Magical Beginnings is seeking an experienced Assistant Child Care Center Program Director to join the leadership team at our child care center in Wakefield, MA. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate early education professional who thrives in both center leadership and hands-on classroom support.
As Assistant Director, you will be a hands-on instructional leader, spending approximately 50% of your week working in ratio within classrooms, while also partnering closely with the Center Director to support operations, compliance, staff development, and family engagement. This is a visible, relationship-driven leadership role built on trust, collaboration, and presence.
👶 What You'll Own in our Wakefield School
- Classroom Leadership & In-Ratio Teaching (50% of the week)
- Serve as a consistent, in-ratio presence in classrooms across age groups
- Model developmentally appropriate practice, classroom management, and nurturing interactions
- Support classroom continuity by covering breaks, absences, and transitions
- Build strong relationships with children through daily engagement and responsive care
- Provide real-time coaching and feedback to educators while working alongside them
- Ensure classrooms consistently meet Massachusetts EEC ratio and safety requirements
This role leads from within the classroom, not from behind a desk.
🏫 Childcare Center Operations & EEC Compliance (In Partnership with the Director)
- Support daily operations of a licensed childcare and preschool center in Wakefield
- Assist with maintaining compliance with Massachusetts EEC regulations, licensing standards, and ratios
- Help manage child, staff, and classroom documentation accurately and on time
- Participate in EEC visits, inspections, and audits
- Complete daily classroom, building, and playground safety checks
- Ensure emergency drills, health logs, and inspections are completed as scheduled
- Support staff scheduling to ensure ratio coverage and smooth daily operations
- You’ll be a trusted operational partner, helping keep the school running safely and smoothly.
🎓 Early Childhood Education & Instructional Support
- Support curriculum implementation aligned with state frameworks and quality standards
- Reinforce instructional consistency across classrooms
- Coach teachers on lesson planning, classroom structure, and child development
- Model best practices in social-emotional learning and positive guidance
- Support educators in completing required ECE professional development hours
- Assist with on-site trainings, mentoring, and onboarding of new staff
- This is active instructional leadership, grounded in real classroom experience.
🤝 Staff Support, Leadership & School Culture
- Build strong, respectful relationships with teachers and support staff
- Serve as a daily resource for classroom questions, problem-solving, and guidance
- Help reinforce expectations around professionalism, safety, and care
- Support performance feedback and growth conversations alongside the Director
- Foster a calm, supportive, and accountable school culture
- Act as a mandated reporter and help ensure staff understand their responsibilities
- Be a steady, reassuring presence for both staff and families
- Your consistency and warmth will help shape the tone of the school each day.
👨‍👩‍👧 Family Engagement & Enrollment Support
- Build trusting relationships with families through daily interactions and communication
- Support tours and welcome prospective families when needed
- Partner with leadership to ensure families feel informed, supported, and connected
- Help reinforce the school’s values, curriculum, and care philosophy
What You'll Need to Succeed
- EEC Director 2 Certification required
- Bachelor’s Degree in ECE or related field, or
- Associate’s Degree / CDA and additional experience
- Ability to complete the required in-person training hours
- CPR & First Aid Certification (or ability to obtain within 6 months)
- Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends for school events or trainings
- Physical ability to actively engage in classrooms and lift up to 50 lbs as needed
Benefits Include:
- 13 paid holidays, plus a paid week-long winter break
- Paid sick leave
- Paid snow days and vacation time
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Company-paid life insurance & long-term disability
- Employee Assistance Program (5 free counseling sessions)
- 401(k) with weekly company match
- Parental leave through MA PFML
- Childcare discount
- Weekly pay with direct deposit
- Employee referral bonus program
- Paid CPR & First Aid renewals
- Pay increases tied to certification growth
- Mentorship and leadership development
- Teacher appreciation events and community-based celebration
$56,000 - $62,000 a year
Payroll is processed weekly.
About Magical Beginnings
Magical Beginnings Learning Centers is a growing network of early childhood schools dedicated to creating nurturing, engaging, and joyful learning environments. We value collaboration, kindness, and continuous improvement—and we support our team members with a positive culture, competitive benefits, and opportunities to grow.
Magical Beginnings is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to be a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. All employment is based on qualifications, merit, and business need. Magical Beginnings does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, age, marital status, pregnancy, nationality, physical or mental disability, medical​​​ condition, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
