frameworks.
• Prepare and submit reports and documentation for government and community funders.
• Ensure implementation of recognized quality frameworks and assessment systems, including but not limited to DRDP, QRIS, CLASS, ASQ, and ASQ-SE.
• Maintain up-to-date and compliant staff files.
• Oversee daily program operations to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and alignment with organizational goals.
• Develop educational curricula and collaborate with staff to develop positive learning activities. Collaborate with the Senior Director on long‑range planning and program development.
• Represent the center in internal leadership meetings and cross‑program collaboration efforts.
• Establish positive and productive relationships with families. Coordinate and lead regular Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings.
• Liaise with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Public Health Nurse, including but not limited to planning dental, vision, and hearing screenings, annual facilities check, and relevant reporting of outbreak of contagious illness.
• Establish a vision for quality for the center. Engage in vigilant pursuit of the highest quality program and practices.
• Ensure that the program adheres to NAEYC accreditation requirements and all applicable local, state, and federal regulations.
• Liaise with Facilities Technician and Facilities Manager to ensure that all facilities‑related concerns are reported and addressed in a timely manner. Oversee the mandatory lead water testing every 5 years.
• Prepare and submit reports and documentation for government and community funders.

• Directly supervise the Assistant Program Director, Site Supervisors, Speech and Language Pathologist, Family Service Coordinator, and Early Intervention Specialist including hiring, training, professional development, and ongoing…