This is a full-time position with a 35-hour work week, Monday through Friday. The role begins in the 2025–2027 school year, with an anticipated start date of April 1, 2026.

The Associate Teacher is a full-year position that includes participation in the six-week Summer 2026 program, with summer weeks compensated separately as additional pay.

• Work as assigned by the director in the infant, toddler, twos, or preschool classrooms

• Facilitate developmentally appropriate experiences and caregiving

• Support pedagogical plan for play based learning

• Articulate developmentally based philosophy and play-based curriculum

• Support maintenance of partnership with parents via newsletters, meetings and conversations as needed

• Participate, if needed, in parent-teacher conferences

• Attend all staff development events

• BA degree in Early Childhood Education and/or Early Childhood Special Education or related discipline.

• Additional 2-5 years of experience working with young children between the age of 3 months-2 years old.

• Must meet DOI fingerprinting and all relevant clearance

Preferred Qualification

• Experience working in a Reggio-inspired or emergent curriculum environment

• Practice observing, documenting, and reflecting on children?s learning to inform curriculum planning

• Comfort using the environment as a third teacher through intentional setup of materials and spaces

• Experience co-constructing learning experiences with children and teaching teams

• Commitment to relationship-based practice with children, families, and colleagues

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training.  The above hiring range represents the University?s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

Connections working at Columbia University