Administrative and Early Childhood Assistant

Bowdoin College; Portland (OR); On-site; Full time

Job summary

A leading college is seeking an Administrative and Early Childhood Assistant to support their Children’s Center. This role involves both administrative duties and direct engagement with children. Ideal candidates will have a background in early childhood education and strong organizational skills. The position offers a collaborative work environment, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits, including health insurance and a sign-on bonus.

Benefits

Health, vision, and dental insurance

Life insurance and disability coverage

$1,000 employee referral bonus

Retirement plan with 10.12% contribution

Accrual of vacation days and paid holidays

Access to college facilities

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years relevant experience in administrative and childcare roles.
• CPR/First Aid certification or willingness to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Provide office support and assist in educator capacity across programs.
• Manage scheduling, supplies, and support seasonal work.

Skills

Communication

Early Childhood Education

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education

Master’s degree

Tools

MS Office

DocuSign

Job description

Administrative and Early Childhood Assistant

Join to apply for the Administrative and Early Childhood Assistant role at Bowdoin College.

The Bowdoin College Children’s Center offers a dynamic opportunity to work in a college campus center with staff who provide care to children in a professional atmosphere. The climate at the Children’s Center promotes calm, organized, and engaged work with children and each other. Our teams work collaboratively, meeting weekly to discuss practices, concerns, and curriculum planning.

Our practices are driven by training on addressing children’s emotional needs to foster learning and growth through attachment and secure relationships. Our nature-based programs emphasize generous amounts of uninterrupted outside time for children to play, explore, and experiment. All work is conducted in a NAEYC-accredited center actively engaged in anti-bias and anti-racist work, supported by consultants and ongoing professional development trainings.

The Administrative and Educator Float offers a dual role: serving as the main point for all office support needs and assisting in an educator capacity across the Children’s Center’s infant, toddler, and preschool programs.

Administrative responsibilities include:

• Providing daily support with scheduling staff, ordering supplies, storing materials, filing, and expense reporting.
• Supporting seasonal work such as enrollment, contract management, annual file updates, and planning for professional development events.
• Attending team meetings, online courses, readings, and workshops to deepen practice understanding.
• Managing work orders, facility needs, and answering inquiries from students and consultants.
• Performing other duties as assigned to support the Center’s operations.

Educator responsibilities include:

• Assisting in programs for at least 20 hours per week.
• Partnering with co-leads to support parents and assist children with toileting, toothbrushing, dressing, and eating.
• Preparing food and managing storage and ordering of supplies.
• Supervising children and recording daily routines and observations.

Compensation:

• The pay rate is $26.50 per hour, with potential for supplemental income from DHHS.
• New employees receive a $1,000 sign-on bonus ($250 at first paycheck, $750 after 90 days, contingent on eligibility).

Benefits include:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance effective from the start date.
• Life insurance and disability coverage.
• $1,000 employee referral bonus.
• Retirement plan with a 10.12% contribution after one year of service.
• Accrual of vacation days, personal/sick days, paid holidays, and parental leave after one year.
• Access to college facilities, including gym and pool, and free wellness classes.
• More details at https://www.bowdoin.edu/hr/benefits-perks/index.

Educational requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Proficiency in MS Office, DocuSign, and familiarity with video conferencing platforms.
• Excellent communication skills and a commitment to early childhood education.

Experience requirements:

• Minimum of 4 years relevant experience, including administrative work and/or working with children aged birth to 8 years.
• Experience in an accredited childcare program preferred.
• CPR/First Aid certification or willingness to obtain within one month of employment.

Work schedule:

• Full-time, onsite, 40 hours/week, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.