Infant Primary Teacher (Contract)

Patagonia; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plan

Leave of absence

Job summary

Patagonia is seeking an Infant Primary Teacher (Contract) to join our Child Development Center in Ventura, CA. The role focuses on high-quality care, developmentally appropriate curriculum, and strong collaboration with families and staff.

It is a 6‑month contract running from approximately mid‑Sept 2026 through early Apr 2027, with on‑site duties for an infant/toddler classroom. The position requires at least two years’ experience with young children, 15 ECE units (3 infant/toddler units if

Qualifications

• Two years’ experience working with young children.
• 15 ECE units; infant/toddler units if applicable.
• Criminal background check and Live Scan clearance required.
• Onsite work at Ventura, CA location required.

Responsibilities

• Primary caregiving for infants and toddlers.
• Implement age-appropriate, individualized curriculum.
• Mentor and assist with parent communications and Educa updates.
• Ensure safety and manage daily routines and meals.
• Co-create emergent curriculum with the teaching team.
• Foster relationships with families and co‑teachers.

Skills

Customer service

Teamwork

Communication

Education

AA/BA in ECE or related field

15 ECE units

3 infant/toddler units

Tools

Word

Excel

Microsoft Teams

Outlook

Job description

Role: Infant Primary Teacher (Contract) Team: Child Development Scope: Individual Contributor, P2 Reports To: Classroom Manager Years of Experience: 2+ Location: Ventura, CA (Onsite) Contract Duration: 6 months – Approximately mid‑September 2026 through early April 2027 Age Group: Infants (0‑2)

Great Pacific Child Development Center was founded in 1982 by Malinda Chouinard and Jennifer Ridgeway to provide childcare to employees of Patagonia. What the company has learned over the decades about children, childcare, and supporting working families is chronicled in the book: Family Business and in a series of videos - https://www.patagonia.com/family-business/.

Currently, Patagonia provides on‑site childcare for employees in three locations: Ventura, CA Main Campus, Ventura, CA Brooks Campus, and in Reno, NV at the Distribution Center.

Patagonia’s mission and values are put into practice every day throughout our child development centers.

A primary teacher is responsible for all aspects of teaching the children in their care and works closely with the classroom manager to ensure a high‑quality childcare environment.

Classrooms are typically structured with children from birth to two years, or two to three and a half years or three and a half years to kindergarten.

Responsibilities include physical caregiving, child development assessments, implementation of age‑appropriate, individualized curriculum, facilitating supportive relationships with children, parents, and colleagues, mentoring and assisting in parent communications such as newsletters and Educa updates.

What You’ll Do

The responsibilities of this position will include, but are not limited to the following:

Primary Caregiving

At our Child Development Centers, we understand the importance of a meaningful bond between child and caregiver. These relationships are foundational to our program, and they are an integral piece of high‑quality group care.

Classroom Management and Practices

The learning that takes place at our Child Development Centers extends beyond the four walls of the classroom. Our children are immersed in emergent curriculum and outdoor exploration that fosters curiosity, joy, and self‑expression. Co‑create and organize a stimulating and developmentally appropriate learning environment both inside and outside. Ensure visual supervision and child safety at all times. In partnership with your team, design emergent curriculum that meets the needs of the individual learning style of the children in your care. Form relationships with parents, children, and co‑teachers that are respectful of individual differences and culture, family styles and cultural/socioeconomic diversity. Assist the teaching team to ensure a structured routine that allows for scheduled meal and rest breaks for the teaching team and maintains a flexible yet consistent daily schedule and routine for the children.

Communication Skills

The staff at the Child Development Centers are responsible for building meaningful relationships with children, families, and their coworkers. We believe transparency, professionalism, and empathy are critical in sustaining these bonds. Foster a safe, inclusive environment for children, parents, and teachers. Communicate with children using developmentally appropriate language. Create an environment that embraces open communication and trust between staff to ensure a high‑quality environment for children and families. Treat each child with dignity and respect. Guide children in becoming responsible integral members of the group and community. Establish regular communication with parents about special moments that happen throughout the day, or specific issues as they occur on a day‑to‑day basis. Partner with parents to create an easy transition into the classroom. Provide Early Childhood/community resources and share information through a variety of mediums: bulletin boards, newsletters, Educa, and emails.

Physical Requirements

The educators at the Child Development Centers are responsible for the health and safety of their students as well as hands‑on caregiving. Please review the physical requirements to ensure you are qualified to perform all job duties. Observe and respond to children’s needs, emergencies and/or conflicts that might occur during the day. Kneel down to maintain eye contact at child’s level. Sit on the floor to engage with your students. Respond to a child’s first aid needs which may include cuts, bruises, and bodily fluids. Lift or move 1–35 pounds and occasionally 35+ pounds as needed.

Who You Are

Our staff at the Child Development Centers are a diverse group of educators who bring authenticity, experience, and passion to their job every day. High school graduate. Passionate about child development and supporting our company mission to save our home planet. Excellent customer service skills in person, via email, and on the phone. Comfortable with team‑based work structure; ability to demonstrate flexibility on the job. Demonstrates initiative, is conscientious and provides complete follow‑through on areas of responsibility. Expert in your classroom age‑group and best practices in early childhood. Dedicated to life‑long learning and the betterment of early childhood education.

Experience You Bring

We are seeking educators who are dedicated, life‑long learners and practitioners of early childhood best practices. Two years’ experience working with young children (At least 150 hours working/volunteering with children within the last 6 months). Fifteen (15) units in Early Childhood Education (Growth and Development, Child‑Family & Community, Administration in ECE, and two Program/Curriculum courses). If you are working in an infant classroom, you must have three (3) infant/toddler units. If you are working in a school age classroom, you must have three (3) school age units. Working knowledge of personal computers with experience in the use of such programs as Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook. Successful completion of the fingerprinting process and/or successful transfer of fingerprints from another program. It is a job requirement to have a successful criminal background check as well as clearance from either Live Scan in CA or obtaining a Sheriffs Card in NV to meet State childcare licensing requirements. If you have, or later obtain an exemption from Licensing, please know that you may still not qualify for employment as Patagonia has its own rigorous internal standards and review process given the nature of the work with children. Successful completion of the hiring packet.

Preferred Experience

Our philosophy is rooted deeply in the R.I.E. approach to caregiving, as well as the Outdoor Classroom and Anti‑Bias Education. We are deeply committed to Patagonia’s mission to save our home planet, and our practices and program are informed by these cornerstones. AA or BA in ECE or related field Understanding of Family Business, Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Learning Stories, Outdoor Classroom, Anti Bias Education, Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE), Educa, and Pyramid Model.

Hiring Range:

$27.40 - $30.00 USD Hourly

Benefits

Patagonia offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, retirement and leave of absence plans. Benefit plans may vary slightly depending on the nature of your employment.

Workplace Location Overview

This position is Onsite, requiring employees to work at our Ventura office during standard business hours.

Employee Conduct

We are a strong community of educators, staff, parents, and children. It is the responsibility of every employee to create safe, professional work environment. It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co‑workers, customers and vendors.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law. We’re in business to save our home planet, and we’re hiring. We are a company as much as we are a community and a movement, bringing people together with an unwavering sense of purpose. We hope you’ll explore the open positions listed here to find opportunities that align with your professional passions and expertise. If you don’t see any current opportunities that match what you’re looking for, please check back regularly and follow us on LinkedIn. For more immediate ways to support our mission and efforts to save our home planet, we encourage you to visit Patagonia Action Works where you can learn about opportunities to get involved with environmental organizations.