Early Childhood Education Manager

World Relief • Carol Stream, IL

3d • $28 - $32 • Hybrid

About The Position

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for 80 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to build a world where families thrive and communities flourish.

Today, organizational programming focuses on humanitarian and disaster response, community strengthening and resilience, and refugee & immigrant services and advocacy.

POSITION SUMMARY:
World Relief Chicagoland’s Adult Education program serves adult English learners at all stages of their language learning journey. During in-person classes in Lombard, parents are invited to bring their young children to participate in Early Childhood Learning programming centered on family literacy and kindergarten readiness. The Early Childhood Education Manager is both the lead classroom instructor and the manager of the Early Childhood Learning team, including an Assistant Instructor, volunteers, and practicum students. This position ensures high quality instruction aligned to Illinois State Readiness Measures while maintaining a culturally responsive, trauma-informed, nurturing, and language-rich environment for children ages 0–5. In addition to instructional leadership, this role is responsible for program data tracking, reporting, and documentation to support grant funding and measure progress in child development and family literacy outcomes. This position plays a key role in connecting staff and volunteers with immigrant and refugee families, ensuring a welcoming environment and holistic family support.
Hybrid schedule: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8AM-1PM at the LIFT Center in Lombard, one day a week in Carol Stream at the WR Office, and the rest work from home.

Requirements

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Association of Evangelicals' For the Health of The Nation document
• Heart for serving immigrant and refugee families and empowering local churches.
• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Family Studies & Human Development, or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience, preferably in early childhood instruction and/or program coordination.
• Reliable transportation to commute between educational and office locations.
• Valid Driver's License
• Passion for inclusive, culturally responsive early childhood learning environments.

Nice To Haves

• Bi-lingual strongly preferred. Fluency in other languages is a plus.
• Prior experience in early childhood education, including leadership or supervisory experience.
• Strong interpersonal, cross-cultural, and communication skills.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills.
• Experience working with volunteers or student practicum programs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort with data tracking systems.
• Adaptable, flexible, and capable of working independently.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead instructor, preparing and delivering multi-level daily lesson plans using the WR Early Childhood Curriculum.
• Ensure classroom instruction aligns with Illinois State Readiness Measures across developmental domains.
• Integrate fine and gross motor activities into a language rich, play based learning environment.
• Foster children’s social emotional learning, English language development, and age-appropriate play skills.
• Model best practices in early childhood education for the Assistant Instructor, volunteers, and practicum students.
• Observe and guide instructional staff in appropriate use of educational materials and classroom strategies.
• Supervise the Assistant Instructor, providing coaching, task delegation, performance feedback, and ongoing professional support.
• Oversee, train, and schedule volunteers and practicum students; ensure adequate daily staffing levels.
• Grade and evaluate practicum students on classroom work and assigned projects.
• Coordinate coverage when volunteers are absent and communicate staffing needs to the Adult Education Site Coordinator.
• Cultivate a positive, collaborative team environment that supports cultural humility and learner centered practices.
• Build trusting relationships with parents, providing updates about child progress and reinforcing family literacy goals.
• Engage parents in conversations about child development, safety, nutrition, and hygiene.
• Support immigrant and refugee families in navigating early childhood expectations in the U.S. education system.
• Serve as a liaison between the Early Childhood Program and Adult Education staff to ensure whole family support.
• Track and record key program metrics, including: Child attendance, Developmental progress indicators, Family literacy benchmarks, Volunteer hours and staffing patterns
• Maintain accurate, timely reporting required for grant compliance and program quality monitoring.
• Support evaluation processes, including assessments, documentation, and progress summaries.
• Collaborate with program leadership on continuous improvement, data analysis, and reporting needs.
• Ensure the classroom meets high standards for safety, organization, and cleanliness.
• Oversee snack preparation, serving, and cleanup with attention to developmental and health needs.
• Model safe classroom practices and instruct children and families on safety and hygiene routines.
• Maintain appropriate storage and setup of learning materials.
• Foster positive working relationships with Early Childhood staff, Adult Education team members, and broader World Relief Chicagoland staff.
• Report working hours and child attendance accurately and promptly.
• Direct concerns regarding children or families to the Director of Children & Youth and the Director of Adult Education.
• Demonstrate flexibility, patience, and a collaborative spirit when working with children, families, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Attend staff meetings, trainings, and cross departmental collaboration opportunities.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Career Education & Learning Innovation Senior Manager.

Benefits

• World Relief offers a competitive benefits package and employee discount program for full-time, Regular, employees.
• World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees