• Hybrid + flexible working!
• 50% childcare discount - 2%PD budget - discounts to hundreds of major retailers
• Join a non-for-profit organisation committed to professional development and it's people

Join the team at ECMS and play your part in fostering lifelong learning for children, families, ourselves and our partners.  

After strengthening the foundations of the organisation over the last three years, ECMS is in an exciting position to look to the future and shape the way ahead. This comes from a combination of working to a multi-year strategic plan, getting clear on what we stand for and putting our values to work.

We are striving to show consistently good learning outcomes and be a place where the best early years people choose to work. We pay particular attention in our practice to continuous improvement, place-based pedagogy and developmental approaches birth to 5.

About the role

We know that there is a direct relationship between strong leadership and high-quality education and care that leads to positive outcomes for children. At ECMS, we back our service leaders and invest heavily in their capability and experience.

We are looking for an experienced senior leader to join our Early Childhood Education Team as the Head of Operations, reporting to the Director of ECE. Leading a team of 7 Area Managers, your strong interpersonal skills, will give you the ability to see the ‘bigger picture’ and provide direction through major projects and working groups in close collaboration with other Support Services functions. You will contribute to shaping areas of focus in ECE, including business requirements and the annual planning cycle.

Day to day, you will…

• Drive team culture and performance through positive, values-based leadership.

• Develop effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders (including DE and LGAs).
• Research and develop new opportunities for sustainable infrastructure and operational leadership.

• Be a part of growth in ECMS. Including the opening of new services.
• Manage key operational projects and process improvements.
• Ensure service operational models are efficient and responsive to the needs of the children, communities and the location they are in.
• Be a part of system improvements, including the design and implementation.

About You

• You are an experienced early childhood education and care professional who has proven experience in building deep relationships and leading people to drive performance and build capability.
• Your positive, can-do energy and a passionate commitment to child centred approaches fuels your professional and personal drive. You are a life-long learner in all aspects of your life.
• You are a systems thinker who can identify smarter ways of working and you are comfortable to challenge the status quo – and you do so with curiosity and critical thinking.
• You can chart your own path, while playing a central team role. You have high internal accountability and can manage competing priorities in an empathetic and proactive way.
• You have a minimum of 7 years of experience in a senior people leadership and central operational role supporting multiple services.
• You have a demonstrated competency in strategic planning and project management.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive remuneration package.
• Autonomy to decide where and how you work to achieve agreed outcomes and manage your personal commitments.
• 50% childcare discount. 
• 2% professional development allowance – your development is catered just for you 
• Opportunity to accelerate your career due to high level of responsibility and opportunities supplemented by exposure to high caliber colleagues and a wide variety of learning opportunities.
• Access to a range of retail and recreational activities at significantly reduced rates via our fully sponsored Employee Benefits Program such as Coles, Woolworths and Booking.com.  

‘ECMS promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children. Successful applicants are required to adhere to our child safe practices, policies can be located here.  

Applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from diverse communities and backgrounds are encouraged. 

For more information or to request a Job Description, please contact Stephanie at scharalambous@ecms.org.au. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.