Head Start Early Childhood Site Supervisor - Portland

Reports to: Early Childhood Programs Manager · Status: Full Time, Exempt · Schedule: Monday – Friday; 8am - 5pm · Location: SW Portland (Hillsdale neighborhood) · Application: Please submit a resume & cover letter outlining how your experience aligns with this opportunity. · Abou ...

Job description

Reports to: Early Childhood Programs Manager

Status: Full Time, Exempt

Schedule: Monday – Friday; 8am - 5pm

Location: SW Portland (Hillsdale neighborhood)

Application: Please submit a resume & cover letter outlining how your experience aligns with this opportunity.

About Neighborhood House

Neighborhood House is a non-profit agency providing social services for children, families, seniors, and people experiencing food and housing insecurity. We have been engaging in anti-poverty work for 120 years, offering a safety net to ensure that our community has the support they need to thrive. 

Our Head Start Program

Neighborhood House's Head Start program provides an opportunity for participants to learn, grow, and thrive in an environment that emphasizes parents as primary teachers, a co-operative environment between families, teachers, family advocates, home visitors, and other staff, connection to community resources, and learning through child-led play. Our program is designed to meet the needs of and to provide school readiness skills to all eligible children, including those with special needs and disabilities, so our community's children and families are stronger for life.  

Position Overview

The Early Childhood Site Supervisor provides both operational and people leadership, overseeing site-level program implementation across education, health, nutrition, family engagement, and community partnerships. This role ensures compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards and state licensing requirements while cultivating a positive, inclusive, and trauma-informed workplace culture. The Site Supervisor directly supervises classroom staff, supports continuous quality improvement, and serves as a primary liaison with families and community partners.

Key Responsibilities

Site Operations & Program Implementation

• Oversee all daily site operations for Head Start and/or Early Head Start classrooms, ensuring consistent implementation of program policies, procedures, and performance standards.
• Ensure classrooms operate in alignment with curriculum requirements, school readiness goals, lesson planning expectations, and assessment protocols.
• Monitor classroom schedules, attendance, ratios, and coverage; partner with Family Services staff to address attendance concerns and follow up on chronic absences.
• Maintain ongoing readiness for licensing reviews, monitoring visits, and audits, including required documentation, corrective actions, and follow-up activities.
• Coordinate on-site services provided by mental health, inclusion, and other specialists, ensuring staff support service delivery and documentation requirements.

Staff Supervision, Coaching & Development

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance evaluation for approximately 12–15 classroom staff, including teachers, assistant teachers, and classroom aides.
• Conduct regular observations and hold monthly one-on-one meetings to provide feedback, address challenges, set goals, and support professional growth.
• Support staff accountability by setting clear expectations, addressing performance concerns, and implementing performance improvement plans as needed.
• Promote staff engagement, retention, and well-being by modeling inclusive leadership, professionalism, and effective communication.
• Screen, interview, and recommend candidates for hire; lead onboarding and orientation for new staff in collaboration with the Programs Manager.
• Oversee onboarding, daily supervision, and scheduling, ensuring positive volunteer experiences and adherence to program expectations.

Facility, Health & Safety, and Resource Management

• Ensure the site, classrooms, and common areas are safe, clean, developmentally appropriate, and reflective of children's cultures, languages, and identities.
• Coordinate facility maintenance, repairs, janitorial services, and safety concerns in collaboration with the Programs Manager.
• Manage site inventory and supplies, including classroom, health, office, and janitorial materials; maintain accurate purchasing and inventory records.
• Ensure daily meal counts are accurately recorded and submitted in compliance with USDA, CACFP, and program requirements.
• Support emergency preparedness, health and safety protocols, and regulatory compliance at the site level.

Family & Community Engagement

• Build and maintain strong, respectful relationships with families, serving as a point of contact for site-level questions or concerns.
• Partner with staff to promote family engagement, participation, and strong home-school connections.
• Represent the site at family events and select community activities, strengthening partnerships that support children and families.

Leadership, Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Serve as an active member of the agency's leadership structure, supporting two-way communication between management and frontline staff.
• Use data, observation, and feedback to identify trends, address issues, and support continuous quality improvement efforts.
• Collaborate across program components to ensure coordinated, holistic services for children and families.
• Model equity-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive leadership in all aspects of the role.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field (with required ECE credits).
• Minimum of 4 years' experience teaching children under age five as a lead teacher.
• At least 1 year of supervisory experience.
• Oregon Registry Step 10 or higher (or equivalent).
• Strong knowledge of early childhood best practices, Head Start standards, staff supervision, and site operations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Preferred Qualifications

• Head Start experience preferred.
• Experience with Child Plus and research-based child assessment tools.
• Direct experience working with parents and families.

Benefits

Neighborhood House offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, including:  

• 26 days of PTO (increases with tenure) per year
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Kaiser health, vision, and dental insurance with low employee premiums
• 403b retirement plan
• Company-paid life insurance. Voluntary life, long-term disability, accident, and critical illness insurance.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free counseling