Early Childhood Educator & Development Specialist

For PRIVATE FAMILY | KINSHASA, DRC

JOB DESCRIPTION

Early Childhood Educator & Development Specialist

Private Family • Two Toddlers • Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Children

19 & 24 months

Location

Kinshasa, DRC

Role type

Private family educator

Start

To be agreed

Core focus

ECE + music

Language

Excellent English

Relocation

India Kinshasa

Care backup

Weekends / emergencies

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking an exceptional Early Childhood Educator and Development Specialist to support the growth of two young children, currently aged 19 months and 24 months. This is a private-family role based in Kinshasa and is designed for someone who combines excellent early-years expertise with an unusually warm, playful, energetic personality.

This is not a conventional nanny or household role. The primary purpose is to create a joyful, developmentally appropriate environment that advances language, movement, coordination, curiosity, creativity, confidence and social-emotional development. A live-in primary nanny, cook, maid and drivers are already in place.

What makes this role special

The ideal candidate is a true two-in-one: a strong early childhood educator who can also bring music into the

children's daily life through singing, rhythm and preferably an instrument such as guitar or piano.

OUR APPROACH TO THE CHILDREN

We want the children to thrive - not simply to be kept busy. The program should be ambitious in quality while

remaining age-appropriate, playful and responsive to each child.

• Learning should happen primarily through play, conversation, movement, music, books, exploration and reallife

experiences.

• The educator should follow each childs developmental readiness rather than push formal academics too

early.

• Early literacy and numeracy should be introduced naturally through stories, songs, counting, matching,

sorting, shapes and everyday play - not worksheets or pressure.

• Physical development should emphasize balance, climbing, throwing, catching, rolling, kicking, bilateral

coordination and hand-eye coordination, creating a strong base for future racquet sports and other athletics.

• The children should experience warmth, laughter, positive energy, encouragement and clear, calm

boundaries.

TYPICAL WEEKDAY RHYTHM

Approx. time Childrens routine

8:00 AM 12:00 PM Daycare

12:00 1:15 PM Return home, lunch and wind-down

1:15 3:15/3:30 PM Nap

Approx. time Childrens routine

After waking Educator-led development, music, movement,

outdoor play and family transition

Core educator time therefore begins after the children wake from their afternoon nap. The educator may use part of nap time for preparation, planning, material setup and coordination with the parents or primary nanny when required.

Key responsibilities

1. Early childhood development

• Design and deliver a thoughtful, play-based developmental program appropriate for a 19-month-old and a 24-

month-old, adapting it as they grow.

• Build expressive and receptive language through rich conversation, storytelling, songs, picture books,

naming, imitation and responsive interaction.

• Develop fine-motor skills through age-appropriate puzzles, stacking, drawing, stickers, sensory activities,

play dough, transferring and practical-life tasks.

• Support attention, turn-taking, emotional regulation, independence, confidence, curiosity and sibling social

skills.

• Observe each childs development and share concise, practical observations with the parents.

2. Daily music & rhythm

• Lead a joyful 2030 minute music ritual every day.
• Use singing, movement, clapping, rhythm games, percussion and simple call-and-response activities.
• Ideally play guitar, piano/keyboard or another child-friendly instrument and comfortably sing with young

children.

• Use music to reinforce language, memory, coordination and emotional expression - not to create

performance pressure.

3. Movement, coordination & future sports foundations

• Create daily movement opportunities involving balance, climbing, crawling, jumping preparation, obstacle

courses and outdoor exploration.

• Build hand-eye coordination through balloons, scarves, beanbags, soft balls, rolling, throwing, catching and

age-appropriate paddle/racquet-style games.

• Encourage kicking, running, directional movement and body awareness through playful games.
• Prioritize foundational motor competence over formal sports technique at this age.

4. Creative & cognitive play

• Plan art, sensory, pretend-play and practical-life activities that are safe and developmentally appropriate.
• Introduce early concepts such as colors, shapes, quantities, matching, sorting, patterns and counting

naturally through play.

• Select and rotate books, toys and activities so the environment remains stimulating without becoming

overwhelming.

5. Caregiving backup

• Work closely and respectfully with Divine, the familys live-in primary nanny, while maintaining a clear

educator-led developmental role.

• Take over direct childcare when Divine is off duty - currently from Saturday at 4:00 PM through Monday at 7:00

AM - according to the agreed work schedule.

PRIVATE FAMILY | KINSHASA, DRC

Confidential recruitment brief

• Provide backup childcare if Divine is unavailable due to illness, family emergency or other unforeseen

absence.

• During backup periods, confidently handle meals already prepared/organized by household staff, play,

outings, naps, bath, bedtime routines and general toddler care.

• No routine housekeeping, cooking or maid duties are expected; the household already has dedicated staff for

these functions.

THE PERSON WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Essential qualifications & experience

• Formal qualification in Early Childhood Education, Early Years Education, Child Development, Montessori

education or a closely related field.

• Minimum 5 years of strong, hands-on experience with toddlers, ideally including children aged approximately

18 months to 3 years.

• Excellent spoken English and the ability to model rich, clear language for young children.
• Strong understanding of age-appropriate language, cognitive, motor, social-emotional and sensory

development.

• Comfortable providing full toddler care independently when required.
• Current pediatric first-aid/CPR certification, or willingness to obtain it before starting.
• Willing and able to relocate to Kinshasa, DRC, subject to immigration/work-permit requirements.
• Strong references and willingness to complete appropriate background/police checks.

Highly desirable

• Musical ability: confident singing plus guitar, piano/keyboard or another instrument suitable for interactive

toddler music.

• Experience leading music-and-movement activities for young children.
• Montessori, Reggio Emilia, play-based or other high-quality early-years training.
• Experience with gross-motor development, toddler gymnastics, movement education or sports-readiness

activities.

• Experience working in a private family, international household, preschool or premium early-years setting.

Personality matters enormously

We are specifically looking for someone who is:

• Warm, smiling and genuinely delighted to spend time with young children.
• Playful, expressive, fun and able to create positive energy in a room.
• Affectionate and nurturing while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Patient, calm and emotionally steady when toddlers are tired, frustrated or dysregulated.
• Creative and proactive - someone who naturally invents games, songs and activities rather than waiting to be

instructed.

• Physically active and happy to get on the floor, run, dance, climb, play outside and participate fully.
• Low-ego and collaborative with parents, nanny and other household staff.
• Reliable, discreet, organized and respectful of family privacy.

Important

A technically excellent CV is not enough. Warmth, positive energy, playfulness and genuine connection with toddlers are core selection criteria.

WORKING STRUCTURE

• Weekdays: primary educator-led activity period after the children's afternoon nap, with preparation/planning

time as needed.

• Daily: approximately 2030 minutes of dedicated music and rhythm, plus developmental play, movement

and outdoor activity.

• Weekends: childcare coverage is required from Saturday 4:00 PM and on Sunday while the primary nanny is

off, according to the agreed roster.

• Emergency backup: additional childcare coverage when the primary nanny is unexpectedly unavailable.
• Because weekend coverage is part of the role, reasonable compensatory rest/time off should be scheduled

during the week.

• Exact working hours, live-in/live-out arrangement, leave, travel expectations and compensation package will

be finalized with the selected candidate.

What success looks like in the first 90 days

• Ayaan and Alia are visibly comfortable, excited and engaged with the educator.
• A consistent afternoon rhythm is established without over-scheduling the children.
• A daily music ritual becomes a joyful and anticipated part of their routine.
• The children receive regular language, fine-motor, gross-motor, hand-eye coordination, sensory and outdoor

experiences.

• The educator can explain what she is working on developmentally and why, without turning the home into a

formal classroom.

• The educator and Divine operate as a coordinated team, with clear responsibilities and smooth handovers.
• Parents receive brief, useful updates on progress, interests and any developmental observations.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should submit all of the following:

1. CV/resume including early-years qualifications and detailed toddler experience.

2. A short 12 minute introduction video. Please introduce yourself, explain why you enjoy working with

toddlers, and demonstrate the warm, energetic style you would bring to the role. No children should appear

in the video.

3. A brief demonstration in the video of one song, music/rhythm activity or playful toddler interaction you could

lead.

4. A one-page sample afternoon activity plan designed specifically for one 19-month-old child and one 24-

month-old child.

5. Two or more professional references from families, schools, nurseries or early-years employers who can

speak directly about your work with young children.

6. Your current location, notice period, salary expectations and ability to relocate internationally.

Application tip for candidates

We are not looking for a highly formal classroom teacher. We are looking for an outstanding early-years

professional who can combine evidence-based child development with warmth, music, movement, creativity

and joyful everyday interaction.

COMPENSATION & RELOCATION

A competitive international package will be offered based on qualifications, experience and the final scope of the

role. The package may include support for relocation to Kinshasa, work authorization, accommodation, medical

coverage and periodic home travel. Final terms will be agreed with the selected candidate.