Position Title: General Manager – Child Care
Reports To: Chief Operating Officer
Pay Grid: $33-$37/hour
Department: Child Care
Hours: 40 hours/week
Our Culture: YMCA of Southern Alberta strives to integrate our commitment to diversity and social
inclusion in all that we do. We believe that strong leadership is created through the sharing
of diverse experiences and perspectives. We actively seek candidates who embody these
principles and who reflect the many dimensions of the communities we serve. We are a
charitable organization that provides health and fitness opportunities, employment services,
licensed childcare, and various community programs in Medicine Hat, Redcliff, and Brooks.
When you work at the YMCA, you’ll play an important part in building strong, thriving
communities while positively impacting people’s lives. Join our team at the Y, a place where
everyone belongs — including you!
Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. In the Y, we strive to live our
cause of strengthening communities with purpose and intentionality every day,
demonstrating our values in action.
We do the right thing.
We are caring, respectful, honest, and responsible in all that we do.
We put people first.
We believe in each other – honouring our strengths, diversity, perspectives, and passions.
We do what we say we will do.
We lead by example.
We are courageous, speaking with conviction and always willing to listen and collaborate.
What qualifications are we looking for? At the YMCA of Southern Alberta, we strive to ensure our employees are a good fit
based on their strengths, interests, and future goals.
The successful candidate will have the following:
Education/Certifications/Credentials/Professional Registration
Child Development Certificate – Level 3 (or ability to obtain with current credentials)
Evidence of a explicit Police Information Check (with Vulnerable Sector Search if applicable), within the last six months
Must have a valid driver’s license with a class 07 automobile insurance coverage business use (or pleasure with occasional business use) and a minimum of $2,000,000 in liability coverage if required
Experience
Minimum 7 years progressive leadership experience in licensed Child Care, Early Learning, Education, or Human Services environments.
Minimum 3 years experience leading managers and multi-site operations.
Demonstrated experience managing budgets, operational plans, and performance outcomes.
Experience interpreting and applying provincial legislation, licensing requirements, and funding agreements.
Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams.
What does this role look like at the YMCA of Southern Alberta? Reporting to the COO, the General Manager, Childcare is responsible for oversight of the YMCA of Southern Alberta’s early years and out-of-school care licensed childcare programs.
The responsibilities and duties of this role will include but are not limited to:
Customer Service
Proactively build relationships with caregivers, modelling this behaviour for all Educators
Provide regular communication updates to caregivers, ensuring they have all the information required. This includes ensuring Educators are effectively using the Weemarkables app.
Ensure parent engagement is prioritized and opportunities are available for caregivers to
Actively seek feedback from caregivers re: concerns or areas for improvement
Address program complaints and concerns
Maintain high service standards and satisfaction ratings that are reflected in the achievement of annual program growth and retention targets Monitor parent satisfaction, retention, and occupancy trends, implementing strategies to improve outcomes.
Collaborate with program leaders to identify opportunities to enhance the family experience and strengthen community engagement.
Analyze parent feedback and program data to drive continuous improvement initiatives.
YMCA Values
Demonstrate and promote a personal understanding of and appreciation for the mission, vision, and values of the YMCA and its programs and services
Demonstrates appropriate behaviours in line with our Mission, Vision and Values as reflected in our YMCA competencies; takes a member focused approach to increase their understanding of programs offered across the Association.
Teamwork
Represent the YMCA of Southern Alberta on any applicable local committees or groups related to childcare
Provide supervision, training, mentoring,



and support to the Before & After School Care Program leadership team, ensuring a positive workplace culture
Step into ratio from time-to-time to cover unexpected absences that cannot otherwise be
Have a visible and engaged presence at all Child Care and Before and After School Care facilities
Celebrate successes and foster an atmosphere of success in all Child Care and Before and
Effectively lead the childcare team, contributing to its overall success by:
Promoting the YMCA’s annual Y Connect Campaign
Promoting and/or attending YMCA events
Contributing to a positive and healthy workplace culture
Other duties to assist the team, as assigned
Lead workforce planning initiatives to ensure programs are appropriately staffed to meet current and future operational needs.
Develop and support succession planning for key leadership positions within the department.
Foster a culture of accountability, professional growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Identify and implement opportunities for program growth, expansion, and service
Build and maintain strategic relationships with community partners, school divisions, and sector stakeholders.
Represent the YMCA in discussions with licensing authorities, funding agencies, and community organizations.
Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout all Child Care programs.
Lead and support organizational change initiatives as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Standards that Shine
Achieve all quality standards and targets established under YMCA best practices and the YMCA’s Standards that Shine
General cleaning as required around the facility
Ensuring all staff are aware of Standards that Shine, and work with them to create a culture of excellence in adherence to guidelines and expectations outlined by the Standards that Shine
Playing to Learn/Place to Connect
Achieve all quality standards and targets established under YMCA best practices and the YMCA’s Playing to Learn and Place to Connect curriculums, ensuring all program pass annual
Create an environment where Educators are supported to learn and implement YMCA
Attend all Y Canada meetings and conferences, keeping up to date with new standards
Mentor staff on Playing to Learn and Place to Connect curriculum, standards, and practices
Interpersonal/Communication Skills
Communicate effectively with coworkers, supervisors, managers, and the senior leadership team
Ensure workplace conflicts are resolved quickly, following YMCA policies and procedures
Build and maintain an effective management team, focused on customer service, community impact, and team morale
Lead, coach, and motivate the team to achieve department goals
Create a safe environment for the discussion and resolution of issues and concerns among staff and volunteers
Actively seek feedback from department managers, employees, volunteers, and parents on areas of concern or areas that could use improvement
Resolve parent, staff, and volunteer complaints and issues as efficiently and effectively as possible within 24 business hours.
Respond to all emails and phone calls within 24 business hours
Public relations as part of the senior leadership team (i.e., attending internal and external events, as required)
Attend and present at Board of Directors meetings and Annual General Meeting, as required by the COO
Quality of Work
Submit monthly and annual reports via the COO to the YMCA Board of Directors on areas of progress related to the current strategic plan, analysis of progress in achieving objectives, recommendations for modifications, etc.
Act as Avocado administrator for childcare programs, provided training to direct reports
Assist in the development of the Association’s Strategic and Operational Plans
Take the lead on the implementation of the Operational Plan for Child Care throughout the Association
Work with the Asset Manager to ensure all building maintenance issues are resolved in a timely manner
Oversee all HR activity supporting managers with recruitment, orientation/onboarding, training, communication/information sharing, workplace culture, progressive coaching, pension/perks etc.



Support managers in building their capacity in these areas.
Recruit, hire, train, coach, supervise, and manage department managers
Provide managers with support and guidance as they supervise frontline employees, holding with members, following the principles of The Y Way
Attend training and/or community events/meetings to represent the YMCA, as required by the COO
Translate strategic plan into annual operations plan with measurable metrics and outcomes
Assist with the development of the strategic plan with the SLT and Board of Directors
As part of the SLT, champion organizational initiatives to garner buy-in and engagement throughout the organization
Attend SLT meetings and have a visible and engaged presence throughout the organization
Attend all internal and external meetings as required
Assist with projects and special events as needed
Support managers in communication and marketing plans
Oversee parent fee billings and payments, including subsidy claims, ensuring they are accurate and completed on time
In conjunction with the COO developing annual budgets for all childcare programs with overall responsibility for staying within budgeted revenue and expenses
Act as Avocado administrator for childcare programs, provided training to direct reports
Develop, monitor, and manage annual operating and capital budgets for all Child Care programs.
Review monthly financial results and address budget variances through appropriate action plans.
Identify opportunities to maximize occupancy, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen financial sustainability.
Prepare operational, financial, and program performance reports for the COO and Senior Leadership Team.
Establish departmental goals, key performance indicators, and measurable outcomes aligned with the YMCA strategic plan.
Monitor progress against departmental objectives and implement corrective action where require
Compliance with Legislation and YMCA Policies and Procedure
Adherence to the following at all times:
YMCA Child Safeguarding & Protection Policy and Procedures
YMCA Operational Policies and Procedures
Public Health and Safety regulations
Occupational Health and Safety
Canadian Human Rights Code and Alberta Human Rights Act
Ensure each department follows all applicable legislation and regulations
Ensure all staff have an understanding and knowledge of current Risk Management principles and practices, Occupational Health and Safety, and Child Safeguarding & Protection requirements
Ensure each department adheres to all contract terms and achieves all required outcomes
Playing to Learn / Place to Connect curriculum
Ensure proper YMCA of Southern Alberta incident reports are completed as per policies and procedures and sent to Association Services on a monthly basis for tracking
Ensure all childcare programs remain in good standing with Licensing
Lead risk management activities for the Child Care department and ensure proactive identification and mitigation of potential risks.
Oversee investigations related to significant incidents, complaints, licensing concerns, and safety issues.
Ensure emergency preparedness, business continuity, and crisis response plans are maintained and regularly reviewed.
Monitor legislative, funding, and regulatory changes and ensure departmental compliance with evolving requirements.
Ensure compliance with all grant, funding, and contractual obligations associated with Child Care programs.
Work Environment and Physical Demands
Program and office space located on the main floor.
From time to time, interacting with children at their level, requiring the ability to:
Get up and down from the floor/ground
Assist older children to climb the stairs to get onto the change table
Play with children on outdoor playground equipment
Participate in games that may include jogging, jumping, dancing, singing, etc.
From time to time, may need to lift boxes of files weighing up to 50 lbs
Exposure to a variety of outside weather, in accordance with Government of Alberta Childcare Licensing Regulations
May be exposed to all weather conditions when walking outside to/from vehicle.
May be exposed to all weather conditions when using a vehicle for occasional business purposes (e.g., driving between programs).
The Benefits to Joining our Team:
Paid wellness days and benefits package after 3-month probationary period
Paid Birthday and Employment Anniversary Date
Free Health Plus Membership with 15% discount for family members
2 weeks paid vacation after

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📌 General Manager of Child Care (Alberta)
🏢 YMCA of Medicine Hat
📍 Alberta