Curriculum and Program Quality Lead/Manager

Position Title: Curriculum and Program Quality Lead/Manager Reports to: Senior Director of Operations Compensation Package: We believe in recognizing and rewarding the exceptional talent that drives our success.

• Competitive Salary: $100,000-115,000
• Health and Wellbeing Benefits: Co-paid Health, and Dental Benefits including a HCSA (Health Care Spending Account), and an Employee Family Assistance Program, along with access to wellness programs, ensuring that you and your family are well cared for.
• Vacation: 3 weeks of Vacation and 13 Wellness Days  
• Professional Development: We are committed to your growth. Take advantage of our professional development programs, including training, certifications, annual learning conference and tuition reimbursement.  
• Employee Perks: Enjoy a range of additional perks such as employee discounts, and exclusive company events.
• & much more! 

Hours of Work: Monday – Friday must be available within the hours of 7:00am 6:00pm Location: Flexibility to travel to our 10 locations if observing programs with 1-2 days at our office in Markham. 445 Hood Road, Markham ON, L3R 8H1

THE ORGANIZATION:
Centres for Early Learning is a leader in early childhood education, dedicated to enriching the lives of children and families for nearly 50 years. Fully licensed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and Toronto Children’s Services, our organization operates ten childcare centres serving communities in Toronto and Halton region. We offer programs for infants to children up to 12 years of age, providing a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment where learning and development thrive. Our purpose is to inspire smiles by building experiences and shaping communities. Through our collaborative approach, we work closely with families, educators, and communities to deliver high-quality care and education that fosters growth, curiosity, and lifelong learning. 

THE ROLE:
Foray Education is seeking a Curriculum and Program Quality Lead/Manager to provide hands-on leadership in the rollout, implementation, and continuous improvement of Centres for Early Learning’s curriculum across all locations. This role is accountable for ensuring curriculum practices are consistently delivered, aligned with regulatory and licensing requirements, and grounded in evidence-based early learning pedagogy and best practices. 

The Curriculum and Program Quality Lead/Manager plays a highly visible, field-based role, spending a minimum of three full days per week in centres conducting classroom observations, coaching educators, modelling best practices, and partnering with Centre Leadership teams to strengthen program quality and learning outcomes. The remaining time is dedicated to curriculum planning, training, design and delivery, documentation, program evaluation, and follow-up actions to ensure sustainable improvement across sites.

This role acts as a key partner to centre leadership, supporting program consistency, educator capability, and continuous quality improvement while reinforcing a culture of reflective practice, compliance, and excellence in early learning.

SUCCESS:
Success in the Curriculum and Program Quality Lead/Manager role is demonstrated through the consistent delivery of high-quality curriculum across all centres, with educators confidently implementing developmentally appropriate, engaging, inclusive, and compliant programming. 

Success also includes establishing and maintaining clear curriculum standards, tools, and expectations that reduce variability across centres while still supporting responsive and reflective practice. Curriculum frameworks, documentation processes, and planning tools are consistently understood and applied by both Centre Leadership and educators.

Centre teams feel supported, coached, and equipped to implement best practices in their classrooms, resulting in observable improvements in teaching quality, child engagement, and learning outcomes.

Success is reflected in strong alignment with regulatory and licensing expectations, positive outcomes during inspections and audits, and ongoing program improvements driven by observation, feedback, and continuous coaching.

Ultimately, the role ensures strong program consistency across all locations. Professional learning is purposeful, structured, and responsive. Training initiatives are aligned with observed classroom needs, regulatory requirements, and organizational priorities, supporting educators in demonstrating measurable growth through observations, documentation reviews, and feedback cycles.

Program quality decisions are informed by data. Classroom observations, pedagogical reviews, licensing feedback, and internal quality indicators are analyzed to identify targeted improvements rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions. Success is also reflected in sustained regulatory readiness across all centres, demonstrated through positive inspection outcomes, minimal corrective actions, and consistent preparedness for both announced and unannounced licensing visits.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Degree or diploma in Early Childhood Education
• Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Educators – mandatory
• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in licensed childcare or early learning environments, including program quality, curriculum implementation, or pedagogical leadership
• Demonstrated experience coaching and mentoring educators and centre leadership teams
• Strong knowledge of CCEYA, Ministry licensing requirements, Public Health regulations, How Does Learning Happen (HDLH), Regional Requirements and AQI standards
• Experience supporting curriculum implementation across multiple sites is an asset
• Experience leading professional development, training facilitation, and learning communities is an asset
• Experience working across multiple municipalities (e.g., Toronto, Halton, Peel, York) is an asset
• Valid Standard First Aid and CPR-C certification
• Clear Vulnerable Sector Check required
• Valid Ontario driver’s license and ability to travel between sites as required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel at intermediate to advance level, PowerPoint, OneNote teams, outlook).

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Curriculum Implementation & Delivery:

• Full implementation of the curriculum, including resources, tools, training materials, and program expectations
• Monitoring fidelity to curriculum expectations across centres
• Supporting smooth rollout and sustained adoption of curriculum practices 
  

Program Quality & Pedagogical Excellence:

• Conducting regular classroom observations to assess curriculum delivery, staff practice, learning environments, and program quality
• Monitoring program quality indicators and identifying gaps
• Strengthening instructional practices and pedagogical consistency 
  
  

Coaching, Mentorship & Workforce Capability:

• Coaching and mentoring educators and centre leadership to strengthen pedagogy, documentation, and reflective practice
• Supporting professional growth through in-centre modelling and feedback
• Contributing to educator onboarding and capability development 
  

Training, Professional Development & Learning Communities:

• Planning and delivering curriculum training sessions and professional development workshops
• Facilitating learning communities and shared best practices across centres
• Identifying system-wide training priorities based on observation trends 
  

Compliance & Regulatory Alignment:

• Supporting compliance with How Does Learning Happen?, CCEYA, and organizational programming expectations
• Ensuring curriculum practices align with licensing, inspection, and audit requirements
• Supporting centres in maintaining ongoing program readiness 
  
  
  
  

Data, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement:

• Collecting and analyzing feedback from educators, leaders, families, and regulatory outcomes
• Using data to inform curriculum refinement and program enhancements
• Tracking improvements and impact on program quality and learning outcomes 
  

Reporting, Documentation & Governance:

• Providing written visit reports, follow-up notes, and recommendations after centre visits
• Preparing insights and summaries for the Senior Director of Operations
• Supporting evidence-based decision-making through clear documentation 
  

Continuous Improvement & Curriculum Evolution:

• Use observation data, feedback, and research to inform curriculum refinement and innovation
• Contribute to the development of new tools, resources, and learning content
• Track impact of curriculum changes on program quality and learning outcomes 
  

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Deep understanding of early childhood education, licensing standards, and leadership practices
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Highly organized, capable of managing simultaneous projects across multiple sites
• Hands-on, execution-driven mindset balanced with strategic planning capabilities
• Proven ability to develop, train and sustain curriculum and assess outcomes 
• Strong ability to manage change and continue to evolve curriculum
• Strong planning, problem solving, and risk assessment capabilities
• Strong emotional intelligence and ability to build trust and credibility
• Ability to lead through influence and inspire high-performing teams
• Highly organized with strong follow-through and execution discipline
• Proficient with MS Office and operational reporting tools
• Adaptable and collaborative team player with strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills. 
  

COMPETENCIES:

1. CUSTOMER FOCUS: proactively cultivates relationships to develop and enhance value-added business activities
2. DECISION MAKING: employs an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom and experience to make good decisions
3. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: ability to communicate in a clear and compelling manner with individuals and groups
4. RESULTS FOCUS: aligns organizational resources and accountabilities to accomplish ambitious goals
5. GROWTH AND LEARNING FOCUS: promotes and demonstrates the value of life-long learning
6. BUSINESS ACUMEN: Utilizes available tools and processes to achieve business results
7. PROCESS MANAGEMENT: Is adept at determining the processes necessary to get things done; knows to organize people and activities; knows how to separate and combine tasks into efficient workflow
8. DIGITAL LITERACY: The ability to discover, evaluate, and use information and technology effectively through various apps and digital tools.
9. TECHNICAL / FUNCTIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Possesses the skills required to perform the role at a high level
10. CHANGE MANAGEMENT: Embraces change to support and position the business for future success
    

KPIs:

• Curriculum implementation consistency across centres
• Program quality improvement and consistency over time
• Educator capability growth following coaching and training
• Compliance and inspection readiness related to curriculum and programming
• Child success outcomes – Children achieving Looksee Assessments  

Personal Style:

• 100% trustworthy with the highest level of integrity.
• Model and uphold the company’s charter and values.
• Highly driven with the ability to take ownership and responsibility.
• Respectful of others and self.
• Hands on with a willingness to roll up sleeves and get involved. 
• A real curiosity about data, trends, business, and processes 
• Ability to deal with ambiguity in a growing company.  
• Self-aware, with a high degree of emotional intelligence.
• Low ego.
• Growth Mindset. 
• Values and seeks feedback from others.
• Level 3 Thinking.
• Represents the company in a professional manner. 

*Centres for Early Learning is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing accommodation in accordance with the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If you require accommodation throughout the recruitment and 
selection process, we will work with you to meet your needs. We thank all those applicants who have applied; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. *