Director of Early Childhood Education Unit - Espoon kaupunki - Espoo, Finland

We are seeking a substitute Director of Early Childhood Education Unit for the unit consisting of Koivumankka Day Care Centre, Taavinkylä Children's House, and pre-primary education. Koivumankka Day Care Centre and Taavinkylä Children's House are located a few kilometers apart. Taavinkylä pre-primary education operates within the facilities of Taavinkylä School and the Children's House. Koivumankka is a five-group day care centre located in North Tapiola, which also includes a special needs group. The day care centre will move to new premises from the Koivuviita portable day care centre in the summer of 2027, providing an opportunity to participate in the establishment of a new facility. Taavinkylä Children's House operates five early childhood education groups in addition to pre-primary education. Nature pedagogy is specifically supported in pre-primary education by utilizing the location of the children's house on the edge of a quiet forest area. You will be supported by an assistant director who is fully released from group duties, with whom you can share daily management tasks and plan, evaluate, and develop pedagogical activities. In the Tapiola area, all management entities operate on an assistant director model, and we develop management work together. Your work is further supported by an administrative team: a regional manager, a specialist, and an early childhood special education coordinator. There is excellent collegial cooperation in the region. In Espoo's early childhood education, pedagogy is developed systematically and long-term through self-evaluation and group responsibility work. The focus of this academic year is on sports pedagogy and supporting language-aware pedagogy. We also emphasize pedagogical cooperation between pre-primary and primary education. We hope you are an experienced professional manager in early childhood education. You have strong experience in pedagogical leadership in various units, developing and unifying operational cultures, and developing management structures. You master modern personnel management methods and are clear, firm, yet empathetic in your interaction. Welcome to management positions in Tapiola early childhood education! We use anonymous recruitment for this application. The applicant's name, contact information, and other personally identifying information are hidden until the interview. Please describe your relevant skills and experience in the application form. We consider all applications received during the application period. We may process applications and start interviews during the application period. The selection is made after the application period ends and interviews are completed. Planned interview times for this recruitment are August 10, 2026, from 13:00 to 17:00. Workplace name and address: Koivumankka Day Care Centre Working hours: 38 h 15 min/week. The position is temporary from September 14 to July 31, 2026. The position is a civil service relationship. We offer good training opportunities and mentoring for your role as a manager. You will have access to the city's versatile support services to assist you in goal-oriented and coaching management. Eligibility requirements: Master's (early childhood education) or Bachelor's (early childhood education) degree in Education, or a suitable University of Applied Sciences degree (early childhood education), and sufficient management skills (Early Childhood Education Act 540/2018, Section 31 or eligibility according to the transitional provisions of Sections 74 and 75 of the Act). A Master's degree in Education or readiness to complete a Master's degree in Education is considered an advantage. The position requires excellent interaction skills. The selected person must present a criminal record extract as referred to in Section 6.2 of the Criminal Records Act. The Communicable Diseases Act requires the clarification of tuberculosis infection risk for those working with children under school age. We value: - management experience, at least in an assistant or deputy director role - excellent personnel and financial management skills - a positive attitude toward development - excellent communication, interaction, and cooperation skills - good substantive command of the laws and documents guiding early childhood education and the ability to lead operations accordingly - good English language skills Espoo for Pioneers - courage to innovate, skill to develop Espoo is a city of pioneers. Our employer promise - courage to innovate, skill to develop - is reflected in our daily work as smooth operations, long-term development of expertise, and smart management. Together, we build a city where the meaning of work is clear and expertise is valued. We support your professional learning and development, as well as the balancing of work and other life aspects through flexible practices. Our operations are based on openness and trust, and we treat each other with respect. We are committed to promoting equality and welcome experts of different ages, backgrounds, and languages to our work community. For questions regarding the position and application process, please contact the person providing additional information. For questions regarding special needs, please contact: keha.rekrytointi@espoo.fi. We handle inquiries confidentially. Read more: https://www.esitteemme.fi/espoonrekry/MailView/