Director of Early Childhood Education Irvine Nature Center

Director of Early Childhood Education

Irvine Nature Center

The Director of Early Childhood Education oversees Irvine Nature Center’s early childhood programs serving children from birth through age six. This includes Irvine’s Nature Preschool and related early childhood offerings such as Little Birds (Caregiver and Child Program) and other programs designed for young children and families. The Director also supervises Irvine’s Earth Friends homeschool program, which serves children through age 12, ensuring alignment with Irvine’s educational philosophy and program quality standards.

The Director of ECE is responsible for the day‑to‑day leadership, management, and growth of Irvine’s early childhood programs. This includes supervising program leads and educators, maintaining high‑quality educational experiences rooted in nature‑based learning, ensuring compliance with licensing and accreditation standards, and supporting strong program enrollment and financial performance. The Director of ECE should have a strong understanding of nature‑based ECE philosophy and practices, Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) preschool licensing guidelines and the NAEYC accreditation process.

They should remain informed about current trends and best practices in early childhood education and environmental education.

The Director works closely with Irvine’s leadership team and reports to the Deputy Director. This position plays an important role in implementing Irvine’s educational vision while ensuring programs operate effectively and sustainably. This is a full‑time (12 month) salaried position. As a leadership role, this position requires flexibility and may occasionally include evenings or weekend commitments to support programs, events and organizational initiatives.

• Oversee the day‑to‑day operations of Irvine’s Nature Preschool and related early childhood programs during the academic year, while providing year‑round leadership including program planning, staffing, enrollment management and administrative oversight.
• Ensure programs reflect Irvine’s philosophy of nature‑based, child‑centered learning and align with best practices in early childhood and environmental education.
• Maintain high standards for program quality and safety.
• Develop, maintain, and regularly review program policies, procedures, and operational systems that support effective program delivery.
• Establish nurture strong collaborative relationships with prospective and enrolled families.
• Develop, maintain and regularly review program policies, procedures, teaching practices and operational systems that support effective program delivery.

• Supervise and support program leads, educators, and early childhood staff.
• Conduct staff evaluations and provide regular coaching, feedback and professional development opportunities.
• Foster a collaborative and supportive team culture within the early childhood department.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding and training of early childhood staff.

• Monitor program enrollment and work collaboratively with Irvine’s marketing team to support recruitment and retention of families.
• Monitor enrollment trends and work collaboratively across departments to support strong enrollment and the long‑term sustainability of Irvine’s early childhood programs.
• Lead the planning of program schedules, classroom offerings and future program expansion.
• Coordinate and lead evaluation of preschool financial aid applications.

• Support the implementation of Irvine’s nature‑based, play‑based, emergent curriculum approach across early childhood programs.
• Observe classrooms and programs regularly to ensure high‑quality teaching practices and alignment with Irvine’s educational philosophy.
• Provide guidance and feedback to educators to support strong child‑centered, outdoor learning experiences.
• Provide guidance and support to educators in addressing developmental, learning and behavioral challenges within the program.
• Partner with educators to identify developmental concerns, communicate with…