Nanny Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Nanny, or Childcare Provider, takes care of one or multiple children in their parents’ home. Their main duties include completing household chores, transporting kids to and from school or other activities and preparing meals.

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Nanny Duties and Responsibilities

Nannies typically have duties and responsibilities that are closely connected to all aspects of a child’s well-being. Make sure your Nanny job description is an accurate portrayal of the exact role they have to play in your household and explicitly state what they should and should not do.

Their most often required duties and responsibilities are:

  • Cleaning the children’s living spaces, such as their bedrooms, bathrooms and playrooms
  • Preparing meals for the children according to their specific needs and taste
  • Taking children to all their scheduled activities and appointments, including school, various classes and play dates
  • Providing an overall environment that enables the children to safely learn and play

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Nanny Job Description Examples

 

Example 1

Warm and engaging Full Time Career Nanny is needed for a 7 month old baby boy in New Canaan, CT. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, CPR & First Aid Certified, and be willing to commit long term (5+ years if preferred!) Ideal candidates will be fun loving and responsible, with excellent communication skills. The family would really love a nanny who has experience with infants and toddlers and can offer insightful feedback. Plenty of parking available and driving will be needed in the future. There is one friendly dog in the home, so applicants should be pet friendly. Both parents work from home part time. Responsibilities include all things child related, however, someone who is a team player and collaborative will be the best fit. Schedule: Mon 10am-5pm, Tue-Thu 830am-630pm, and Friday 1030am-430pm Rate: $25/hour. Benefits: 2 weeks vacation, 5 sick days, federal holidays. Start Date: July 18 (some flexibility.)

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $25.00 per hour

Benefits:
  • Paid time off
    Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday

    Application Question(s):
  • Are you at least 21 years old? Agency Policy*

    Experience:
  • Professional Nannying: 5 years (Preferred)

    License/Certification:
  • Driver's License (Preferred)
  • CPR Certification Location: One location
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    Example 2

    Nurturing, Patient Toddler Nanny Needed in White Center #JC0201

    Details:

    The White Center Area of Seattle, WA

    Ideal Start Date:June 2022/ASAP

    Schedule:Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm (exact times are slightly flexible)

    Children:One girl, 21 months old

    Compensation:$25-$27/hr depending on experience and qualifications with guaranteed hours, 2 weeks paid time off, accrued paid sick time, medical stipend

    1 year minimum commitment ideal

    ***
  • Must be legally authorized to work in the United States ****

    The Family:This family of three is looking for a fantastic nanny to join their team! They would love to find someone who is loving and nurturing and supports their parenting style. They live in White Center and value outdoor time for their child. They even have a fish pond and chickens on their property!

    Both parents work from home in office spaces separate from the main living areas during the day. They are very welcoming and their child mirrors their feelings regarding comfort with other people, so a strong partnership with their nanny is important to them.

    They are both fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid and need their nanny to be as well.

    The Job Description:

    The nanny will be responsible for ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for their child. Job duties will include:
  • General toddler care

  • Feeding snacks and meals

  • Diapers and potty training

  • Facilitating nap schedule

  • Engaging in age appropriate developmental activities

  • Spending time outdoors daily

  • Baby laundry when time

  • Tidying of spaces used throughout the day, including the kitchen after meals

    Nanny Attributes/Qualifications/Requirements:

    Their ideal nanny is kind, loving, nurturing, safety minded, flexible, and willing to take feedback. Additionally, they would love to partner with someone who allows their child to lead, honors their parenting style, is patient and engaging, and genuinely enjoys working with children.

    The ability to speak Korean, or an additional language would be an added bonus!

    The nanny should have a clean driving record and a reliable vehicle for on the job driving. They should be fully Covid vaccinated with the booster as well, and up to date on all other vaccines including annual influenza and TDAP. They should also be current with their CPR/First Aid Certification (or willing to update).

    Job Type: Full-time

    Pay: $25.00 - $27.00 per hour

    Benefits:
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
    Schedule:
  • Day shift
  • Monday to Friday

    Application Question(s):
  • Can you meet the Covid-19 vaccination requirement (being fully vaccinated with three doses) prior to the start date for this role?
  • Please describe previous experience relevant to this position, including the ages of children you have experience caring for.
  • May we reach out to you via text message regarding this position?

    Experience:
  • Nannying: 2 years (Preferred)

    License/Certification:
  • Driver's License (Preferred)
  • CPR/First Aid Certification (Preferred)

    Work One location
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    What Does a Nanny Do?

    Nannies are childcare providers who either live in or out of the household of the children they care for. They’re responsible for keeping these children safe, entertained and fed. In addition to watching and caring for the children, Nannies may also be responsible for cleaning the house, watering plants and feeding pets. Nannies may take care of babies, performing tasks like bottle-feeding and changing their diapers. They may also be in charge of toddlers or older children. 

    Some Nannies are expected to have a driver’s license or a car to transport children to and from play dates, school classes or appointments. They may also be asked to run errands for the parents.

    Nanny Skills and Qualifications

    While there is no predetermined set of skills and qualifications that are required for a Nanny position, most required attributes are related to the willingness and ability to successfully educate and take care of children. Your Nanny job description should mention the skills that are required to keep a child safe, entertained and well-educated. The most important skills are:

    • Passion for working with children
    • Patience and communication skills to successfully interact with the children, understand their needs and make them be receptive to your requests
    • Organization skills to create a daily schedule that encompasses all the activities the parents want their children to attend
    • Problem-solving skills to be able to successfully deal with everyday issues that inevitably occur
    • Cooking and cleaning skills for nanny roles that also imply additional duties, such as making meals for the children and cleaning their living spaces

    Nanny Salary Expectations

    The average hourly wage for a Nanny is $15.97 per hour. Salaries can drastically vary according to the Nanny’s range of work responsibilities, experience and reputation, number of children in care, geographical location as well as other factors.

    Nanny Education and Training Requirements

    While there are no official requirements for people who wish to work as Nannies, there are certain requirements that you should include in your job description that increase the odds of finding qualified applicants. From an educational standpoint, a Nanny should have at least a high school diploma or an equivalent. Ideally, they would also have a degree in child development, teaching or psychology.

    Nanny Experience Requirements

    When it comes to experience in dealing with children’s livelihood and education, typically the more a potential Nanny has, the greater the odds that they will do a proper job. You can reflect that on your Nanny job description by mentioning the need of at least three years of experience in being a Nanny or any other form of professional child care services.

    Job Description Samples for Similar Positions

    There are other professional caregiving roles aside from that of a Nanny that involve similar duties and required qualifications. If this is not quite what you’re looking for, here are other related job description samples:

    Ready to Hire a Nanny? Build a Nanny Job Description

    Frequently asked questions about Nannies

     

    Who does a Nanny report to?

    Nannies typically work independently and find available positions through listings on job boards. The children’s parents will usually hire the Nanny and assign them their daily responsibilities. Nannies will get their schedule from the parents and will ask them any questions they have about the children to help them more effectively care for them. 

    Some Nannies are employed by an agency that assigns Nannies to certain homes according to their strengths and experience levels. If the parents have any concerns about the Nanny or if the Nanny has any comments about the parents, they’ll report this to the managers at the agency, who will work to resolve the issue. 

     

    What's the difference between a Nanny and a Babysitter?

    There are a few key similarities between a Nanny and a Babysitter, but also many differences when it comes to their responsibilities. A Babysitter is typically someone who occasionally comes to the parent’s house to watch their children, while the parents head to work, go on dates or engage in any other activities. Babysitters are often high school or college students who can come watch children for a few hours when they’re not in school, typically during weekends or evenings. 

    A Nanny is usually an ongoing and permanent role that consists of them caring for the children typically every day while the parents are working. Nannys are also usually responsible for additional tasks like household chores, pet care or errands. Babysitters are typically only in charge of caring for the children. 

     

    What settings does a Nanny typically work in?

    Nannies will usually work and sometimes live in the parents’ household. When they live in the household, they’re often expected to join the parents and children when they go to any events or activities, like the grocery store, zoo or the children’s sporting events and will take care of the children during these activities. 

    They may also be expected to take the children to school and attend parent-teacher conferences on the parents’ behalf if they’re unable to attend. Some Nannies even go on trips and vacations with the parents to take care of the children when needed.

     

    What makes a good Nanny?

    A great Nanny should have patience and compassion when working with children. They should also be organized and tidy in order to maintain a clean home for the family. Many Nannies are responsible for handling several tasks or caring for many children at once, so they should have great time management  and multitasking skills to ensure they’re completing everything on time. Nannies must also be certified and trained in CPR and have great problem solving skills to respond to high-pressure emergency situations that could occur.

    Job Description Examples

    Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

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