Onboarding and
Program Quality Specialist 
Hinesburg

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION

Guide, train and support new educators while remaining grounded in daily classroom practice, and strengthen professional competencies, communication and quality across our early childhood centers. This role sits at the intersection of people, practice, and culture. It requires patience, observation, and a genuine care for how teachers experience their work. If you are drawn to helping others feel grounded while strengthening shared ways of working, please read on!

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The Onboarding Specialist is a unique role in early education, designed for experienced teachers who want to support others while staying connected to the classroom. First Roots-Wild Roots is seeking an experienced early-childhood educator to serve as an Onboarding Specialist, supporting new teachers as they join our ECE community. This is a teacher-centered role focused on mentorship, relationship-based support, and practical guidance specifically in the first, most important 90 days . Working as part of our people team, the Onboarding Specialist partners closely with the Director of People & Culture and the Curriculum Coordinator to help new teachers feel confident, connected, and successful from day one. This role strengthens classrooms, supports teaching teams, and helps create a more consistent, supportive work environment across our programs.

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Our Mission: We are a 5 STAR, nature based early childhood education program that views each child as an individual with a unique developmental profile. Through developmentally responsive outdoor programming and an emergent curriculum approach, we serve children aged 6 weeks to 8 years across three centers. Our mission is to Achieve the highest level of professional development, Build a community where families feel connected and respected, and to Cultivate sustainable environmental choices and business practices to support the health and well being of all who work and play here!

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1. Role Purpose & Scope

The Onboarding and Program Quality Specialist plays a critical dual role at First Roots - Wild Roots. This position supports new teaching staff during their earliest months while also strengthening consistency, shared practices, and connection across classrooms and program sites.

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From approximately Days 6–90 of employment, this role provides relational, classroom-embedded support to new teachers as they learn FRWR’s expectations, rhythms, and culture. Beyond the onboarding window, this role contributes to program-wide Quality by helping reinforce shared ways of working, identifying gaps or inconsistencies in practice, and supporting alignment across sites.

This role is intentionally non-supervisory and non-evaluative. It does not replace site leadership, instructional coaching, or people systems. Instead, it complements those functions by focusing on confidence, clarity, and coherence grounded in daily classroom experience.

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2. Core Responsibilities

The Onboarding and Program Quality Specialist is responsible for:

• Supporting new teachers during Days 6–90 of employment

• Helping new staff understand FRWR’s culture, expectations, and daily practices

• Providing classroom-embedded, relational support that builds confidence and competence

• Supporting relationship-building with co-teachers and site leadership

• Reinforcing shared routines, language, and expectations across classrooms and sites

• Identifying patterns, gaps, or inconsistencies in how the program is experienced by staff

• Supporting the employee to set goals to for professional development (e.g. start IPDP process

• Serving as a connector between site-based experience and program-level systems

3. Key Work Processes & Outcomes

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3.1 Onboarding Support (Days 6–90)

• Regular check-ins with new teachers during early employment

• Classroom-based observation, modeling, and real-time support with an emphasis on non-instructional coaching

• Helping teachers translate written expectations (e.g. Licensing, Handbook, Policies, FRWR Playbook and best practices) into day-to-day practice

• Supporting all teachers as they prepare to transition into long-term coaching and evaluation structures

3.2 Classroom-Embedded Support

• Presence in classrooms alongside teachers (not supervisory)

• Modeling professional routines, communication, and classroom practices (e.g. behavioral competencies, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) goals for STARS)

• Supporting navigation of classroom dynamics, 3 teacher model and team relationships (e.g. same age teams, esp. across sites)

• Offering reflective questions and guidance grounded in practice

3.3 Program Quality & Consistency

• Supporting the use of shared routines, tools, and language across classrooms

• Helping reinforce operational classroom playbooks and agreed-upon practices

• Noticing and naming inconsistencies across sites in a constructive, supportive manner

• Partnering with Program Directors and the Curriculum Coordinator to strengthen alignment

• Supporting teachers in understanding how program-wide expectations show up locally

3.4 Transition, Feedback & System Improvement

• Supporting smooth handoff from onboarding into long-term development and evaluation systems with Curriculum Coordinator and Director of People and Culture

• Support 90 day review via progress notes

• Contributing insights that inform improvements to onboarding, training, and Quality practices

• Participating in reflection and continuous improvement of people-support systems

4. Partnerships & Connections

The Onboarding and Program Quality Specialist works in close partnership with other administrative roles, with clear delineation of responsibilities:

• With Program Directors (PD):The Onboarding Specialist aligns onboarding and Quality support with site expectations and routines while remaining non-evaluative. The PD retains full authority for leadership and evaluation; the Onboarding Specialist focuses on confidence-building and cultivating reflective practices.

• With Director of People and Culture: The Onboarding Specialist shares patterns and insights about early staff experiences to inform long-term retention planning, review readiness, and system improvement.

• With People & HR Support: These roles coordinate closely during onboarding. People & HR Support manages paperwork and compliance; the Onboarding Specialist supports the human experience of onboarding and helps staff navigate HR and orientation processes.

• With Curriculum Coordinator: The Onboarding Specialist ensures a smooth handoff to instructional coaching after Day 90, supporting continuity without duplicating curriculum coaching. This role complements that work by reinforcing shared practices and supporting transitions.

• With Executive Director: The Onboarding Specialist’s insights contribute indirectly to system-level understanding of staff experience and culture, typically through HR and leadership channels.

• Office Manager and Administrative Support: Coordinate timelines, communication, and logistics that support onboarding and cross-site alignment.

5. Decision Rights & Boundaries

This section clarifies how the Onboarding Specialist participates in key areas of work using the RACI framework, with particular emphasis on support, transition readiness, and program quality rather than evaluation or supervision.

Responsible (R): The Onboarding Specialist is responsible for carrying out the following work:

• Providing relational onboarding support to new teachers during Days 6–90

• Offering classroom-embedded, non-evaluative support and modeling

• Reinforcing shared classroom routines, playbooks, and operational norms

• Supporting new teachers in translating orientation and training into daily practice

• Helping new teachers reflect on strengths, questions, and growth areas

• Preparing teachers for transition into formal coaching evaluation and IPDP processes

• Identifying cross-site inconsistencies in practice and shared routines

• Documenting and communicating onboarding and quality insights

Accountable (A): The Onboarding Specialist is accountable for the quality and effectiveness of:

• The consistency and reliability of the Days 6–90 onboarding experience

• New teachers feeling supported, connected, and oriented to FRWR culture

• Clarity around expectations before teachers enter formal coaching and evaluation cycles

• The usefulness and clarity of onboarding-related feedback shared with leadership

• Important: This role is accountable for quality of support, not for performance outcomes or evaluation results of individual people

Consulted (C): The Onboarding Specialist is consulted for insight and perspective on:

• Readiness of new teachers to transition into coaching IPDP and evaluation and IPDP processes

• Patterns or gaps in classroom routines, operational playbooks, or shared practices

• Program-wide quality issues observed across sites or classrooms

• Adjustments to onboarding supports or early staff experience

• Informing people and curriculum systems with real-world classroom insights

Informed (I): The Onboarding Specialist is kept informed about:

• Hiring timelines, role changes, and onboarding schedules

• Site-level staffing changes that affect new teacher placement

• Updates to people systems, evaluation frameworks, or curriculum expectations

• Operational changes that affect classroom routines or onboarding supports

Boundary clarity (important): The Onboarding Specialist does not:

• Conduct formal staff evaluations

• Make employment, disciplinary, or compensation decisions

• Supervise teaching staff

• Manage schedules, coverage, payroll, or HR documentation

• These responsibilities live with Program Directors, the Director of People & Culture, the Office Manager, and People & HR Support.

6. Measures of Success

The Onboarding Specialist is successful when:

• New teachers feel supported, confident, and connected

• Teachers report clarity about expectations and culture

• Relationships with co-teachers and site leadership are strong

• Transitions into long-term coaching and evaluation are smooth

• Early turnover is reduced

7. Experience, Qualifications & Fit

Strong candidates ideally bring:

• 3–5+ years of experience in early childhood education or a related teaching role

• Demonstrated experience mentoring, coaching, or supporting peers (formal or informal)

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills in giving and receiving feedback

• Comfort working in classrooms in a non-supervisory, supportive role

• Master’s degree in Education, Early Childhood Education, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered

• Vermont Licensed Teacher with ECE or ECSE endorsement highly preferred

8. Salary Range and other information

Base Salary Range – $56,060 to $61,260

• Work Week: 40 hours (potential for flexible work schedule)

• Paid Time Off (PTO): 6 weeks – 3 weeks flexible, 3 weeks fixed.

• Paid public holidays.

• $1200/year Employee Benefit Health Reimbursement Account (EBHRA).

• Group Health Insurance Policy - no Employer contribution

• Additional coverage available for employee-paid premiums for Dental and Vision. 50% employer contribution to single dental plans.

• Paid professional development to meet program requirements for STARS. Paid inservice training days are included in our annual school calendar.

• Tuition reimbursement plan up to $500 per year.

• Short Term disability coverage. This provides replacement income should you become ill or disabled during employment and cannot work. It is provided at NO COST to you.

• Life insurance $25,000 coverage (employer provided).

• A reduction in the employee's cost for full-time childcare at First Roots-Wild Roots up to a maximum $5,000/year based on availability and then prevailing rates. This reduction will be calculated after any childcare subsidy (CCFAP) for which the employee may be eligible. This childcare discount is prorated from your start date and is $192.31/pay period (bi-weekly).

• Additional 20% program discount on childcare tuition.

• Up to 90 days rent free accommodation for relocating from out of state, or moving 50+ miles (2 BR apt in Hinesburg) (if available at time of hire).

• Reimbursement for moving expenses up to $1,000 for relocating from out of state, or moving 50+ miles. (requires a 1 year commitment post hiring)

• Children of staff have priority registration for school age Treehouse Summer Camp.

• Reimbursement for Entry (Digital) Level NAEYC Membership or approved equivalent.

Other fun stuff!

• Weekly open play Pickleball session at The Pop in South Burlington/Essex, including one introductory how to play lesson, and one skill development lesson to start!

• Access to the CVU high school track and trails for break time walks

• “Zen room” for breaks at 96 Pond Rd. with napping futon, puzzles, couches

• Access to cooling off and relaxing in our in-ground pool at 96 Pond Road (weekends too!)

• Discounted winter/spring tire changeover while you work

• Branded LLBean fleece jackets, vests and a beanie

• Helly Hensen rain bibs for mud season

• Monthly staff lunches and bagel days

• All day coffee and tea/snacks in our staff lounges

Our commitment to diversity: We believe that a workplace, classroom or community thrives when all voices are at the table and are invited in to be heard. We are growing our antiracist practices in all of our policies and early education curriculum, including the ways we communicate, and give and receive feedback to one another. We do not discriminate against employees or applicants based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, or any other differences.

How To Apply: Please share your resume and a cover note with us by emailing them to our Executive Director, Maeghan Booska (maeghan@bewilder-vt.com).

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $56,060.00 - $61,260.00 per year