Mission
Rapidly improve underperforming centers by diagnosing root causes, strengthening leadership capability, reinforcing operational discipline, and building sustainable performance habits so each center can achieve company standards for quality, customer experience, compliance, and profitability within defined improvement timelines.
Role Summary
The Director of Location Excellence is a high-impact, field-based leadership role responsible for improving the performance of underperforming childcare centers across the company's portfolio. This individual serves as a hands‑on turnaround leader, coach, and trainer, embedded within centers to help diagnose challenges, stabilize operations, strengthen leadership, and improve enrollment, labor management, and financial performance. The role also builds the capability of Center Directors, Assistant Directors, and local teams so improvements are sustained after the assignment ends. The Director of Location Excellence operates with strong judgment, urgency, and a practical, supportive approach to change leadership. This position reports into Finance to reinforce a data‑driven, objective focus on center performance and profitability improvement, while working in close partnership with Operations leadership, HR, and other support functions. The role requires 80%+ travel, with assignments typically lasting 4‑12 weeks per center. The role is expected to provide clear weekly progress updates for each assigned center, including KPI movement, wins, risks, talent actions, and next‑step priorities.
Pay and Schedule
This is a full‑time, exempt position with a typical schedule of Monday through Friday with 4 days per week on site at a center and 1 day per week WFH.
The base salary range for this position is $130,000 – $150,000 annually, depending on qualifications, education, and experience. This position is also eligible for an annual performance bonus.
Key Responsibilities
- Embed on‑site in assigned centers and take ownership of or coach on performance improvement efforts.
- Complete a root cause assessment and establish initial turnaround priorities within the first 10‑14 days of each assignment.
- Coach and train Center Directors, Assistant Directors, and key staff on leadership routines, labor management, enrollment practices, staffing discipline, and accountability.
- Model high‑performing operational and leadership behaviors in‑center.
- Evaluate talent using Right Person, Right Seat principles and recommend coaching, role changes, or talent upgrades in partnership with HR and Operations.
- Reinforce consistent execution of company standards, routines, and SOPs.
- Identify barriers to enrollment, parent experience, staffing, and service delivery, then help implement stronger practices.
- Partner with Finance to improve labor management, scheduling efficiency, cost discipline, and progress toward center‑level profitability.
- Quantify the primary financial drivers of underperformance and identify the highest‑impact actions needed to improve contribution margin and operating discipline.
- Provide weekly written progress updates for each assigned center, including wins, risks, KPI movement, talent actions, and next‑step priorities.
- Prepare the center for handoff with stable leadership, clear accountability, improved operating routines, and a practical 30/60/90‑day action plan.
- Ensure center leaders can independently sustain core operating, labor, and enrollment routines prior to transition back to Operations.
Measures of Success
- Stabilization of underperforming centers within defined timelines and achievement of weekly turnaround milestones.
- Improved leadership capability and accountability at the center level, including leaders’ ability to independently execute core routines at handoff.
- Improved labor management, scheduling discipline, and cost control.
- Improved enrollment, retention, and parent experience.
- Resolution of compliance or operational breakdowns.
- A clear, actionable post‑engagement improvement roadmap with defined owners, milestones, and escalation triggers.
- Quantified progress toward company performance standards and center profitability, with no material regression following transition back to Operations.
Position Requirements
- 5–10+ years of experience in multi‑unit operations, turnaround, or field leadership roles.
- Proven track record of improving underperforming locations and delivering measurable results.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through change, assess talent, make difficult people decisions, and build strong teams.
- Strong coaching and training capability, with the ability to develop struggling or inexperienced leaders into stronger operators.
- Ability to influence without direct authority and build trust quickly in challenging environments.
- Proven success leading turnarounds while preserving team morale and strengthening culture.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguous, high‑pressure environments.
- Strong financial acumen (experience with P&L, labor, and cost management).
- Experience in childcare, education, hospitality, retail, healthcare, or similar multi‑site environments preferred.
- Strong written communication skills with the ability to synthesize findings, track KPI movement, and provide concise executive‑level weekly updates.
- Ability and willingness to travel 80%+ and temporarily relocate as needed (4‑12 weeks at a time).
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- 12 paid holidays
- PTO accrual of 160 hours
- 401(k) with 3% employer match
- Discounted childcare and waitlist priority for enrollment
- Company paid professional development
- Corporate office amenities (gym, wellness
ursing room, onsite company cafe with coffee, espresso bar, beverages, and snacks available to employees at no cost, onsite free parking), casual work environment, and employee‑focused events.
Tierra Encantada is an equal opportunity employer. Agency applications will not be considered. No immigration sponsorship is available for this position. E‑Verify is used to verify employment eligibility.
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