Executive Head of School - Huntsville, Alabama

Job Description

Job Description

Executive Head of School - Huntsville, A.L.

at Vivvi Early Learning on the Toyota Campus - Huntsville, Alabama

Who We Are

Vivvi is not your typical daycare or preschool! We're reinventing child care and early learning for today's families and creating opportunities for teachers and caregivers to do what they love (and feel valued while they're doing it). Vivvi is partnering with Toyota to build a brand new, 24-hour child care center in Huntsville, AL

About The Role

This is a highly visible, executive leadership role. The Executive Head of School serves as the on-site face of Vivvi to Toyota and is responsible for leading with presence, accountability, and decisiveness in a dynamic, 24/7 operating environment.

We are seeking a leader who takes full ownership of outcomes, operates with a strong executive presence, and is comfortable engaging directly with senior client stakeholders, families, and partners.

As the Executive Head of School, you'll:

• Be the founding leader of a brand new, high quality child care center dedicated to serving the Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama team members
• Lead hiring, training, and ongoing coaching of a large team, ensuring strong staff management and team leadership across a 24-hour childcare operation
• Conduct coaching meetings with all direct reports; establish clear expectations and feedback across the team
• Continuously refine and improve daily operational systems — including classroom transitions, family communication routines, staff coverage, and materials management — serving children 6 weeks until school age
• Ensure full compliance with Alabama licensing regulations, as well as Vivvi's standards of excellence.
• Lead licensing inspections and audits, ensuring all documentation meets state regulatory and child safety requirements
• Ensure the ongoing delivery of a developmentally appropriate curriculum
• Support in all aspects of relationship-building and enrollment with prospective families
• Foster and promote Vivvi's inclusive environment throughout all aspects of the school
• Serve as the primary on-site executive leader and representative of Vivvi , modeling professionalism, accountability, and composure at all times
• Lead with a high degree of visibility and presence on campus , building trust with families, staff, and client partners through consistent engagement
• Own end-to-end execution of center operations , ensuring issues are proactively identified, addressed decisively, and communicated clearly
• Act as the primary point of contact for client stakeholder s, confidently representing the center and navigating high-stakes or sensitive situations with sound judgment
• Lead and present in client review meetings, clearly communicating operational updates, outcomes, and strategic priorities
• Drive a culture of urgency, accountability, and operational excellence , ensuring no gaps in ownership or follow-through
• Ensure clear, proactive communication across teams and stakeholders—anticipating challenges rather than reacting to them

What Success Looks Like In This Role

• A visible, trusted leader on-site who is known by staff, families, and client partners
• Strong executive presence in all interactions, especially with client stakeholders
• Issues are surfaced early, with clear ownership and swift resolution
• The center operates with consistency, professionalism, and urgency across all shifts
• A culture of accountability and excellence is clearly felt across the team
• Client partners experience clear communication, confidence, and follow-through

Apply Today If You:

• Enjoy working with young learners and their teachers and see every child as infinitely capable
• Have 10-15 years of experience leading a childcare center, preschool, or early childhood education program as a Director or Center Leader
• Have a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education (MA preferred)
• Hold or are willing to obtain an Alabama Pathways Director Credential (required)
• Are an exceptional people leader who holds teams accountable to high standards while driving results through clear expectations and feedback
• Have experience operating in high-visibility, client-facing environments, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders
• Demonstrate strong executive presence, including clear communication, sound judgment, and professionalism under pressure
• Have a proven track record of owning outcomes and driving execution, not just managing processes
• Are decisive and action-oriented, with the ability to lead in real time and take accountability for results
• Have deep expertise in emergent- or inquiry-based curricula and a progressive approach to early childhood education
• Are knowledgeable about licensing requirements for early childhood programs
• Are an excellent communicator, both in written form and in-person — and confident representing your team to client partners
• Value and create strong relationships with families, children, and faculty
• Are a systems thinker and excel at building systems from scratch
• Possess strong problem solving skills and are flexible and adaptable
• Are already or are willing to be CPR and First Aid certified

Competitive Compensation and Benefits: Our Campus Leaders earn competitive salary with leadership-level compensation based on level of education and experience. Full-time employees also receive benefits including tuition reimbursement, health, vision, and dental insurance, retirement savings, and commuter benefits.

Child-Centered Approach: Our educators facilitate each child's success by observing their interests and developing a curriculum inspired by their curiosity. Learn more about our teaching philosophy here

State-of-the-Art Facilities: Our campuses are purposefully designed to support high-quality infant, toddler, and preschool programs. Our newest campus in Huntsville, A.L. is being specifically built to support the needs of the Toyota families, and will include the most up-to-date materials and equipment to ensure teachers have everything they need to deliver a high-quality educational experience.

Employee Development: We offer financial support for ongoing education through tuition reimbursement, as well as robust onboarding training, ongoing professional development days, and individual coaching and feedback. We also love to promote from within and are committed to helping our colleagues achieve their career goals at Vivvi!

To be considered, applicants must be based in or willing to relocate to Huntsville, A.L.. Candidates must also possess independent US work authorization.

Physical demands of this position include but are not limited to sitting and standing for extended periods, bending at the waist, reaching overhead, and frequently moving or lifting children weighing up to 50 pounds unassisted. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact [email protected]. Determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, or other characteristics protected by state or federal law or local ordinance.

Keywords: Child Care Director, Preschool Director, Early Childhood Director, Daycare Director, Center Director, Childcare Center Management, Early Childhood Education (ECE), 24 Hour Childcare, Overnight Childcare, Extended Hours Childcare, Non-Traditional Schedule Childcare, Employer-Sponsored Childcare, On-Site Childcare, Huntsville AL Jobs, Child Development, Infant Toddler Preschool Programs, Licensing Compliance Alabama, Curriculum Implementation, Family Engagement, Enrollment Management, Childcare Leadership Jobs