ASO8 Change Implementation Manager

Office for Early Childhood Development; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 130,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Office for Early Childhood Development in Adelaide is seeking a Change Implementation Manager to lead planning, design, and coordination of change initiatives across South Australia’s early childhood reform program. You will steer complex projects, manage policy links to local rollout, and drive evidence-based risk management and stakeholder engagement to ensure system-wide readiness.

The role focuses on delivering strategic insights, guiding local teams, and coordinating government policy

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering complex projects and programs at system level.
• Ability to coordinate government policy directions.
• Strong written and verbal communication for reports and briefings.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, implementation and monitoring of change management strategies for statewide local teams in early childhood reform.
• Initiate, develop and deliver complex projects and policies linking policy decisions to local implementation.
• Design feedback and risk management mechanisms informed by evidence and community context for system-wide reform.
• Provide strategic engagement with internal and external stakeholders to plan readiness and reform delivery.

Skills

Complex project delivery

Policy coordination

Advanced analysis

Job description

Why work with us

The Office for Early Childhood Development was created to champion change and to help build a system that gives all South Australian children a flying start to life.

Office for Early Childhood Development

Job reference: 863906

Location: 5000 - ADELAIDE

Job status: Long Term Contract

Eligibility: Open to Everyone

The Office for Early Childhood Development was created to champion change and to help build a system that gives all South Australian children a flying start to life.

Guided by the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, the Office for Early Childhood Development is the steward of the early childhood development system in South Australia.

The Office is tasked with a significant responsibility: bringing together a holistic, connected system for early childhood development across South Australia, with the goal of reducing the rate of children entering school developmentally vulnerable. Critical to this is the roll‑out of universal 3‑year‑old preschool from 2026, giving every child access to 2 years of teacher‑led, play‑based early learning before school by 2032.

About this role

In this pivotal role, the Change Implementation Manager will lead strategic planning, program design, and high‑level coordination of change management strategies and initiatives, providing complex policy analysis, expert advice and delivery support to the statewide network of Local Teams.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, implementation and monitoring of change management strategies, projects and related tools and resources to support statewide local teams in effective sector implementation of early childhood reform.
• Lead the initiation, development, and delivery of complex projects and strategic policies to achieve outcomes and strengthen links between policy decisions and local implementation.
• Design and promote the use of feedback and risk management mechanisms to ensure change strategies and implementation efforts are informed by evidence, local insights and responsive to the specific needs and characteristics of communities’ system wide.
• Provide strategic advice and engagement with internal and external stakeholders, to plan and deliver effective implementation of system‑wide readiness and reform delivery, identifying and analysing risks, gaps and issues to inform recommendations for process or policy improvements.

About you

You are an experienced project and change leader who enjoys working at the intersection of strategy, policy and implementation. You excel at building strong stakeholder relationships, leading complex initiatives, and providing trusted advice that supports informed decision‑making. With exceptional communication, coordination and analytical skills, you can navigate complexity, solve problems and deliver high‑quality outcomes in challenging and evolving environments.

You are comfortable working both independently and collaboratively, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining a focus on results. Experience within the early childhood, education or human services sectors, and an understanding of the South Australian policy environment, will be an advantage.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for someone who brings:

• Proven experience in delivering complex projects and programs at a system‑level, using contemporary project management approaches and coordination of government policy directions
• High level communication skills with ability to prepare reports and briefings and present concepts, recommendations, and complex documents
• Advanced analytical and research skills and an ability to undertake objective analysis and evaluate complex information from a range of sources to draw accurate conclusions that recognise and manage contextual issues

Role Benefits

• A role with real influence and impact in government policy.
• Opportunities for professional development and career growth within the public sector
• Work with senior officials across government and early childhood sectors.
• Be part of an agency with a clear mission to improve the lives of South Australia’s children and families.
• Access to valuable salary sacrifice benefits like car leases, portable electronic devices, mobile phones, airline lounge memberships, self‑education expenses, and more. Ask us about how you can make your salary go further working at the OECD.
• Access to flexible working arrangements to get that work life balance.

Remuneration

ASO8 - $130,046 - $134,956 (1.0 FTE) per annum, plus superannuation.

Additional Note

This is a full‑time 2‑year long term contract role (1.0 FTE) with potential to be made ongoing.

Aboriginal applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Enquiries

Enquiries can be directed to [email protected]

Special Conditions

For all other special conditions please refer to the attached position description.

Applications close

29/11/2026 11:45 PM

Attachments

• Position Description - ASO8 Change Implementation Manager - Change and Local Implementation.pdf
• Pre-Employment_declaration_vl233.pdf

Flexibility Statement

The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part‑time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.