Program Director & Outdoor Nature Guide

Job Description

Job Description

Program Director, Little Rangers
Nature Rangers Wilderness Programs | 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:15 AM to 12:45 PM
Additional Paid Time: 1 hour of preparation time per week, plus up to 4 hours per month for curriculum development and program design
Compensation: $27.00 per hour

About Little Rangers
Little Rangers is Nature Rangers Wilderness Programs' outdoor early childhood program, created to give young children the kind of childhood they thrive in: hands on, imaginative, active, connected, and full of discovery.

Our days happen outdoors and are designed around the way young children naturally learn best: through movement, play, sensory experiences, curiosity, relationships, and real world exploration. The goal is to support each child’s development at a natural, individual pace, while creating the conditions where they can grow into confident, curious, resilient little people.

We are looking for a Director who can bring a strong understanding of early childhood development into the heart of the Nature Rangers approach, while keeping the experience joyful, creative, playful, and unmistakably fun.

The Opportunity
Nature Rangers Wilderness Programs is seeking an exceptional Little Rangers Director to lead and continue developing our early childhood outdoor education program.

We're looking for more than someone who enjoys working with children. The right person genuinely understands children.

You know how young children's brains develop and what they need socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and creatively. You understand developmental milestones, but you also know that children don't all arrive at them in exactly the same way or on exactly the same timetable.

You know how to meet children where they are, recognize what they may be ready for next, and create experiences that gently encourage them to stretch, explore, problem solve, connect, and grow.

You are also highly creative. You can look at a trail, a pile of sticks, a patch of dirt, or a rainy morning and immediately start imagining what children could do with it.

Most importantly, you love being with young children and believe childhood should include movement, imagination, laughter, healthy challenges, connection, dirt, wonder, and a lot of time outside.

Who We're Looking For
Our ideal Little Rangers Director:
- Holds an Early Childhood Education (ECE) certification.
- Has professional experience working directly with young children.
- Holds a current CPR and First Aid certification, or is willing to complete an approved CPR and First Aid course.
- Has a strong working knowledge of early childhood development and how young children think, learn, communicate, regulate, connect, and grow.
- Genuinely enjoys working with toddlers and preschool aged children.
- Understands developmental milestones and knows how to help children work toward and beyond them in age appropriate, encouraging ways.
- Can recognize the individual needs of a child and adjust activities, communication, expectations, and support accordingly.
- Is creative, imaginative, playful, and resourceful.
- Brings original ideas for activities, games, stories, projects, sensory experiences, and outdoor adventures.
- Takes initiative and is comfortable taking ownership of a program.
- Is collaborative and excited to develop curriculum and programming alongside the Executive Director.
- Has a deep appreciation for nature, outdoor education, and experiential learning.
- Can thoughtfully adapt the established Nature Rangers philosophy and style to the developmental needs of younger children.
- Is warm, patient, energetic, observant, dependable, and emotionally attuned.
- Believes in helping children build Confidence, Curiosity, and Resilience.

Key Responsibilities
The Little Rangers Director will take a leadership role in both the daily experience of the children and the continued development of the program.

Responsibilities include:
- Lead the Little Rangers program Monday through Friday from 8:15 AM to 12:45 PM.
- Create a welcoming, joyful, developmentally appropriate outdoor environment for young children.
- Plan and facilitate engaging nature based experiences that encourage exploration, creativity, movement, communication, cooperation, and discovery.
- Observe individual children and identify opportunities to support their social, emotional, cognitive, sensory, language, and physical development.
- Adapt activities and experiences for different developmental stages, personalities, interests, and abilities.
- Help children develop independence, problem solving skills, emotional regulation, confidence, curiosity, and resilience.
- Support children as they navigate relationships, boundaries, frustration, new challenges, successes, and everyday social experiences.
- Maintain an environment where children feel physically and emotionally safe while still having opportunities to explore, experiment, take appropriate risks, and grow.
- Prepare materials and activities for upcoming sessions.
- Collaborate with the Executive Director on curriculum development, program design, and the continued evolution of Little Rangers.
- Bring forward new ideas and proactively identify opportunities to make the program stronger.
- Help ensure the Little Rangers experience consistently reflects the values and philosophy of Nature Rangers Wilderness Programs.
- Schedule & Paid Preparation Time

The Little Rangers Director works:
Monday through Friday
8:15 AM to 12:45 PM

In addition to regular program hours, the position includes:

- 1 paid preparation hour per week
- Up to 4 additional paid hours per month for curriculum development, program design, and collaboration with the Executive Director
- Compensation: $27.00 per hour

All approved preparation, curriculum development, and program design hours are paid at the regular hourly rate.

The Person Who Will Thrive Here
The strongest candidate will understand that great early childhood education often happens in moments that don't look like traditional teaching.

A child balancing across a log may be developing coordination, confidence, perseverance, and risk assessment. A disagreement over a stick may become an opportunity to practice communication and emotional regulation. A muddy puddle may turn into science, sensory exploration, storytelling, and pure joy all at once.

We want someone who sees those moments.

Someone who brings professional knowledge without losing the magic of childhood. Someone who understands developmental goals but also knows when to follow a child's curiosity. Someone who can provide structure without making childhood feel overly structured.

And someone who is genuinely excited to spend their mornings outside helping young children become more confident, curious, and resilient.

Nature Rangers Wilderness Programs
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Professional development assistance

Work Location: In person