Infant Lead Teacher

Vermont Hills Family Life Center — Portland, Oregon

Full-time (30–40 hours/week) · Monday–Friday, morning/day · Benefit-eligible · On-site

Pay: $21–$24/hour, depending on experience and qualifications

Reports to: Center Director

About the role

As our Infant Lead Teacher, you’ll create a safe, nurturing room where babies feel secure and cared for — leading daily routines, building trusting relationships with families, and guiding the co-teacher/assistant/substitute in your classroom. Because babies thrive on familiar faces and our rooms depend on stable staff-to-child ratios, dependable, consistent attendance is one of the most important things you bring to this role.

What you’ll do

• Plan and lead daily activities that support each baby’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth.

• Provide active, direct supervision of your assigned infants at all times.

• Handle daily care — feeding, bottle prep, diapering, and safe sleep — per our policies and state standards.

• Keep the room safe, clean, and welcoming.

• Communicate openly with families and lead conferences as directed.

• Supervise and support aides.

• Maintain accurate attendance, incident, and developmental records.

• Follow Oregon licensing rules and center policies, and complete required trainings and meetings.

Benefits

Medical, vision, and dental (employee-elected); employer-provided life insurance; paid holidays; accrued vacation; Oregon paid sick leave; OregonSaves retirement; paid training days; professional development incentives.

What you need to qualify

Must be at least 18 and meet one of these pathways for the infant/toddler age group:

1. 750+ hours of qualifying teaching experience with infants/toddlers in a certified center or comparable group-care program.

2. One year or 1,500 hours of teaching experience in registered or certified family child care.

3. Step 6 on the Oregon Registry, or 9 quarter college credits in two Core Knowledge Categories (3+ in Human Growth & Development or Understanding & Guiding Behavior).

4. Associate’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Special Education, Human Development, or Child & Family Studies.

5. A recognized credential related to infant/toddler care, such as the CDA.

Background check & certifications

• Enrollment in and approval through Oregon’s Central Background Registry (CBR) is required before working with children.

• Food Handler’s card and current adult and pediatric/infant CPR, First Aid, and AED certification are required before starting work.

• Safe Sleep training must be completed before working with infants.

• Other required CCLD/DELC classes may be completed within 30 days of starting work.

Physical requirements

Able to lift up to 40 pounds; frequent bending, kneeling, sitting on the floor, standing, and moving quickly to supervise and play with infants. Primarily indoors with some outdoor supervision.