About the Role
The Director of Early Childhood Education provides strategic leadership for Rocky Mountain Prep's early childhood programming, ensuring high-quality instruction, regulatory compliance, and exceptional outcomes for our youngest learners. This role partners with school leaders, teachers, and central office teams to strengthen curriculum, professional learning, licensing, enrollment, and quality improvement across the network. The Director champions developmentally appropriate, data-informed practices that prepare every child for long-term academic success while advancing Rocky Mountain Prep's mission to democratize college access for historically marginalized students and families.
ECE Directors at Rocky Mountain Prep will...
Early Childhood Strategy & Program Leadership- Develop and strengthen a vertically aligned Early Childhood curriculum that integrates seamlessly with Rocky Mountain Prep's elementary academic program.
- Design and deliver high-quality professional learning for Early Childhood teachers, paraprofessionals, and instructional leaders.
- Lead the development of instructional protocols, including Individualized Professional Practice (IPP) and data meeting structures, to improve student outcomes.
- Develop tools, metrics, and evaluation systems that measure the success of Early Childhood students, classrooms, and programs.
Coaching & Instructional Excellence- Coach school leaders, teachers, and instructional teams to implement high-quality Early Childhood instructional practices.
- Build leadership capacity among Early Childhood Grade Level Chairs to serve as licensing and instructional experts.
- Lead continuous improvement efforts to achieve and maintain the highest Colorado Shines quality ratings.
- Support innovative Early Childhood programming, including mixed-age classroom models and specialized Early Childhood initiatives.
Compliance & Operational Leadership- Serve as the network lead for Early Childhood licensing, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance.
- Advise schools on ECE and Universal Preschool (UPK) enrollment processes and compliance requirements.
- Oversee the Baby Bees infant and toddler program and supervise its program leadership.
- Manage network-wide Early Childhood special education (ECSE), substitute programming, and compliance systems.
Partnership & Systems Leadership- Partner with Talent to strengthen the recruitment, onboarding, and development of Early Childhood staff.
- Collaborate with school and central office leaders to support enrollment planning and operational decision-making.
- Cultivate relationships with state agencies, districts, and community partners to strengthen Early Childhood funding and programming.
- Contribute as a collaborative member of the Central Services team by embodying Rocky Mountain Prep's PEAK values and supporting cross-functional initiatives.
QualificationsRequired
- Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Education, or a related field.
- Minimum of three years of successful Pre-K teaching experience with demonstrated student outcomes.
- At least two years of experience coaching, leading, or developing educators.
- Deep knowledge of Colorado Early Childhood standards, instructional best practices, licensing requirements, and quality frameworks.
- Experience designing professional learning, coaching educators, and implementing data-informed instructional improvement.
- Strong project management, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to meet all Colorado Department of Education requirements, including required licensure, background check, and other employment requirements.
- Commitment to Rocky Mountain Prep's mission, values, and belief that every child deserves an excellent education.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States. Rocky Mountain Prep uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.
Preferred
- Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, or a related field.
- Experience designing or implementing Early Childhood curriculum.
- Experience leading Colorado Shines quality improvement efforts or Early Childhood licensing compliance.
- Experience supporting Universal Preschool (UPK), ECSE programming, or multi-site Early Childhood programs.
Salary
This is a full-time position with a salary range of $90,000 to $135,000, based on experience and qualifications.
Benefits
At Rocky Mountain Prep, taking care of our team is essential to building joyful, academically excellent schools. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Paid Time Off - including vacation, personal, and sick days
- 5 Weeks of Paid Organizational Holidays - including Winter and Summer breaks
- Comprehensive Health Insurance - medical, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% of medical coverage for employee-only plans.
- Retirement Through PERA - Public Employees' Retirement Association of Colorado
- Paid Leave of Absence Options - including parental, medical, and disability leave
- Mental Health & Wellness Support - to help you thrive personally and professionally
- Pre-Tax Accounts - flexible spending accounts (FSA), dependent care accounts, and health savings accounts (HSA)
*A detailed list of benefits is here.
Apply Today!
Join our movement to transform public education in Colorado and prepare every student for college and beyond.
