Job Posting: Per Diem, Birth Assistant, Our Community Birth Center

Posted on September 1, 2021

Are you committed to providing personalized care and supporting physiologic birth?  Would you like to put your skills and expertise to use in an organization committed to equity, social justice, and anti-racism? Are you excited by the chance to join a new and growing nonprofit community-based midwifery birth center and health clinic?  If you said “Yes” to any of these questions, we may have the perfect job for you!

Our Community Birth Center is a community-focused organization in Springfield/Eugene, Oregon that is growing and evolving even as we recruit for this position. We are seeking nurses and/or midwives who want to work as Birth Assistants to serve our clients in collaboration with our team of midwives. We want you to provide direct client care and support to our midwife team during labor, birth, and postpartum in the birth center. We also invite you to be part of growing and developing our organization and services. This means working as a team, participating in community engagement, expanding your professional skill set, and being an advocate for midwifery birth center care. We want you to be as committed to our mission as we are and know you will have a huge impact on our community.

Learn more about Our Community Birth Center at ourcommunitybirthcenter.org.

Required Education and/or Experience; Certifications/Licenses:

  • Education and training in birth assisting, nursing, or midwifery.
  • Active unencumbered licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN or LPN), Licensed Midwife (LDM), or other equivalent in the State of Oregon.
  • Maintain valid Basic Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation Program certification.
  • One year of successful experience in birthwork or completion of a Birth Assistant Fellowship with Our Community Birth Center prior to transitioning into a typical Birth Assistant position. 
  • Proficiency with Electronic Health Records, Microsoft Office products, Google Suite, Zoom, and a willingness to learn other computer databases and tools as needed.
  • Spanish language skills are preferred but not required.
  • Must possess and maintain a current, valid Driver License, and reliable transportation.
  • Must complete background check and driving record check successfully meeting our criteria.

Position type: Independent Contractor, Per Diem.

Start Date: Orientation starts December 2021.

Birth Assistant Fellowship Program: Fellowship training option available for those who are interested in this position but do not have prior labor and birth health care experience. 

Pay: $200 per labor/birth. Any single labor/birth episode requiring beyond 8 hours of work will be paid an additional $25 per hour. A stipend of $300 upon completion of required orientation. A stipend of $300 upon fulfilling all requirements over the first 12 month period. If requested by the Executive Director, Birth Assistants may be asked to perform other related work at a pay rate of $25 per hour. Our Community Birth Center is a new startup organization. We are committed to increasing staff pay as the organization grows.

Benefits: Skills training and continuing education provided through the birth center. Remote work stipend.

Hours: This position requires on-call time and working days, nights, and weekends. Minimum commitment of 48 hours per month on call. Birth Assistant is estimated to work 4-6 hours per labor/birth. 

How to Apply: 

Apply by submitting the following by email to ourcommunitybirthcenter@gmail.com.

  • Resume
  • Written response: Please submit a written response to the following three questions (maximum length 1 page typed):
    • What interests you about working as a birth assistant and what skills and experience would you bring to this role?
    • Share more specifically why you want to work at Our Community Birth Center? Why is this specific position at this organization a good fit for you?
    • How would you contribute to our work toward equity, social justice, and anti-racism?
  • Name, email address, and phone number for 3 professional references
  • We will begin reviewing applications September 27, 2021. We are seeking to hire 3-4 birth assistants. The position will remain open until all spots are filled. Applications will only be considered if all of the documents specified above are received.

Equal opportunity employer: It is the policy of Our Community Birth Center not to discriminate on the basis of ability/disability, race, color, national origin, housing situation, age, sex, religion, language, ethnicity, indigeneity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran’s status, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions, or any other protected identity. This policy applies to all our programs and operations, including but not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and fair hiring practices, and an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our board, staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. Any applicant or employee who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should contact the Executive Director to request an accommodation.