Cadence Education is currently in search of a temporary (12-week role) Compliance Specialist for our VA Region. Must live in Virginia. 

The Licensing & Safety Specialist is responsible for supporting and ensuring operational compliance with all Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) licensing regulations, company policies, health and safety standards, and quality expectations across assigned schools. This role serves as a key operational partner to school leadership teams by conducting compliance monitoring, coaching leaders on licensing standards, identifying risk areas, and supporting corrective action planning to ensure safe, high-quality learning environments for children, families, and staff.

The Licensing & Safety Specialist will play a critical role in maintaining compliance readiness, promoting strong child supervision practices, supporting positive classroom environments, and ensuring schools consistently operate in alignment with both state licensing regulations and company expectations.

This is a full-time, salaried, field-based position requiring a minimum commitment of 40 hours per week onsite within assigned schools in the VA market.  Strong focus would be on the Richmond VA area. The Licensing & Safety Specialist is expected to maintain a strong in-person presence to effectively monitor compliance, support school leadership teams, conduct operational observations, and ensure licensing, safety, and quality standards are consistently upheld.

Cadence Education is one of the premier early childhood educators in the United States, operating over 340 private preschools and elementary schools across 30 states. With over 30 years in business, we have developed an unparalleled expertise in preparing students to thrive in the next step of their childhood.

At Cadence Education, our mission is to create bright futures for children, families, employees and our communities. This mission can only be accomplished through a team of passionate childcare professionals who combine their talents to provide an unparalleled level of care and compassion for children and their families. Our research-based curriculum and home-based environments are the leading edge of early education.

Our schools are staffed with individuals who are talented, fun, and genuinely enthusiastic about child development and learning. We encourage collaboration and cherish open-communication in each school and with our corporate office.  We work hard to create an outstanding work-life balance by supporting leaders and staff members every step of the way. For additional information about Cadence, please visit www.cadence-education.com.

Benefits of Working Full Time at Cadence Education:

• Competitive compensation
• Salary Range: $50,109 - $65,142
• On demand pay with UKG Wallet
• 50% childcare tuition discount
• 401(k) with employer match
• Educational and professional development
• Comprehensive benefit package for all full-time employees, including:
• Paid time off that increases with seniority
• Medical, dental, vision options available
• Additional life, disability, and retirement plans
• Tuition reimbursement
• Company-paid life insurance
• Paid holidays
• 401K
• Pet insurance
• Paid CDA 

This role will report directly to the Safety and Compliance team  with additional oversight and partnership provided by the Territory Vice President and the Regional Leadership team.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Licensing & Compliance Oversight

• Maintain strong working knowledge of all Virginia child care licensing regulations, standards, and compliance requirements for licensed child day centers.
• Conduct routine licensing and operational audits across assigned schools to ensure compliance with state regulations, company policies, and health and safety standards.
• Review and monitor staff files, child files, licensing documentation, training records, background checks, medication documentation, emergency preparedness plans, and required postings for accuracy and compliance.
• Support schools during licensing visits, investigations, corrective action plans, and follow-up monitoring.
• Identify compliance risks proactively and partner with school leadership teams to implement timely corrective action plans and sustainable operational improvements.
• Ensure schools maintain compliance readiness for announced and unannounced licensing inspections.

Child Safety & Supervision

• Monitor and coach schools on active child supervision practices, ensuring children remain within sight and sound supervision as required by Virginia licensing standards.
• Conduct classroom observations focused on supervision, classroom ratios, transitions, playground monitoring, bathroom procedures, and overall child safety practices.
• Support incident investigations and ensure proper documentation, communication, and follow-up procedures are completed thoroughly and timely.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and risk prevention throughout all assigned schools.
• Ensure compliance with emergency preparedness procedures, evacuation plans, playground safety, sanitation standards, and overall health and safety requirements.

Operational Quality & Coaching

• Partner with school leadership teams to strengthen operational execution, classroom quality, cleanliness standards, organization, and overall school presentation.
• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders and staff regarding licensing expectations, operational best practices, and quality improvement opportunities.
• Support onboarding and training of new leaders and staff related to licensing, supervision, compliance, and operational standards.
• Ensure classrooms and common areas maintain clean, organized, safe, and developmentally appropriate learning environments.
• Promote positive staff-child interactions and ensure practices align with company expectations and developmentally appropriate standards.

Collaboration & Communication

• Build strong relationships with licensing agencies, school leaders, regional leadership teams, and support partners.
• Communicate licensing concerns, trends, and operational risks clearly and professionally to leadership teams.
• Assist in developing and implementing compliance trainings, operational tools, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support schools with crisis management, operational concerns, and high-priority compliance matters as needed.

Position Expectations & Work Environment

• This is a full-time salaried position requiring a minimum commitment of 40 hours per week.
• The Licensing & Safety Specialist is expected to work primarily in-person and onsite within assigned schools and regions.
• Regular travel between assigned schools will be required based on operational needs, licensing priorities, and support initiatives.
• Flexibility in schedule may occasionally be necessary to support licensing visits, investigations, operational concerns, training initiatives, or urgent compliance matters.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of Virginia child care licensing regulations and operational compliance standards preferred.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of leadership experience in early childhood education, child care operations, licensing, or compliance oversight preferred.
• Strong understanding of child supervision, health and safety standards, classroom quality, and licensing documentation requirements.
• Excellent organizational, communication, coaching, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, conduct detailed audits, and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify operational and compliance risks proactively.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and operational reporting systems.
• Ability to travel regularly between assigned schools/regions.

Only full-time employees are eligible for the listed benefits.
Cadence Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer.