Childcare Regional Director

Position Summary

The Regional Director of The Sapling School provides strategic, operational, and leadership oversight for 3 childcare centers in Fair Lawn, NJ, Clark, NJ, and South Brunswick, NJ, ensuring high-quality educational programming, regulatory compliance, strong financial performance, and an exceptional experience for children, families, and staff. This role bridges ownership/leadership vision with day-to-day center operations and supports growth as the organization expands.
Experience working within a corporate or multi-site childcare organization is required to ensure scalable systems, consistency, and best practices.

• Provide direct leadership and coaching to Center Directors and leadership teams

• Set clear expectations, goals, and performance standards across all centers

• Foster a positive, professional, and mission-driven culture

• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and retention of leadership staff

• Ensure all centers comply with state licensing, health, safety, and accreditation requirements

• Conduct regular site visits, audits, and operational reviews

• Develop and implement standardized policies, procedures, and best practices aligned with corporate childcare standards

• Act as a resource for problem-solving, conflict resolution, and crisis management

• Maintain high standards for curriculum implementation and classroom quality

• Ensure consistency of educational programming across all locations

• Support professional development for teachers and administrators

• Monitor child outcomes, classroom observations, and parent feedback

• Oversee center budgets, enrollment targets, and financial performance

• Analyze KPIs including enrollment, retention, staffing ratios, and expenses

• Collaborate with ownership on pricing, growth strategy, and expansion planning

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and profitability

• Support positive parent communication and satisfaction

• Assist with escalated family concerns or complaints

• Represent the organization professionally in the community and with regulators

• Support the opening and integration of new centers

• Assist with staffing, systems implementation, and operational ramp-up for new locations

• Help scale leadership structures and operational systems as the organization grows

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Business, Management, or related field (Master’s preferred)

• 5+ years of leadership experience within a corporate or multi-site childcare organization (required)

• Proven experience overseeing multiple centers or locations

• Strong knowledge of childcare licensing regulations and corporate compliance standards

• Demonstrated ability to implement standardized systems and processes

• Strong financial, operational, and analytical skills

• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities

• Full-time position

• Regular travel between centers required

• Occasional evenings or weekends as needed

This role ensures consistency, quality, and scalability across multiple childcare centers while supporting continued growth and expansion.