Associate Director of Child Care

**Associate Director of Child Care**

**Location**: Métis Nation of Alberta Child Care Centre (Edmonton)

**Position Status**: Full Time (40 hrs per week), Permanent

**The Organization**

**The Opportunity**

**Key Responsibilities**
- Facilitate the development of the MNA Child Care Centre in alignment with the MNA’s Early Learning and Child Care vision and guiding principles.
- Oversee and make decisions on the daily operations of the MNA Child Care Centre including program development and implementation, marketing, and people management.
- Develop and implement budgets, policies, and procedures to support the functional infrastructure of the MNA Child Care Centre.
- Maintain licensing and compliance requirements of staff and the MNA Child Care Centre facility.
- Coordinate the maintenance, cleanliness, and organization of the MNA Child Care Centre facility.
- Set and monitor the strategic direction for the MNA’s Child Care Centre, and negotiate contracts and agreements for the provision of programming and services, in collaboration with the MNA’s Director of Children and Family Services.
- Secure grant funding where applicable in collaboration with the Director and Senior Manager of the MNA Children and Family Services Department.
- Maintain financial integrity of the MNA Child Care Centre by providing MNA leadership and funders with required financial statements and narrative reports.
- Provide recommendations for MNA leadership to address concerns or opportunities.
- Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including service providers, internal MNA departments, MNA affiliates, and community partners.
- Plan, implement, and oversee age-appropriate cultural activities and educational programs.
- Foster a safe and nurturing environment for children within the MNA Child Care Centre and provide care and supervision to children throughout the day.
- Maintain and coordinate communication with children’s families to strengthen relationships.
- Collaborate in staffing responsibilities and perform supervisory duties including hiring and training qualified child care workers, assigning job duties, and developing and overseeing staff work plans.
- Develop the staffing schedule and confirm required staffing ratios are met.
- Mentor team members through feedback, coaching, and formal evaluations, and provide effective leadership to the team.
- Maintain a high level of political awareness, cultural sensitivity, professionalism, and confidentiality in interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
- Other duties as required or assigned.

**Skills & Competencies**
- Strong caregiving skills and a genuine love for working with children.
- Culturally sensitive and compassionate.
- Experience with community-based program development and implementation.
- Proven track record of building collaborative partnerships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including government, social service providers, and community.
- Exceptional strategic planning skills, including an ability to establish short
- and long-term plans to meet key objectives of projects/initiatives.
- Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to deal with a wide range of individuals tactfully and diplomatically and produce professional documents and presentations that target and convey messages to different audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to adhere to strict confidentiality of sensitive information. High level of integrity, ethics, and professionalism.
- Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to identify issues and implement creative and strategic solutions to overcome problems.
- Strong organizational, time management, planning and execution skills with the ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Ability to thrive in a dynamic and changing environment, including a demonstrated ability of being adaptable and flexible to potentially changing needs.
- Recognized strength in leading and engaging teams and creating a culture that promotes development of individual and organizational capacity.
- Ability to work under pressure and handle tense and stressful situations.
- Experience using MS Office (Word, Excel, etc.) and Google Workspace (Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Sheets).
- Knowledge of licensing and accreditation regulations and requirements.
- Knowledge of Métis history, culture, and issues affecting Métis people. An in-depth understanding of the MNA and Métis culture is an asset.

**Qualifications**
- Master’s or post-secondary degree in Early Learning and Child Care, Education, or related field is required.
- Level 3 Early Childhood Educator Certification with knowledge of early childhood education principles and practices is a requirement.
- Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in a similar role is a requirement.
- Minimum five years’ experience in a leadership role, leading a team of direct r