The Goddard School of Oklahoma City – Gaillardia opened in January 2026 and has quickly built a strong reputation among families in one of the city's most sought-after communities. Enrollment is growing, the leadership team is capable and engaged, and ownership is committed to building a school that sets the standard for early childhood education in Oklahoma City.
We are seeking an Executive Director to serve as the school's senior operating leader. Reporting directly to ownership, the Executive Director will lead through the school's Director and administrative team to establish operational discipline, strengthen accountability and culture, drive enrollment and community presence, and provide ownership with a clear, data-informed view of school performance. This is a distinct level of leadership from a Center Director role, carrying both the authority to shape how the school operates and the accountability for its results.
The ideal candidate brings substantial experience leading early childhood or school-based operations, understands the day-to-day realities of licensed childcare, and has moved beyond managing those realities to building organizations that run on systems, strong leaders, and consistent execution. We are looking for a leader whose instinct is to ask how the school can be made better, not simply how today can be managed.
Scope of Leadership
People & Culture Direct recruiting, retention, and engagement strategy for faculty and staff. Coach and develop the Director and administrative team into confident, accountable leaders. Establish clear performance expectations, recognize excellence, and address underperformance early and constructively. Build a culture in which strong educators choose to stay and grow.
Operations Lead staffing strategy, scheduling, and labor management. Ensure continuous compliance with Oklahoma Human Services licensing standards, Goddard Systems quality assurance standards, and all health and safety requirements. Identify recurring operational problems and replace them with durable processes.
Enrollment & Growth Own the enrollment strategy, including inquiry and lead management, tour experience and conversion, waitlist management, classroom utilization, and family retention. Understand why families choose the school, and why prospective families do not.
Marketing & Community Development In partnership with ownership, lead local marketing and community engagement: employer partnerships, pediatric and medical referral relationships, realtor and neighborhood outreach, community events, online reputation, and grassroots visibility across northwest Oklahoma City.
Family Experience Serve as a visible, trusted presence for families. Set the standard for communication, responsiveness, and issue resolution, and safeguard the premium experience associated with The Goddard School brand.
Financial & Business Performance Manage to the key drivers of the business: enrollment, tuition revenue, labor cost relative to enrollment, classroom utilization, and operating expenses. Contribute to budgeting and forecasting and act on variances.
Leadership & Strategy Define and maintain the school's key performance indicators. Deliver concise, regular business reviews to ownership with recommendations rather than open questions. Identify improvement opportunities and new initiatives, and enable ownership to focus on strategic growth rather than daily operations.
Measures of Success (First 6–12 Months)
- Reduced faculty turnover, supported by clear insight into retention drivers
- A Director and administrative team operating with greater independence, consistency, and accountability
- Proactive staffing and scheduling, with labor cost tracking appropriately to enrollment
- Fewer recurring operational disruptions, resolved at the process level
- Disciplined enrollment growth toward full capacity, with improved tour-to-enrollment conversion
- Active referral relationships with local employers, medical practices, and community partners
- Family satisfaction reflected in retention, referrals, and public reviews
- An established KPI framework and business review cadence that ownership relies on
- A measurable reduction in ownership's involvement in day-to-day operations
Qualifications
Education (Required)
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in early childhood education, child development, elementary education, educational leadership, business administration, or a related field
- Master's degree in educational leadership, early childhood education, business administration, or a related field is strongly preferred and reflected in compensation
Experience (Required)
Candidates should come from one of two backgrounds:
-
Early childhood executive: Seven or more years in licensed childcare or early education, including at least three years in a senior leadership role such as Executive Director, Regional or Area Director, Multi-Site Director, Director of Operations, or leader of a large, high-performing center; or
-
School administrator: Seven or more years in education, including at least three years as a principal, assistant principal, or head of school with direct responsibility for staff supervision, budgets, family relations, and compliance, and meaningful exposure to early childhood or pre-K programs
In either path, candidates must demonstrate:
- Success leading a sizable team of educators and administrators, including the development of Directors, assistant principals, or other managers rather than direct supervision of teachers alone
- Hands-on experience with enrollment or student recruitment, staffing and labor management, budgeting, licensing or accreditation compliance, family satisfaction, and employee retention
- A working command of the financial and operational drivers of a tuition-based school or childcare business
Licensing & Certifications (Required)
- Ability to meet all Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) Child Care Services requirements for a center director, including OKDHS background checks and fingerprinting
- Oklahoma Director's Credential (ODC) through the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry/CECPD, or the ability to obtain it within an agreed timeframe after hire
- Current Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification, or the ability to obtain within 30 days of hire
- Completion of OKDHS-required orientation and annual professional development hours
Preferred
- Oklahoma Director's Credential at the Silver, Gold, or Platinum level, or an equivalent director credential from another state
- National Administrator Credential (NAC), Director's Advanced Training (DAT), or comparable administration/management credential
- Child Development Associate (CDA) or Certified Child Care Professional (CCP) credential
- Oklahoma school administrator certification (for candidates from the K-12 path)
- Experience with The Goddard School or another premium early childhood education organization
- Multi-site, regional, or area leadership experience
- A documented record of enrollment growth or a successful school or center turnaround
- Familiarity with Oklahoma's Reaching for the Stars quality rating program or NAEYC accreditation
- Established relationships within the Oklahoma City education, medical, or business community
*Candidates whose backgrounds are strong but do not align with every criterion above are encouraged to apply.
Leadership Profile
- Warm, approachable, and visible; known and trusted by faculty and families alike
- Invested in people and unwavering on standards; able to hold a difficult conversation with respect and follow it through
- Attentive to patterns; addresses root causes rather than symptoms
- Brings solutions and recommendations, not only problems
- Organized, decisive, and comfortable owning outcomes
- Fluent in the numbers and disciplined about using them to make decisions
- Willing to step into the classroom or front office when the school needs it, and committed to building an organization that needs it less often
- Ready for greater responsibility and broader authority than a traditional Director role provides
Why This Role
-
Meaningful autonomy. Lead the school's operations and growth with the latitude to make decisions and the accountability that comes with them.
-
Direct partnership with ownership. No regional reporting layers; you will work directly with owners who value candor, initiative, and sound judgment.
-
Visible impact. In a single-school setting, your leadership shows quickly in the culture, the team, the families, and the results.
-
Timing. The school is young, growing, and well regarded. The systems and culture established now will define how it operates for years.
-
Room to grow. As the school reaches full enrollment and operates with greater consistency, the scope of this role expands with it.
- State-of-the-Art facilities
- Community outreach opportunities
- Affiliation with leaders in the early childhood education industry
Compensation & Benefits
- Base salary of $70,000–$85,000, commensurate with education, credentials, and experience
- Annual performance bonus potential tied to a balanced set of school metrics, including enrollment and capacity utilization, faculty retention, family satisfaction, labor efficiency, and licensing and quality standards
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Paid time off
- Employer-supported professional development, including credential and training costs required for the role
Physical Requirements
Consistent with Goddard Systems standards and Oklahoma licensing, the Executive Director must be able to hear a conversational voice, see and read standard print, speak and be understood under normal circumstances, and move freely throughout the building, including the ability to assist with evacuation during an emergency, with or without reasonable accommodation.
To Apply
If you have led a childcare organization, a region, or a school with distinction and are ready to operate at a higher level of responsibility, we welcome your application. Please submit a résumé and a brief statement describing how you have developed leaders, improved operations, and grown enrollment, and what you would prioritize in your first year here.
In The Goddard School®'s unique and flexible learning environment, child development is about more than just reaching milestones. It’s about turning everyday encounters into teachable moments, allowing children’s interests to influence their learning experiences through a balance of academic, mental, physical, and social-emotional growth.
The Goddard School of Oklahoma City – Gaillardia is independently owned and operated by a Goddard Franchisor LLC franchisee and is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of all OKDHS background check requirements.
