Assistant Preschool Director

First Steps Academy is looking for professionals who are passionate about teaching and working with children and are excited about making a difference in their lives. We are seeking an Assistant Preschool Director to be responsible for staff scheduling, recruitment and onboarding of staff, admissions of new students planning and scheduling field trips and special events and ordering materials.

• Manage, track and respond to prospective family inquiries via phone, email and walk-in
• Conduct tours of the facilities for prospective families, explaining our programs, policies and facilities while answering their questions
• Coordinate the applications process from initial contact through final decision, including receiving application and fee and notifying other staff of screening needs
• Communicate admissions decisions and manage new student paperwork
• Oversee the Blackbaud Admissions Module
• Assist in the creation of advertising and marketing campaigns based on input and information received from prospective and new families
• Ensure that appropriate staff-to-child ratios are in place at all times of day to ensure the department meets staff to student ratios as mandated by Virginia Dept. of Education
• Designate preschool staff daily assignments
• Serve as second point of contact for staff when calling out due to illness or unforeseeable emergencies
• Ensure required staff training is current; work with other administrators to ensure appropriate staff development opportunities are available
• Place orders for supplies and materials
• Maintain accident and incident reports
• Maintain child files
• Substitute in classrooms when needed

• Associates’ degree in a related field preferred
• Minimum 2-3 years experience with preschool programs preferred
• Experience scheduling staff to meet department needs
• Possess thorough understanding of the Virginia Department of Education’s licensing standards
• Knowledge and understanding of child development, newborn through 5 years
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Must be physically able to engage in physical activity with children
• Must be able to alternate often between sitting and standing
• CPR and First Aid certified or willingness to obtain
• Medication Administration (MAT) certified or willingness to obtain
• Must be able to read, write, and communicate effectively in English
• Pass pre-employment screenings and trainings as required

We also seek candidates who exhibit professionalism, pride in work, initiative, a strong work ethic and who support parents as partners in education.

We support our staff’s passion for learning by providing a tuition reimbursement program as well as many professional development training opportunities. Additional benefits include:

• Competitive pay
• Health, dental and vision insurance options for eligible employees
• Vacation and sick leave
• Retirement plan with employer matching
• Discounted tuition rate for child(ren) attending any J127 Education Foundation school

About First Steps Academy

First Steps Academy is a faith based preschool located in McLean Virginia, near the Tysons II mall. We value the importance of character development and academic preparedness and believe they are key contributors to helping prepare young children for future success in life. We serve families with Infants through Kindergartners and teach using our character education curriculum and A Beka's phonics based academic curriculum.