St. Carlo Acutis Catholic Early Learning Center

The Diocese of Bridgeport seeks a visionary, mission-driven leader to serve as the founding Executive Director of the St. Carlo Acutis Catholic Early Learning Center, an innovative new initiative designed to transform Catholic early childhood education across the Diocese. Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport are Christ-centered communities that form students spiritually, intellectually, and morally while preparing them to live as missionary disciples in service to the Church and the world. Guided by the belief that every child is uniquely created in the image and likeness of God, the Diocese is committed to providing educational experiences that nurture the God-given gifts of every learner while strengthening families and parish communities.

This is a rare opportunity to build something extraordinary from the ground up. Serving children ages 2–5, the St. Carlo Acutis Catholic Early Learning Center will combine academic excellence, whole-child development, and deep Catholic formation within a scalable model designed to serve families throughout Fairfield County and beyond. The Executive Director will lead the development, launch, and long-term expansion of this initiative, establishing a model that can be replicated across multiple parish communities and serve as a gateway for young families into Catholic education.

The St. Carlo Acutis Catholic Early Learning Center represents a bold investment in the future of Catholic education.

This initiative is designed to:

• Provide a strategic entry point for young families into Catholic education
• Deliver exceptional early childhood programming rooted in Catholic identity
• Integrate early literacy, child development, and faith formation
• Create a sustainable and scalable model for future diocesan expansion
• Strengthen parish communities through family engagement and evangelization

About the Executive Director Opportunity

The Executive Director will serve as the chief executive responsible for transforming this vision into reality. Reporting to the Board of Directors and working closely with diocesan leadership, pastors, and community stakeholders, the Executive Director will provide visionary leadership for the mission, operations, and growth of the St. Carlo Acutis Catholic Early Learning Center.

Key areas of impact:

• Catholic Mission & Culture: Serve as the steward of the Center's Catholic identity, ensuring faith formation, prayer, and Gospel values are integrated throughout every aspect of the program.
• Academic & Program Leadership: Lead the development and implementation of an exceptional early childhood model that promotes school readiness, child development, and whole-child formation.
• Operations & Team Leadership: Oversee day-to-day operations, including staffing, compliance, facilities, safety, and organizational effectiveness.
• Enrollment & Financial Stewardship: Guide enrollment growth, budgeting, marketing, and long-term sustainability while ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.
• Strategic Growth & Community Engagement: Serve as the chief ambassador for the initiative, building strong relationships with families, pastors, donors, and diocesan leaders while developing a scalable model for future expansion.

The successful candidate will be:

• A practicing Catholic in good standing with a deep commitment to the mission of the Church
• An inspiring and entrepreneurial leader who thrives in a start-up environment
• Passionate about early childhood education and child development
• Skilled in organizational leadership, team building, and strategic planning
• An excellent communicator who builds trust and inspires others
• Comfortable operating within a collaborative diocesan structure

To apply, please submit the following materials in a single PDF attachment. Name the file attachment using the following template: LAST NAME, SCA Learning Center, ED  

• Cover letter that aligns your experiences and skills with the diocese’s current needs as you understand them.
• Current resume with all appropriate dates included.
• Statement of Catholic educational leadership philosophy.
• List of five references with names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. (No references will be contacted without your knowledge and approval.)