Qualified childcare workers are in demand at Alpine resorts year-round - in winter and in summer, when families visit the mountains for hiking, mountain biking, and outdoor activities with children. Most positions are filled through specialist operators and agencies and are rarely advertised on general job boards. The combination of consistent demand, typically good wages, and often excellent accommodation packages makes childcare a serious option for anyone with relevant experience or qualifications.
Types of childcare work at Alpine resorts
Kids' clubs at resort hotels and operators
Large resort hotels and package operators like Club Med, TUI, and others run dedicated children's programmes - daily activities, games, snow activities in winter and outdoor programmes in summer, arts and crafts, meals. These are structured positions with defined hours, typically employed directly by the operator.
Club Med in particular is one of the largest employers of childcare-focused seasonal staff in the Alps, operating across France and Switzerland.
Chalet company nannies
Chalet operators - many of them UK-based companies active across the Alps - provide private nannies as part of their premium chalet packages. Nannies work directly with individual families, managing childcare across the stay. Hours can be long; compensation and accommodation are typically good.
Private nannies for resort-staying families
High-net-worth families staying at private chalets or luxury hotels often hire nannies directly - either through nanny agencies or through personal networks. These are typically shorter-term positions (one to four weeks) but rates are higher than operator-employed roles.
Ski school assistants and snow garden staff
Ski schools employ assistants to work with young beginners in the snow garden - helping children aged 3-6 with their first experiences on skis. Ski school assistant roles typically require childcare experience and ideally a first aid qualification; full ski instructor certification is not required for assistant roles.
Au pair
Au pair positions are a separate category - not seasonal work in the resort sense, but a structured exchange programme where you live with a local family, provide childcare, and receive accommodation, meals, and a weekly allowance. Au pair agreements exist in all four Alpine countries and are an established route for non-EU workers who cannot access working holiday visas.
Qualifications and requirements
Childcare roles have more formal requirements than most other seasonal positions:
Criminal record check: all employers require a current certificate before you start. The document has different names depending on your country - get it early, as processing can take several weeks:
- Switzerland: Sonderprivatpersonen-Auszug (special private person extract), via egovernment.ch
- Germany: Führungszeugnis (certificate of good conduct), via the Federal Office of Justice online
- Austria: Strafregisterbescheinigung, at your local municipal office or online
- France: extrait du casier judiciaire, via service-public.fr
- UK: Enhanced DBS check, via gov.uk
- Other countries: equivalent certificate from the relevant national authority
First aid certification: paediatric first aid is strongly preferred, often required. A 1-2 day course from the Red Cross, St John Ambulance, or equivalent is sufficient.
Childcare qualification: for kids' club and chalet nanny roles:
- International: CACHE, BTEC, or equivalent vocational childcare qualifications are accepted by most employers
- Switzerland: Fachfrau/Fachmann Betreuung (FaBe) EFZ or equivalent cantonal qualifications
- Germany/Austria: state-recognised qualification as Erzieher/in, Kinderpfleger/in, or Kinderbetreuer/in
- France: CAP Petite Enfance or BAFA (for animation and activity roles)
- UK: NVQ Level 2/3 in Childcare, CACHE diploma, NNEB (now CACHE Level 3), or equivalent
Experience: most employers require a minimum of 6-12 months of childcare experience with under-5s or under-8s (depending on the age group you'll work with). Au pair positions are more flexible.
Language skills: English is the working language at most UK-operated chalet companies. French is an advantage - and at Club Med and French resort positions, a practical necessity.
Ski/snowboard ability: not required for indoor kids' club roles, but an advantage. Ski school assistant roles require at least intermediate skiing ability.
What you'll earn
| Role | Typical earnings |
|---|---|
| Kids' club (large operator, e.g. Club Med) | €1,600-2,200/month gross, accommodation included |
| Chalet nanny (mid-range operator) | £400-550/week, accommodation + meals included |
| Chalet nanny (premium operator) | £550-750/week, accommodation + meals included |
| Private resort nanny | £150-300+/day, accommodation varies |
| Snow garden assistant | €1,500-2,000/month gross, accommodation often included |
| Au pair allowance | €200-400/week (not a wage - pocket money structure) |
Tips are common in private nanny and premium chalet contexts, and can be substantial with families who have had a good experience.
Lifestyle and working conditions
Kids' club and chalet nanny roles typically involve working six days per week during peak season, with one day off. This applies to both winter and summer - the pace is similar whether you're managing snow activities or outdoor mountain programmes. Hours can be split-shift (morning session, afternoon break, evening babysitting). Full days are common during school holidays.
The upside: you're at a mountain resort, usually with an employer-provided lift pass in winter, access to the mountains on your days off, and a team of similar-age seasonal workers around you.
The genuine challenge: working with children is emotionally and physically demanding. In a resort context, where families are on holiday and expectations are high, managing multiple children across a full day requires patience, energy, and genuine skill. This is not a role to take if childcare is just a means to get to the Alps.
How to find childcare positions
- Club Med: recruits globally for its GO (Gentil Organisateur) childcare roles. Multilingual candidates preferred.
- UK chalet operators (Esprit Ski, Neilson, Mark Warner, Ski Total, Scott Dunn, Powder Byrne, Le Ski): all recruit seasonally. Apply August-October for winter season.
- Nanny agencies: Tinies, Eden Private Staff, and specialist ski nanny agencies recruit private nannies for resort families.
- Direct to ski schools: contact ski school directors directly in your target resort - snow garden and ski school assistant roles are often filled by direct approach rather than job boards.