Director Early Childhood Programs and Nature Preschool Director

Title: Director, Early Childhood Programs and Nature Preschool Director

Exemption Status: Exempt

Department: Education

Reports to: Senior Director, Education 

Year-Round, Full-time 

Supervises: Early Childhood Programs Coordinator and Nature Preschool Teachers 

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

•  2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf 

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate’s qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate’s salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual’s contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview: Serve as director of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Nature Preschool. Maintain status of the Chicago Botanic Garden as a national leader in the early childhood environmental education field, offering developmentally appropriate programs and activities for children, teachers, caregivers, and families that are fun, enriching, and support an understanding and appreciation for the natural world. Occasional evening and weekend hours are required year-round.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following: 

• Operate the successful Nature Preschool at the Chicago Botanic Garden that exemplifies best practices and propels us to serve as a national leader in the nature and museum preschool field. Serve as director and manage all aspects of the Nature Preschool. 
• Curriculum & Classroom Management: Develop developmentally appropriate, nature-based preschool lesson plans and curriculum, schedule, and pricing structure for 100 three- to five-year-old preschoolers enrolled in seven classrooms. Identify and source program and classroom materials. Implement nature-based lesson plans. Maintain organization of classroom and student records.
• Assessment & Evaluation: Regularly document, evaluate, and assess development of students and quality of program.
• Family Communication: Communicate regularly with parents/caregivers. Collaborate with parents/caregivers and teachers, ensuring that children in the program needing additional supports receive them and that communication about such supports is documented.
• Marketing & Recruitment: Create a marketing plan in collaboration with communications department to welcome and engage prospective families with the preschool. Actively work to maintain enrollment and retention rates. 
• Supervision: Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate a cohesive team of early childhood professionals, including program coordinator/assistant preschool director, seven lead teaching positions, seven assistant teaching positions, eight high school interns, and 18 volunteers. Ensure that staff maintain their continuing education through professional development.
• Partnerships: Maintain partnerships with TrueNorth Educational Cooperative, Rush University, Midwestern University, and Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep. Ensure collaborative planning and training between Nature Preschool and partners.
• Licensing: Research, implement, and comply with DCFS licensing regulations, including relicensing every three years. 
• Serve as department expert and advisor on early childhood and support other early childhood programs beyond Nature Preschool including Camp CBG, Family Drop-in Programs, and Teacher Professional Development. Serve in a leadership capacity in the continued development of the early childhood strategic and business plan, focusing particularly on the growth of Nature Preschool programming on- and off-site.
• Oversee administrative responsibilities related to this position. Manage student records using CampDocs system. Prepare annual budgets, operating plans, and donor reports. Maintain and track financial records. 
• Participate in local, regional, and national early childhood, environmental, and hands-on educator’s groups. Travel, as needed, to regional and national conferences for professional development and presentations.
• Assist with other projects and duties as assigned, particularly with other Youth Programs.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• M.A. or M.S. degree in early childhood or elementary education or equivalent experience required. DCFS director qualification required. Minimum five years of experience working with preschool-age children required. Three years’ administrative experience is preferred.
• Experience in curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation of programs.
• Experience working with children with special needs and ability to identify additional resources and supports for those children.
• In-depth knowledge of licensing standards and requirements. 
• Experience hiring, training, supervising, and leading staff.
• Confidence and comfort in marketing early childhood programs and recruiting new families and students. 
• A love of nature and teaching outdoors. Experience in and knowledge of informal education, science or horticulture, and outdoor and environmental education. 

Physical Demands:

Must be able to lift 40 pounds, enjoy working primarily outdoors in all weather, and be comfortable standing for long periods of time. Must be able to assume postures in low-level positions that allow physical and visual contact with children, bend to perform numerous tasks, stoop, and sit on the floor. Must be able to sustain a high level of energy and have agility to perform all activities with children (jump, dance, walk, run) for extended periods of time. Workweek will include some weekends and evenings.

Why Apply? 
 Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified. In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.