Director – Gorton Children’s Learning Center

About Gorton Center

The gathering place in the heart of our community where people connect, converse, learn, listen, play & perform.

Housed in a landmark building in the heart of the North Shore of Chicago, Gorton Center, a 50-year-old multi-use cultural center at 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest , IL 60045, is a vibrant, viable and vital hub of activity, serving as “the community’s house” for residents of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and the surrounding region.

Gorton provides valuable programs for creative-minded people at every stage of their lives. Gorton Center offers unique arts and educational programs for diverse ages and interests, including performing arts, educational and cultural classes and programs for adults and children, camps and workshops, and special events.

Gorton houses a Children’s Learning Center, a DCFS licensed daycare for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age. It has a long and storied history in the community, starting as a drop-in center, it has evolved to provide regular all-day care for about ⅔ of the families that use the center. It operates currently on a school-year schedule, and offers a camp-like curriculum in the summertime. The center employs 9 teachers and one part-time administrator in addition to the director. 

The program provides flexible early childhood care, education, and activities. The center is housed at Gorton within 2,100 square feet of brightly colored childcare space spread over three classrooms, and a private, updated playground. Our classrooms are divided by age, infants to 24 months, 2 years to young 3-year-olds, and older 3-year-olds through 5-year-olds. The center uses the Learning Beyond Paper social constructivist curriculum and strives to meet the child where they are and take them where they need to go next. The center communicates with parents through the Bloomz app.

The new Director will join an organization with a dynamic Executive Director, stable financial situation, long standing community support, a supportive Board, and a strong staff with deep experience. Staff and Board share a strong sense of purpose and engagement in the future of Gorton and the possibilities ahead. This position is onsite at Gorton.

Summary

Gorton Center is seeking an energetic, experienced and team-centered Director for the Children’s Learning Center. This is a key position at Gorton, leading the teaching team and all operations at the Children’s Learning Center.

Job Type

This position is full-time exempt M-F 8-5, with some evening and weekend work based on building activity.

Job Requirements:

• Illinois DCFS Director Qualified
• Working knowledge of DCFS daycare center requirements. Certification in food service and sanitation is a plus. Licenses, certificates and specialized training as required by Illinois State law and/or regulatory agencies
• Must be physically able to handle responsibilities in the classroom, such as picking up children and going outside.

Job Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or related field
• Early Childhood Programming experience
• 3 years supervisory experience of two or more associates in a licensed childcare center
• 3 years management experience in the early childhood field including responsibilities for managing tuition, expenses and growing a customer base

Job Responsibilities:

• Directing the day to day administration including management of the budget, staff, curriculum, materials and communication with the families and Gorton Center staff
• Managing the scheduling and database
• Welcome new prospective families 
• When needed, classroom operations including teaching and classroom supervision
• Compliance with DCFS regulations
• Increasing Center enrollment and usage

Compensation and benefits: 

• $60,000 annual salary, subsidized health insurance, paid time off, onsite childcare, 401K program, staff pricing for Gorton classes and events, onsite parking

How to apply:
Please email the cover letter/resume to jobs@nullgortoncenter.org.  No phone calls, please.