Floor Lead – Full-Time | $32.00–$35.00 per hour, based on experience
Ga'nigǫhi:yo Indigenous Child Care and Family Centre
Kitchener, Ontario | New Second Location | Opening December 2026
Help Us Open Our Second Location
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of Ga'nigǫhi:yo Indigenous Child Care and Family Centre's new second location, opening in Kitchener at the end of 2026.
Building on the success and experience of our Cambridge location, we are preparing to open the doors to a brand-new child care centre in Kitchener - bringing together a new team, new learning environments, and an opportunity to intentionally build a strong workplace culture from the very beginning.
We are looking for a Floor Lead who is excited to help bring this new location to life!
Leadership Without Carrying It All
This role is a little different from a traditional child care supervisor position.
As Floor Lead, you will have clear responsibilities over the daily operation of the centre. You will oversee staffing flow, schedules and coverage, ratios, health and safety, day-to-day licensing compliance, implementation of established policies and procedures, and the immediate decisions needed to keep the centre running safely and effectively.
But you won't be expected to carry every aspect of leadership alone.
You will work as part of a broader leadership team that includes an on-site Executive Director, an Inclusion & Pedagogy Facilitator, and a Director of HR & Quality/Capacity Building.
That means your focus can remain where this position matters most: on the floor, with the team, making sure the centre works well every day.
You will not independently carry formal HR and performance management processes, policy development, pedagogical leadership, or broader executive and administrative responsibilities. Instead, you will observe, communicate, document, provide day-to-day direction, and work alongside the appropriate leadership team member when additional follow-up is needed.
We are looking for someone who can see the whole centre -someone who notices when staffing needs to shift, when a room needs support, when a break needs to be covered, when something isn't meeting licensing expectations, or when an educator needs direction - and can confidently step in and help get things back on track.
What You'll Do
As Floor Lead, you will be a visible, approachable, and consistent leadership presence throughout the centre.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Overseeing the day-to-day operation and flow of the centre.
- Coordinating daily staffing, schedules, breaks, room coverage, ratios, and staffing adjustments.
- Anticipating staffing and operational needs and making adjustments as situations arise throughout the day.
- Maintaining required staff-to-child ratios and supporting day-to-day compliance with licensing, health and safety, and centre requirements.
- Monitoring classrooms and shared spaces to ensure the centre is operating safely and effectively.
- Providing clear day-to-day direction, guidance, and support to educators and other staff.
- Ensuring established policies, procedures, routines, and expectations are consistently followed.
- Responding to immediate operational, staffing, child, family, health and safety, and compliance concerns.
- Supporting the orientation and day-to-day integration of new, casual, and supply staff.
- Supporting clear communication and information-sharing across classrooms and the leadership team.
- Identifying concerns, patterns, or staff issues requiring further attention and documenting and communicating these to the appropriate leadership team member.
- Working collaboratively with the Inclusion & Pedagogy Facilitator when classrooms, educators, or children require additional pedagogical or inclusion support.
- Working with the Executive Director and Director of HR & Quality when matters require formal HR, performance management, policy, or organizational follow-up.
- Stepping into ratio when operationally necessary to support the safe and effective functioning of the centre.
- Helping build a workplace culture where educators feel supported, expectations are clear, and relationships and accountability exist together.
What This Role Is - and Isn't
This is a leadership role.
You will be trusted to make decisions, provide direction, organize the day, address immediate concerns, and help ensure the centre is operating safely and in compliance.
It is not a traditional stand-alone supervisor or administrative role.
You will not be expected to independently manage formal HR processes, carry out formal performance management, write organizational policies, lead the centre's pedagogical work, or take on broader executive and administrative responsibilities.
Those responsibilities are supported across a broader leadership structure.
Your role is to know what is happening across the centre, respond to what needs attention today, and make sure the right information gets to the right person when additional follow-up is required.
Who We're Looking For
We are looking for someone who is confident, highly organized, approachable, and able to think on their feet.
You may be a great fit if you:
- Are an experienced Registered Early Childhood Educator who understands the realities of a busy licensed child care environment.
- Naturally notice what is happening across the whole centre rather than focusing only on one classroom.
- Are highly organized and comfortable coordinating schedules, staffing, breaks, coverage, and competing priorities.
- Can anticipate problems and adjust plans before they become bigger issues.
- Are comfortable providing clear direction to staff when needed.
- Can address concerns respectfully while maintaining expectations and accountability.
- Stay calm and solutions-focused when staffing changes or the day doesn't go according to plan.
- Have a strong understanding of licensing requirements and recognize when something requires immediate attention.
- Communicate clearly and respectfully with educators, families, and leadership.
- Know when you can resolve something yourself and when another member of the leadership team needs to become involved.
- Value collaboration and shared leadership rather than a traditional top-down management approach.
- Are excited about helping establish the culture and day-to-day operation of a brand-new location.
- Value Indigenous ways of knowing, being, doing, and relating and are committed to culturally responsive early learning and child care.
Qualifications
- Registered and in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Educators (RECE).
- Experience working in licensed child care.
- Strong knowledge of Ontario child care licensing requirements, health and safety requirements, and professional responsibilities.
- Previous experience as a lead educator, mentor, assistant supervisor, supervisor, floor lead, or in another child care leadership capacity is an asset.
- Strong scheduling, organization, communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
- Standard First Aid and CPR-C certification.
- Vulnerable Sector Check meeting current regulatory requirements.
Why Join Us?
There is something special about joining a new location before the doors open.
You aren't simply joining an existing team - you are helping build one.
At the same time, you are joining an organization with an existing child care centre and an established leadership team to build from.
You will have an opportunity to help establish strong routines, relationships, expectations, and ways of working at our new Kitchener location, while being supported by a leadership structure that recognizes that no one person should have to carry everything.
For an experienced RECE who is ready to take the next step into leadership but still wants to remain connected to educators, children, classrooms, and the everyday life of a child care centre, this role offers a different kind of leadership opportunity.
Position: Full-Time Floor Lead
Location: Kitchener, Ontario – New Second Location
Anticipated Opening: Late 2026
Wage: $32.00–$35.00 per hour, based on qualifications and experience
Ga'nigǫhi:yo Indigenous Child Care and Family Centre welcomes applications from candidates with diverse experiences, perspectives, and ways of knowing.
Pay: $32.00-$35.00 per hour
Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Education:
- AEC / DEP or Skilled Trade Certificate (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Registered Early Childhood Educator Number (required)
Work Location: In person
