Associate Director of Tompkins Hall Nursery

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Tompkins Hall Nursery and Childcare Center, the Associate Director supports the daily operations, compliance systems, and administrative functions of the school. Exhibiting professionalism, patience, and “people first” in all interactions, the Associate Director assists in maintaining an environment that is compliant with all relevant regulations and policies and responsive to the needs of the school's internal and external communities. As one of two full-time administrators at the Center, the Associate Director must be flexible, and able to manage multiple operational priorities, serving as the primary point person for day-to-day operations and compliance systems, and ensuring continuity of operations and a creative problem-solver and thought partner to the Director, as well as the lead administrator in the absence of the Director.

The ideal candidate possesses strong operational, organizational, and systems management skills and a detail-oriented ability to create and maintain records and systems for DOH compliance, admissions, accounting, and teaching materials.

Tompkins Hall Nursery and Childcare Center is a unit within the Office of the Provost at Columbia University and located close to Columbia’s Morningside campus. Founded by faculty in the 1930s, Tompkins Hall is a progressive learning environment for children aged three months through five years, with deep roots in constructivist curricular approaches and influenced by the philosophy of Reggio Emilia, both of which center on children and childhood. Its students grow and learn through interaction with the prepared environment, the teachers, and peers. Teachers guide, nurture, and thoughtfully facilitate children’s learning and growth. The Center’s offerings include art, music, science, block-building, books, and open-ended periods of play as well as extensive outdoor explorations.

Responsibilities

Day to Day Operations

• Partner with the Director to ensure school-wide compliance with NYS, NYC, and University policies and procedures, including developing Standard Operating Procedures to support compliance.
• Order and maintain school-wide supplies and student snacks.
• Liaise with University central staff to meet the school’s needs: Facilities and Operations, Information Technology, Finance, Vendor Management, and others.
• Provide educational leadership, training, and supervision to Variable Hours Workers (VHOs) and student workers (may include interns, work study candidates, volunteers, and student teachers), including developing and implementing training and a curriculum for VHOs, under the supervision of the Director.
• Under the supervision of the Director, identify substitute teachers in the instance of teacher absences, ensuring maintenance of supervisory ratios in each classroom.
• Assist in classrooms as needed, including for occasional coverage in the instance of teacher absence or illness.
• With the Director, support logistics and coordination of professional development sessions.
• Support the Director in managing communications infrastructure for the school, including contact information for parents and teachers, email templates, and directories.
• Collaborate with the Director in organizing school-wide events.
• Create, update, and maintain forms and organizational systems as required for efficient operation and to support compliance and annual processes such as admissions and enrollment.
• Support all aspects of the admissions and enrollment process.
• Support Director in maintenance of the school’s rooftop garden.
• When Director is not present at the Center, ensure smooth operations and compliance with established protocols; escalate instructional, staffing, or family concerns to the Director as needed.

Contracts and Financial Management

• Manage enrollment contracts, family billing, and monitor incoming tuition payments.
• Process payroll, including submitting timesheet records for temporary employees, VHOs, and student workers .
• Manage finance operations of the school in compliance with all relevant University policies, including processing reimbursements and invoices.
• Maintain contracts and other billing documents relative to tuition and ensure collections are in compliance with University policy.
• Serve as liaison with key finance and operations personnel and units in the University system including in the Provost’s Office, Accounts Payable, Purchasing Department, and Controller's Office.
• Support and partner with the Director on budget planning, financial projections, and updates.
• Prepare financial analyses as needed.
• Create, disburse, and monitor the return of family contracts using the Clarity online system.
• Provide formal and structured periodic updates on tuition payments and other financial and operational matters to the Director; create reports as needed and/or requested by the Director.

Regulatory Compliance

• Administer onboarding of new teachers and other staff, including IT and HR-related needs, and oversee onboarding and completion of all new teacher (fulltime and VHO) records according to NYS and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) and University requirements.
• Create and maintain complete student files, including administrative onboarding of new students and outreach to families for file update needs.
• Maintain all records for students and staff in compliance with DOH requirements, including all necessary teacher certifications and renewals, to ensure 100% compliance. Create and maintain systems to ensure timely updates and renewals as needed and aligned with all requirements.
• Ensure full compliance with DOH and University background check policies, ensuring timely completion by all Center staff of both sets of requirements.
• Provide guidance, support, and regular communication to teachers to ensure compliance with University and DOH procedural and documentation requirements.
• Report immunization survey annually to DOH.
• Maintain up-to-date lists of allergies and medical conditions for all students in all classrooms at all times; communicate updates and changes as needed with teachers and conduct period checks to ensure full awareness.
• Review DOH protocol regarding allergies and medical conditions annually.
• Monitor all related NYS, NYC, and University policies and share changes in policy with the Director, staff, and parents as needed.

Performs other related duties and roles as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Fluency in early childhood development, along with the ability to interact with children in a developmentally appropriate practice.
• Detail-oriented, with demonstrated ability maintaining records or tracking systems.
• Experience with DOH’s regulatory requirements for early childhood centers (Article 47).
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated excellence at follow-through.
• Ability to identify priorities and to think and work independently, balancing and completing multiple tasks and projects, in a rapidly changing environment.
• Flexibility, diplomacy, collegiality.
• Consistent professionalism in interactions with all stakeholders.
• Absolute discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality of all parties at all times.
• Demonstrated excellence at understanding of administrative and operational services.
• Passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.
• Comfort navigating digital and online systems; knowledge of Google Workspace and/or Microsoft 365.
• Availability on evenings and weekends for special events or other operational needs and to respond to time-sensitive needs.
• Master’s Degree in Education or related field ( E.g., psychology, social work, child development, etc.).
• NYS N-2 Professional License or equivalent, or NYS N-2 Initial License with on-time progress toward N-2 Professional License with continued employment contingent on evidence of progress towards Professional License and a continued requirement of the role until License is acquired.
• 3-5 years' classroom teaching experience, including lead teacher experience, in an early childhood general or special education setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education, or related field ( E.g., psychology, social work, child development, etc.).
• 1 year experience supporting operations, coordination, or program administration.
• Comprehensive knowledge of DOH’s regulatory requirements for early childhood center.

Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample that showcases their communication experience with either a peer or parent audience.

• Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
• Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.