Early Childhood Education Recruitment Specialist in Chicago, Illinois at Village Voyager LLC DBA Kido International Preschool

At Kido, we believe great schools begin with great people. Guided by our values of Listen, Learn, and Lead, our People Team is dedicated to creating an engaging, supportive, and inclusive workplace where employees can thrive personally and professionally. We're looking for a Recruitment Specialist who is passionate about early childhood education and experienced in identifying, hiring, and supporting exceptional talent.

Ready to make a real impact? Apply now. we’d love to meet you.

Kido is seeking an experienced Recruitment Specialist to lead full-cycle recruiting, hiring, and onboarding for our growing network of early childhood education centers. This role is ideal for a former Child Care Center Director who understands the unique challenges of recruiting and hiring teachers, assistant teachers, administrators, and school leaders.

This position works primarily onsite at one of our Chicago-area schools and partners closely with Center Directors and school leadership to build strong teams across multiple locations. Periodic travel to our schools in Houston and Austin, Texas is required to support recruiting initiatives, hiring events, and operational needs.

Required Experience – Please Read Before Applying

To be considered for this role, candidates MUST:

• Have served as a Center Director in a licensed preschool program in the state of Illinois for a minimum of five (5) years
• Must be Director Qualified per state of IL 407 guidelines

Candidates who do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

As the Recruitment Specialist, you will manage the full recruitment lifecycle for early childhood education positions, including:

• Manage full-cycle recruiting for teachers, assistant teachers, Center Directors, administrators, and support staff.
• Source candidates using Indeed, job boards, referrals, social media, networking events, colleges, and community partnerships.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of qualified early childhood education professionals.
• Screen resumes, conduct phone interviews, and coordinate interviews with hiring managers.
• Attend career fairs, recruiting events, and community hiring events.
• Develop recruiting strategies to attract high-quality child care professionals.

• Prepare and send offer letters.
• Guide candidates through the hiring process.
• Complete onboarding in Rippling.
• Collect employment documentation and I-9 paperwork.
• Process fingerprinting, background checks, and employment clearances.
• Coordinate start dates with Center Directors.
• Set up employee accounts and system access.
• Coordinate laptop distribution for administrative hires.
• Ensure every new employee has a positive onboarding experience.

• Partner with Center Directors and school leadership on staffing needs.
• Travel to schools in Houston and Austin as needed to support recruiting, onboarding, and operational initiatives.
• Track recruiting metrics and hiring progress.
• Maintain compliance with company policies and state licensing requirements.
• Support additional People Team initiatives as needed.

• Will occasionally asked to support with DQ coverage at schools

• Minimum five (5) years of experience serving as a Center Director in the state of Illinois (required).
• Bilingual in English and Spanish (Preferred)
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Education, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum two years of recruiting, talent acquisition, or related HR experience.
• Strong understanding of early childhood education operations.
• Knowledge of teacher development programs, including CDA credentials.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience using HRIS systems (Rippling experience is a plus).

Applicants must be able to:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Hear conversational speech with or without accommodation.
• Read printed materials with or without corrective lenses.
• Speak clearly and effectively.
• Lift and carry children or other items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Use arms, hands, legs, and feet to safely perform job duties, including emergency evacuations.
• Push, pull, bend, reach overhead, and move throughout the school environment.
• Respond quickly and effectively during emergency or crisis situations involving children.

As part of our commitment to safeguarding children, all offers of employment are contingent upon successfully completing an enhanced fingerprint-based background check and all required pre-employment clearances.

At Kido, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by helping recruit the talented educators and leaders who shape children's futures every day. If you're passionate about early childhood education and have the leadership experience we're looking for, we'd love to hear from you.

Discover more About Kïdo by visiting our website at : https://kidoschools.com/us/

As part of our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in our care, the successful candidate is expected to undergo an enhanced fingerprint-based background check. Kido is an equal opportunity employer.