Position: Assistant Director / Assistant Manager
Employment Type: Full-Time
Certification: Minimum Alberta Level 2 ECE; Level 3 preferred
We are looking for a positive, humble, organized, hands-on, and highly communicative Assistant Director/Assistant Manager to join our childcare leadership team.
The successful candidate will work in partnership with the Centre Director and Area Manager while also being expected to work independently and confidently manage centre responsibilities when required.
The Area Manager will provide ongoing leadership, guidance, coaching, and support and will periodically observe the Assistant Director/Manager's leadership practices, classroom involvement, staff coaching, communication, documentation, and overall operational performance to support professional growth and ensure organizational expectations are consistently met.
This is not an office-only position. The successful candidate must be comfortable working directly with children and educators and should believe in leading by example.
Key ResponsibilitiesLeadership & Independent Responsibility
- Work collaboratively with the Centre Director and Area Manager to meet centre and organizational goals.
- Independently oversee day-to-day centre responsibilities when required.
- Demonstrate good judgment and confidence when making routine operational decisions.
- Take initiative and identify what needs attention without waiting for every task to be assigned.
- Know when a matter can be handled independently and when it should be brought to the Centre Director or Area Manager.
- Follow through on assigned responsibilities and identified concerns.
- Maintain clear and transparent communication with leadership.
- Be accountable for responsibilities delegated by the Centre Director, Area Manager, or management team.
Leadership Observation & Professional Growth
The Area Manager will regularly support and observe the Assistant Director/Manager to ensure leadership expectations and quality standards are being maintained.
Observations may include:
- Leadership and professionalism
- Communication with educators and families
- Classroom presence and involvement
- Ability to coach and mentor educators
- Staff relationships and teamwork
- Initiative and problem-solving
- Licensing knowledge and compliance
- Organization and documentation
- Follow-through on assigned responsibilities
- Handling of challenging situations
- Budget and expense awareness
- Ability to independently manage centre operations
Feedback should be viewed as part of ongoing leadership development and continuous improvement.
Be a Positive Role Model
- Be humble, approachable, respectful, and professional.
- Lead through actions, not only instructions.
- Treat educators fairly and respectfully.
- Demonstrate the behaviour and professionalism expected from the team.
- Be willing to help rather than simply delegate.
- Provide constructive feedback in a respectful and supportive manner.
- Recognize educators' strengths and accomplishments.
- Create a workplace where employees feel comfortable asking leadership for guidance.
Excellent Communication Skills
Excellent communication is an essential requirement for this position.
- Demonstrate excellent verbal, written, listening, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Communicate clearly and professionally with children, educators, families, the Centre Director, Area Manager, and management.
- Clearly communicate expectations and responsibilities to staff.
- Be comfortable having respectful but necessary conversations when expectations are not being met.
- Listen to staff and family concerns.
- Communicate important concerns promptly.
- Provide constructive feedback without creating unnecessary conflict.
- Maintain transparent and timely communication with leadership.
- Maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
Hands-On Classroom & Floor Support
This is not an office-only leadership position.
- Maintain a visible presence throughout the centre.
- Be willing to work directly in infant, toddler, preschool, Pre-K, and OSC rooms as required.
- Cover classrooms for breaks, absences, meetings, staff shortages, or ratio requirements.
- Participate in children's routines, transitions, meals, outdoor experiences, and programming.
- Model positive child guidance and active supervision.
- Demonstrate quality educator-child interactions.
- Support educators during challenging behaviours, transitions, and busy periods.
- Understand what is happening in each classroom rather than managing only from the office.
Classroom Observations, Coaching & Training
- Conduct regular observations of classrooms and educator practices.
- Maintain a daily/weekly record of classroom observations completed.
- Observe educator-child interactions, supervision, programming, transitions, environments, health and safety, and licensing practices.
- Document positive practices as well as areas requiring improvement.
- Provide hands-on coaching and demonstrations in classrooms.
- Maintain records of training and coaching completed in each room.
- Follow up with educators after coaching.
- Ensure identified concerns are addressed and improvements are maintained.
Our leadership approach is:
Observe → Support → Coach → Document → Follow Up → Confirm Improvement
Licensing, Health & Safety
- Maintain strong knowledge of Alberta childcare licensing requirements and best practices.
- Work with the Centre Director and Area Manager to maintain compliance.
- Complete or assist with licensing and health-and-safety checklists.
- Ensure child-to-educator ratios are maintained.
- Monitor children's attendance documentation.
- Ensure child and staff files remain current.
- Review medication documentation.
- Review incident and accident reports.
- Monitor health, hygiene, supervision, and safety practices.
- Address unsafe or non-compliant practices immediately.
- Coach educators to understand and consistently follow requirements.
Programming & Quality
- Support child-led, play-based, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate programming.
- Assist educators with extending children's interests and learning.
- Ensure programming provides appropriate variety.
- Support classroom setup and learning environments.
- Ensure toys and materials are safe, clean, maintained, and age appropriate.
- Support educators in observing children's development.
- Identify opportunities for growth for children and educators.
- Discuss significant developmental or behavioural concerns with the Centre Director.
Family Relationships
- Maintain friendly, professional, and respectful relationships with families.
- Ensure consistent communication regarding children's experiences and well-being.
- Address routine concerns appropriately.
- Escalate significant or unresolved concerns to the Centre Director or Area Manager.
- Support educators with professional parent communication.
- Maintain confidentiality.
Menu, Groceries & Expense Management
- Review menus and support appropriate menu variation.
- Monitor children's response to menu items and food waste.
- Maintain and review weekly/monthly grocery expense sheets.
- Compare grocery purchases against menus and existing inventory.
- Monitor grocery expenses against established budgets.
- Prevent unnecessary or duplicate purchases.
- Maintain receipts and invoices.
- Work with kitchen staff to improve inventory management and reduce waste.
Supplies & Budget
Monitor spending for:
- Groceries
- Classroom supplies
- Programming and art materials
- Cleaning supplies
- Kitchen supplies
- Office supplies
- Toys and learning materials
- General operational supplies
Responsibilities include reviewing supply requests, monitoring inventory, preventing unnecessary purchases, comparing expenses with budgets, and identifying responsible cost-saving opportunities without compromising children's care or safety.
QuickBooks & Financial Administration
- Assist with QuickBooks expense entry and financial organization.
- Categorize approved expenses appropriately.
- Maintain receipts and invoices.
- Assist with accounts payable and accounts receivable as assigned.
- Reconcile grocery and supply expense sheets.
- Follow up on missing receipts or unexplained expenses.
- Assist with payroll information when assigned.
- Prepare basic expense summaries for leadership.
- Maintain confidentiality of financial information.
Scheduling & Staffing
- Assist with preparing and reviewing staff schedules.
- Ensure staffing meets licensing ratios and centre needs.
- Coordinate coverage for breaks, absences, vacations, meetings, and training.
- Make appropriate day-to-day staffing adjustments.
- Monitor unnecessary overtime.
- Communicate schedule changes respectfully.
- Personally provide classroom coverage when required.
Recruitment, Orientation & Staff Development
- Assist with recruitment and interviews as assigned.
- Complete new staff orientation and onboarding.
- Provide hands-on classroom training.
- Ensure employees understand centre policies, licensing expectations, emergency procedures, and job responsibilities.
- Maintain records of training completed.
- Follow up with new employees.
- Work with the Centre Director and Area Manager to identify professional-development needs.
What We Are Looking For
The ideal candidate:
- Has excellent communication skills.
- Can work collaboratively and independently.
- Is humble, approachable, respectful, and professional.
- Is confident without being authoritative or dismissive.
- Leads by example.
- Is willing to work directly in classrooms.
- Welcomes observation, coaching, and constructive feedback from the Area Manager.
- Has strong leadership and people-management skills.
- Can respectfully hold educators accountable.
- Takes initiative and demonstrates good judgment.
- Has strong observation skills.
- Is organized and dependable.
- Has excellent follow-through.
- Can manage multiple responsibilities and priorities.
- Understands licensing compliance and quality childcare.
- Can balance children's needs, staff needs, operational requirements, and budgets.
- Is comfortable with expenses, grocery tracking, supplies, and basic financial administration.
Qualifications
- Minimum Alberta Level 2 Early Childhood Educator Certification; Level 3 preferred.
- Current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Check.
- Current First Aid and CPR certification.
- Knowledge of Alberta childcare licensing requirements and best practices.
- Childcare leadership or supervisory experience preferred.
- Excellent written, verbal, listening, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Microsoft Word and Excel skills.
- QuickBooks experience or willingness to learn.
- Basic understanding of budgeting and expense management.
- Ability to learn childcare, payroll, HR, and timekeeping systems.
- Flexible availability and willingness to provide classroom coverage.
Our Leadership Philosophy
We believe leadership is about being present, humble, accountable, supportive, and willing to learn.
The Assistant Director/Manager will have opportunities to independently lead and make day-to-day decisions, while still working within the organization's policies and leadership structure.
The Centre Director and Area Manager are there to provide guidance and support. The Area Manager will also periodically observe and provide feedback on leadership practices to ensure expectations are being met and to support continued professional development.
We want a leader who can accept feedback positively, learn from observations, support educators with respect, take ownership of responsibilities, and continuously work toward becoming a stronger leader.
If you are passionate about Early Childhood Education and are ready for a hands-on leadership role involving children, educators, families, quality, compliance, budgeting, and centre operations, we would love to hear from you.
To apply, please submit your resume along with a brief description of your childcare and leadership experience.
Pay: From $19.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
