Area Manager

Area Manager - Early Childhood Education We are an experienced, passionate, growing early learning organisation with a meaningful presence in South East QLD and further plans to add new services to our network. With a commitment to delivering high quality education and care that has child safety and wellbeing at its core delivered in environments that are both playful and nurturing by exceptional teams we are now actively seeking an operations professional to support our centre managers and to build on the exceptional foundations already built. About the Role As Area Manager, you’ll oversee a portfolio of five medium-sized early learning centres across the Gold Coast and Redlands Region, providing operational leadership, mentoring, and strategic guidance to Centre Leadership Teams and educators. You’ll balance hands‑on operational support with strategic leadership, ensuring that every centre in your care delivers high‑quality education, strong community connection, and best‑practice compliance. This role has become available due to an internal promotion of the existing candidate who will be stepping up to lead Quality, Compliance and Safety across the Group, a new role that will offer unprecedented support to the successful candidate in their role through guidance and mentorship to support a smooth transition and set you up for success. Your Key Responsibilities Quality & Compliance: Conduct regular quality assurance reviews to ensure all NQF standards and regulations are met. Support centres through A&R processes and maintain compliance with all licensing and safety requirements. Leadership & Culture: Mentor Centre Managers and leadership teams, fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement. Role model the organisation’s values and professional standards. Business & Enrolment Management: Drive occupancy growth through strong community engagement and re‑enrolment programs. Oversee rostering, payroll approvals, and resource management to ensure financial sustainability. Family & Community Engagement: Support centres in developing meaningful local connections. Act as an escalation point for families, ensuring timely and transparent resolution of concerns. Financial Oversight: Manage budgets, funding, and key performance metrics across your region. Drive performance to achieve operational and financial targets. Growth & Onboarding: Support the onboarding of new centres into the Group, embedding our culture, processes, and quality standards. About You You’re a confident, people‑first leader with a deep understanding of the early childhood sector and a passion for empowering teams. Must‑Have Criteria Minimum 5 years’ experience as an Area Manager (or similar multi‑site leadership role) within Early Childhood Education Proven management experience leading and developing teams Strong understanding of NQF, NQS and sector compliance standards Experience in marketing, community engagement, and enrolment growth Knowledge of program and practice to mentor Centre Leaders Skilled in roster management and workforce planning Diploma or Degree in Early Childhood Education Current Blue Card / Working with Children Check Current Driver’s Licence and flexibility to travel between centres We also welcome applications from experienced Centre Directors who have led their service for 5+ years and are ready to step into multi‑site operational leadership. Our Commitment to Child Safety Early Education Holdings’ educators and staff are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. We understand our responsibilities and statutory duty of care to implement the National Child Safe Principles and embed the Child Safe Standards to prevent and respond to allegations of child abuse. We are committed to implementing our Child Safe Environment Policy incorporating the Child Safe Standards. This policy accentuates our zero tolerance for child abuse and raises awareness about the importance of child safety and protecting children who have experienced or are at risk of significant harm, abuse or neglect within our Service and the broader community. We ensure all staff, volunteers and students engaged at our Service are suitable to work with children and young people through rigorous employment procedures and Working with Children Checks. We uphold our commitment to follow the Child Protection Policy, ensuring compliance with mandatory reporting and the Reportable Conduct Scheme responsibilities to safeguard children from physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse and neglect. We are dedicated to promoting cultural safety and providing an inclusive environment for all children and young people, including First Nations Peoples, children with culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, disabilities, gender identity and/or diversity. We believe all children are unique and have the right to be protected against discrimination, harm and abuse. We support ongoing professional development for employees to maintain clear boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour and their ability to distinguish and respond to situations of abuse and neglect. We work in collaboration with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and educate children on their right to be safe, empowering them to voice any concerns they may have. We encourage children to express their views and opinions on matters that affect them and provide them with guidance on what to do if they feel unsafe. The Service policies and procedures are developed with the children’s voice to help keep all children safe from harm and abuse. Why Join Us Shape the next chapter of a growing early learning group Lead with purpose in a values‑driven organisation Be supported by a collaborative and engaged Senior Leadership Team Enjoy autonomy, variety, and the opportunity to make meaningful impact Ready to Join the Next Chapter? If you’re an experienced leader passionate about early learning, people, and purpose – we’d love to hear from you. Start Date: Mid‑January 2026Locations: Redland City & Gold Coast Apply Now – Include your resume and a short cover letter outlining your leadership experience and what drew your interest to join us. Be careful - Don’t provide your bank or credit card details when applying for jobs. Don't transfer any money or complete suspicious online surveys. If you see something suspicious, report this job ad. #J-18808-Ljbffr