Coordinator Early Childhood Programs

Title: Coordinator, Early Childhood Programs 

Exemption Status: Exempt

Department: Education

Reports to: Director, Early Childhood Programs 

Year-Round Full-time

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

•  2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf 

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate’s qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate’s salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual’s contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview: Serve as the assistant director of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Nature Preschool. Assist director in maintaining status of the Garden as a national leader in the early childhood environmental education field, offering developmentally appropriate programs and activities for children, teachers, caregivers, and families that are fun, enriching, and support an understanding of and appreciation for the natural world. Serve as the lead instructor in the four-day-per-week, mixed-age preschool class. Occasional evening and weekend hours are required year-round.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following: 

• Teach the four-day-per-week preschool class.
• Work with assistant teachers, volunteers, and interns.
• Manage the day-to-day activities including and not limited to accurate records of attendance, emergency information, medical release information, current email list, communication about the activities to parents, and assessment of children regularly via established method.
• Plan activities that are developmentally appropriate for your class.
• Carry out curriculum indoors and outdoors incorporating the natural world and seasonal changes.
• Prepare items to be used in the day-to-day curriculum; clean up materials at the end of the class day with the assistant teacher.
• Monitor safety and do risk assessments.
• Prepare documentation for each child during the school year for conferencing with parents.
• Take photos and upload them to the private class site for parents to view on a regular schedule as determined by the director. Add appropriate documentation including standards for the parents to better understand nature-based learning and how we meet state standards.
• Oversee the required Garden and DCFS child enrollment paperwork.
• Coordinate and prepare documents for the beginning of the school year, such as rosters and teacher orientation packets. 
• Schedule and communicate day-to-day facility needs.
• Assist with inclusion of all participants, emphasizing both individual abilities and common ground with peers. 
• Perform daily duties related to attendance or answering calls from instructors.
• Assist the director in administrative duties, including but not limited to licensing, finances, curriculum, assessments, and recruitment.
• Supervise and train Cristo Rey high school interns.
• Serve as liaison to the volunteer team: Schedule time slots, record hours, and assemble task lists. 
• Purchase classroom supplies including snack items.
• Assume the role of Director when Director is not on-site.

Qualifications 

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• BA or BS degree in Early Childhood or Elementary Education or equivalent experience.
• DCFS director qualification or the ability to attain within 1 year of hire.
• Minimum three years of experience working with preschool-age children required.
• Experience in working with children with special needs.
• Customer service experience, strength in oral and written communication, and basic computer skills.
• CPR/First Aid, membership in Gateways to Opportunity, background check, fingerprinting, and physical examination are required within 30 days of hire. Physical exam should be completed no more than 6 months prior to employment.
• A love of nature and teaching outdoors. Experience in and knowledge of informal education, science or horticulture, and outdoor and environmental education. 

Physical Demands:

Must be able to lift 40 pounds, enjoy working primarily outdoors in all weather, and be comfortable standing for long periods of time. Must be able to assume postures in low-level positions that allow physical and visual contact with children, bend to perform numerous tasks, stoop, and sit on the floor. Must be able to sustain a high level of energy and have agility to perform all activities with children (jump, dance, walk, run) for extended periods of time. Work week will include some weekends and evenings.

Why Apply? 
 Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.