[St. Louis Park] Assistant Director

About Tierra Encantada

Tierra Encantada, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN is the leader in Spanish immersion early education®, and provides high-quality language immersion education and care to children 6 weeks through 6 years of age. At Tierra Encantada, we believe the earliest years should open a world of possibilities. As the Leader in Spanish Immersion Early Education®, we nurture the whole child through joyful play-based learning and a globally inspired culinary program featuring wholesome meals prepared from scratch each day. By fostering curiosity, confidence, cultural understanding, and healthy habits, we prepare children for a lifetime of learning while creating warm, engaging environments that families trust. Join us and be part of a mission-driven team that is committed to making a lasting impact-one child, one family, and one community at a time.

Pay and Schedule

• This is an onsite, full-time, salaried, and exempt position that works Monday-Friday, with some weekends required occasionally.
• Base salary range is $47,000 to $55,000 depending on qualifications, education, and experience.
• This position is eligible for additional compensation in the form of a monthly performance bonus.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Center Director, the Assistant Director at Tierra Encantada plays a crucial role in supporting the center's operations, maintaining high standards of educational quality, and enhancing team culture. The Assistant Director helps lead the center in achieving enrollment targets, fostering positive staff relationships, and maintaining a safe, compliant, and welcoming environment for children and families.

Key Responsibilities

As the Assistant Director, you will work closely with the Center Director to support the center's success in the following areas:

Leadership and Team Support -

• Assist the Center Director in embodying Tierra Encantada's core values in all aspects of center operations.
• Foster a collaborative team environment through coaching, feedback, and recognition, while supporting staff development and retention initiatives.
• Step into a leadership role during the Center Director's absence, ensuring seamless center operations and consistent staff performance.
• Lead a team of floats and kitchen staff.
• Cover the classrooms and kitchen when needed due to breaks, PTO or sickness.

Administrative Tasks and Parent Communication -

• Manage daily administrative functions, including enrollment tasks, handling phone calls, responding to emails, updating child records, and ensuring timely communication with families.
• Serve as a point of contact for parents, addressing concerns, resolving issues, and communicating updates related to their child's progress, center policies, and upcoming events.
• Regularly update parents on center activities and important announcements, promoting transparent and proactive communication to enhance parent satisfaction.
• Coordinate parent-teacher meetings, ensuring open lines of communication and active parental involvement in their child's education.
• Maintain organization within facilities.
• Oversee accurate and on-time counting of food and supplies inventory.

Operations and Compliance -

• Support the Center Director in managing daily operations, ensuring compliance with childcare licensing regulations and internal policies.
• Oversee the facility's safety protocols, conducting regular safety drills and ensuring the center remains a secure environment for children, staff, and families.
• Assist in monitoring staff schedules, managing time-off requests, and maintaining accurate payroll records to ensure proper staffing levels.

Educational Quality and Program Management -

• Collaborate with the Center Director to review and enhance the educational programs, maintaining Tierra Encantada's high standards of early childhood development.
• Work with teachers to monitor child development, ensuring comprehensive assessments and strong communication with families about their child's progress.
• Support the maintenance of accreditation standards and the continuous improvement of educational quality.

Community Engagement and Customer Service -

• Assist in local marketing initiatives to promote the center, supporting enrollment growth by participating in open houses, community events, and family engagement activities.
• Build strong relationships with families, providing responsive feedback and fostering a welcoming community that ensures high satisfaction and retention.

Position Requirements

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in a lead teacher or assistant director position in a daycare, pre-k or educational setting is required.
• Candidates must be teacher and director qualified for the state of Minnesota in accordance with Minnesota statute 9503.0031 and 9503.0032.
• Bilingual Spanish and English is required.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with an emphasis on team building and problem-solving.
• Familiarity with childcare licensing requirements, safety protocols, and best practices in early education strongly preferred.
• CPR, First Aid, and Food Protection Manager certification (or willingness to complete within 90 days of hire) strongly preferred.
• Must have strong proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and/or Google Suites (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms).
• Must have the perceptual and cognitive judgment to be able to mitigate and respond to family concerns.
• Proven experience in managing customer service experience is a plus.
• Proven success in retention and onboarding of new hire experience is a plus

Physical Requirements

• Requires the ability to frequently walk, stand, climb stairs, crawl, sit, squat, stoop, bend, reach, kneel, rise from the floor, and twist.
• Requires the ability to carry and lift 25 pounds or less, use repetitive or fine hand movements, and occasionally push, pull, run short distances, and carry and lift 25-50 pounds.
• Requires excellent long distance and near vision to monitor children's activities both indoors and outdoors in various light conditions, as well as hearing capabilities to respond to children's needs and maintain safety in a moderately noisy environment.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 12 paid holidays
• Generous PTO package
• 401(k) with employer match
• Performance bonus
• Discounted childcare and waitlist priority for enrollment
• Company paid professional development.

Additional Information About the Position

• Once a job offer has been accepted, the candidate must pass a background check and fingerprinting.
• Tierra Encantada is an E-verify employer.
• Tierra Encantada is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, military status, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, disability status, marital status, family status or any other basis prohibited by law.