"FT Faculty - Child Development Lead Faculty"

FT Faculty - Child Development Lead Faculty

Company: Jessup University

Job Location:

Category: Teacher Education - Early Childhood

Type: Full-Time

MAJOR PURPOSE

This full-time, tenure-track faculty position serves as a key leadership role in the Child Development program. The Lead Faculty will provide instructional, programmatic, and professional expertise to prepare early childhood educators and leaders through a Christ-centered lens.

This position supports two key academic programs:

• The Child Development degree, which maps the requirements for Early Childhood Education (ECE) certification up to the Director level in California.
• The PK–3 California Teaching Credential, pending program approval and authorization.

Guided by our faith, Jessup University is committed to fostering a community that reflects the beauty and diversity of God’s creation. Embracing the principle of Unity in Diversity, we seek to ensure that our students and employees embody this calling. We invite individuals to join us in advancing a workforce and learning environment shaped by excellence, inclusivity, and faithfulness.

This position is 100% on campus during the academic year, with remote options available with supervisor approval. The position is required to attend on-campus meetings, events, commencement ceremonies, etc. which may require occasional nights and weekends.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Program Leadership and Strategic Oversight

• Provides academic, operational, and spiritual leadership for the Child Development degree program, setting goals for enrollment, student success, and field alignment.
• Serves as the primary point of contact and advocate for the Child Development program both internally and externally.

Curriculum and Educational Effectiveness

• Designs and manages Child Development curriculum, ensuring alignment with California Early Childhood Education standards, CCTC requirements, and WSCUC accreditation expectations.
• Ensures programmatic alignment with the PK-3 California Teaching Credential and ECE certification through the Director level.
• Leads program assessment, course mapping, and student learning outcome evaluation to support ongoing development.
• Integrates faith-informed pedagogy and biblical worldview into curriculum and student learning experiences.

Faculty Leadership and Development

• Recruits, onboards, mentors, and supervises adjunct faculty teaching in the Child Development program, ensuring instructional excellence.
• Facilitates regular faculty collaboration to foster shared learning, innovation in teaching, and a strong program identity.

Teaching and Advising

• Teaches up to 24 workload units per academic year (or equivalent), including online, hybrid, and face-to-face modalities.
• Provides academic advisement and mentorship to Child Development students, ensuring timely progression, professional preparation, and spiritual formation.
• Supports student field placement efforts by cultivating preschool and early education partnerships and identifying qualified mentor sites.

Collaboration and Engagement

• Collaborates with the Dean, SOE faculty, and university offices on scheduling, program promotion, student recruitment, and retention strategies.
• Attends and contributes to weekly School of Education meetings, program review discussions, and institutional events (e.g., Commencement, Faculty Retreats).
• Represents the Child Development program at university-wide recruitment, orientation, and academic events as needed.

Compliance, Accreditation, and Innovation

• Maintains current knowledge of state and national trends in early childhood education, credentialing, and PK–3 alignment.
• Prepares or supports reports and materials required for accreditation, program review, and annual reporting (e.g., CCTC, WSCUC).
• Participates in faculty calibration activities (e.g., CalTPA scoring), ensuring standardization and quality in credential-related coursework.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Certifications

• An earned master’s/doctorate in Education or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution. A doctorate is preferred.
• Holds or has ECE certification (Director level preferred), holds a California teaching credential; an administrative credential is preferred.

Required Knowledge/Experience

• Preschool-3rd grades teaching/administration experience.
• Deep knowledge of developmental learning from birth through age 8 and strong familiarity with California’s Preschool and K–3 frameworks.
• Experience with California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) requirements, accreditation processes, and CalTPA performance assessment.
• Substantial experience in K–12 and/or higher education administration, with a proven record of leadership in academic program development, faculty supervision, and organizational growth.
• A record of effective teaching, scholarship, and service in education.
• Proficiency in using learning management systems (e.g., Canvas or similar) and academic technologies to support teaching and administration.

Skills/Abilities

• A strong Christian testimony and ability to integrate faith and learning in both leadership and pedagogy.
• Demonstrated success in building and sustaining partnerships with educational agencies, school districts, and community organizations.
• Familiarity with national and international trends in early childhood education and credentialing.
• Ability and willingness to work effectively with international students and diverse cultural populations, supporting inclusive and globally minded educational practices.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The employee agrees to promote the values and mission of WJU as a private Christ-centered University and live a life consistent with Biblical principles. All employees of the University are expected to firmly support without reservations the William Jessup University doctrinal statement of personal Christian faith and Community Covenant and Chapters.

Employee’s performance shall be assessed, in part, by meaningful progress in their Biblical spiritual formation role. This includes leading class devotions, leading a SFG (Spiritual Formation Group), or performing other duties consistent with Biblical spiritual formation role. The employee shall document their Biblical spiritual formation roles in partial fulfillment of the University Service requirements in their professional development and tenure evaluation processes.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The employee is regularly in a typical office environment with adequate light and moderate noise levels. No hazardous or significantly unpleasant conditions. Air-conditioned buildings; tile, concrete, and carpeted floors; adjustable workstation with ergonomic keyboard is provided.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear and frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and use hands to handle files, computers, and phones; reach with hands and arms; stoop, and kneel. Frequent and regular repetitive movements required using the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

The above statements and job description are intended to describe the nature and level of work being performed within this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and tasks. Other similar or additional duties are to be performed or assigned. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. Jessup University maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees may be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.