Head of People & Culture at CLEVERBEE ACADEMY LLC – Akron, Ohio

Clever Bee Academy is a fast-growing early childhood education organization dedicated to providing high-quality care, strong family partnerships, and a supportive workplace for our educators. As we pursue our 2026 growth goal of expanding enrollment from 1,000 to 1,500 children, we are investing in the foundation that matters most: our people.

We are seeking a Head of People & Culture who will lead our people strategy, strengthen our teams, and help create a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to do their best work every day.

The Head of People & Culture is a senior leadership role responsible for driving employee engagement, recruitment, retention, leadership development, and workplace culture across all Clever Bee centers. This leader will work closely with Center Directors, District Managers, and the Executive Team to ensure our people systems support the stability, quality, and scalability of our operations.

This role requires someone who is both strategic and hands-on. You’ll define organizational challenges, build solutions, influence leaders, and guide the organization through rapid growth and cultural transformation.

• Lead the design and execution of Clever Bee’s people strategy.

• Champion a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture across all centers.

• Promote Clever Bee’s mission, values, and commitment to high-quality care.

• Partner with HR and Operations to drive full-cycle recruitment.

• Improve hiring flow, decrease time-to-fill, and maintain staffing stability.

• Reduce new-hire turnover and support long-term retention strategies.

• Oversee employee engagement initiatives, including surveys, Top 3 / Bottom 3 action planning, and monthly culture rhythms.

• Coach Directors and District Managers on workplace climate, communication, and recognition.

• Build and track engagement KPIs.

• Strengthen onboarding and training systems to ensure consistency across centers.

• Support ongoing development for teachers, leaders, and new Center Directors.

• Identify skill gaps and create targeted development plans.

• Partner with HR to ensure compliance with labor laws, licensing requirements, and childcare staffing standards.

• Support corrective action processes and guide leaders through difficult conversations.

• Use data to drive people-centered decisions that help stabilize classrooms and support enrollment growth.

• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience (multi-site or multi-unit strongly preferred)

• Experience in childcare, education, healthcare, or service-based industries a major plus

• Strong background in culture-building, employee engagement, and leadership development

• Proven experience improving retention and stabilizing teams

• Exceptional communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills

• Ability to lead through change, influence at all levels, and implement new systems

• A genuine passion for children, families, and creating a supportive workplace for educators