Child Care Center Director

Shining Stars Academy is a privately owned, established childcare center in Round Rock, Texas, serving children from 6 weeks through 12 years of age. We are seeking an experienced, personable, organized, and confident Childcare Center Director to lead our team and oversee the daily operations of our center.

This is a hands-on leadership and administrative position. We are looking for someone who understands that successfully running a childcare center requires both a heart for children and families and strong operational management.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, dependable, and comfortable leading a team with fairness, transparency, consistency, and accountability. This person should be able to coach and develop staff, address concerns promptly, maintain accurate records, meet deadlines, and ensure the center consistently meets licensing and program requirements.

Previous childcare management experience is required. Candidates must meet Texas Child Care Regulation qualifications to serve as a childcare center director.

Experience with Texas Child Care Regulation (CCR), Texas Rising Star (TRS), CCS, and CACFP is highly preferred. Experience with Brightwheel or another childcare management system is also preferred.

COMPENSATION:
Starting salary is $55,000 annually, with higher compensation available based on relevant experience, education, and longevity in childcare management.

SCHEDULE:
This is a full-time, in-person position Monday through Friday. This is not a remote or hybrid position.

Our center operates from 6:30 AM–6:30 PM, and the Director must have flexibility to work both opening and closing shifts as needed. The Director and Assistant Director must work together to ensure appropriate management coverage throughout the center's operating hours.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Childcare Center Director is responsible for the successful day-to-day operation of the center, including:

• Oversee daily center operations and provide consistent leadership to staff.
• Maintain compliance with Texas Child Care Regulation minimum standards, Texas Rising Star requirements, and center policies and procedures.
• Ensure required licensing, employee, child, training, and compliance documentation is complete, accurate, organized, and current.
• Prepare the center and staff for licensing, Texas Rising Star, CCS, CACFP, and other monitoring or compliance visits.
• Maintain appropriate classroom staffing and ensure required child-to-caregiver ratios are consistently met.
• Recruit, interview, onboard, train, coach, evaluate, and manage employees.
• Create and maintain staff schedules based on enrollment, ratios, attendance, and operational needs.
• Establish clear expectations for employees and consistently follow through with coaching, documentation, corrective action, and accountability when needed.
• Conduct classroom observations and provide teachers with constructive feedback, resources, and support.
• Promote a professional, supportive, and positive workplace culture.
• Address employee concerns, parent concerns, classroom challenges, and operational issues promptly and professionally.
• Build positive relationships with children and families and maintain professional family communication.
• Support enrollment efforts, including tours, prospective family communication, enrollment processes, and family retention.
• Monitor enrollment, attendance, staffing, and other operational goals.
• Oversee CCS processes, documentation, attendance, and required reporting.
• Support CACFP administration, documentation, and compliance.
• Maintain accurate records and complete required reports by established deadlines.
• Assist with budgeting, purchasing, expense monitoring, and responsible use of center resources.
• Coordinate center events, staff meetings, professional development, and required training.
• Ensure incidents, injuries, licensing concerns, and required notifications are handled and documented appropriately.
• Communicate regularly with upper management/ownership regarding center operations, staffing, enrollment, compliance, and areas of concern.
• Identify operational problems and take initiative in developing and implementing solutions.
• Step into classrooms or provide operational coverage when necessary.
• Perform additional leadership and administrative responsibilities as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Qualified candidates should have:

• Previous experience as a Childcare Center Director, Assistant Director, or in a comparable childcare management role
• Have a Director certificate
• Ability to meet Texas Child Care Regulation Director qualifications
• Strong knowledge of Texas childcare licensing requirements and minimum standards
• Experience supervising and managing childcare employees
• Strong administrative, organizational, and recordkeeping skills
• Experience with staff coaching, performance management, and accountability
• Strong leadership and conflict-resolution skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong attention to detail and ability to consistently meet deadlines
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced childcare environment
• Proficiency with computers, email, spreadsheets, and electronic recordkeeping
• Experience with Texas Rising Star, CCS, and CACFP strongly preferred
• Experience with Brightwheel or similar childcare management software preferred
• Ability to communicate professionally and confidently with families, employees, licensing representatives, and community partners
• Ability to successfully complete all background checks and other requirements applicable to employment in a licensed Texas childcare center

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
We are looking for a Director who can lead, organize, follow through, and take ownership of center operations.

The right person notices when something needs attention and takes initiative to address it. They keep documentation organized, communicate clearly, support their staff, maintain high expectations, and are comfortable having difficult conversations when standards are not being met.

We are looking to boost our enrollment 40% to better serve the community of Round Rock and surrounding areas.

We also want someone who genuinely enjoys working with children and families and understands that a successful childcare center is built through safety, consistency, relationships, teamwork, strong leadership, and accountability.

If you are an experienced childcare leader who enjoys developing staff, creating structure, solving problems, and helping a center grow, we encourage you to apply.

Pay: $55,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Tell us about a time you had to hold an employee accountable for a policy or performance issue when you knew the employee might be unhappy with your decision. How did you handle it?
• How do you make sure you are fair and consistent when managing a team, especially when you have employees you naturally connect with more than others?
• Childcare is unpredictable. Tell us about a time you had to completely change your plans because something unexpected happened. What did you do?
• What systems have you personally used to stay on top of staffing, schedules, ratios, classroom coverage, licensing requirements, and day-to-day center operations?
• What does being a trustworthy center leader mean to you? Give us a specific example of how you have demonstrated that in a previous position.
• Tell us about your experience growing enrollment at a childcare center. What specifically did you do to generate inquiries, convert tours into enrollments, and retain families?
• What do you believe makes someone an exceptional childcare center director, and what would your previous employees say you did particularly well as a leader?

Experience:

• Childcare: 5 years (Required)
• Childcare Management: 3 years (Required)
• Texas Rising Star: 3 years (Required)

License/Certification:

• Texas Director license? (Required)

Work Location: In person