Centre Director - Mooroolbark

Meraki ELC; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Above-award wages + bonus structure

Heavily discounted childcare fees for

Job summary

Meraki ELC in Victoria seeks an enthusiastic early childhood leader to guide a long-standing team through change. You will mentor educators, uphold high standards, and collaborate with the Educational Leader to advance curriculum and quality.

This role demands strategic thinking, strong people skills and a hands-on, on-floor presence. You will lead with a positive, can-do approach, support families, and drive ongoing growth in an Exceeding-rated service.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading an early childhood team through change.
• Strong knowledge of EYLF, NQF and National Quality Standard.
• Ability to mentor educators and foster a positive team culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and support educators to deliver high-quality programs for children.
• Build a collaborative, accountable team culture and maintain strong compliance.
• Support curriculum, pedagogy and continuous improvement with the Educational Leader.
• Balance on-floor leadership with administrative and strategic duties.
• Develop relationships with children, families and the wider community.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Mentoring

Team motivation

Strategic thinking

Relationship building

Job description

We’re looking for an enthusiastic, experienced and people-focused early childhood leader to join our team and help lead our service into its next chapter. This leader must thrive on a challenge, have the proven ability to lead a team through change and always bring a positive attitude and can do approach.

We’re a family-owned early learning service that believes early childhood should be full of curiosity, creativity, connection, and plenty of fun. We care deeply about creating a genuine home away from home, where children feel safe and excited to learn, families feel welcomed and our educators feel supported, valued and inspired.

Our commitment to quality is reflected in our Exceeding rating under the National Quality Standard, but we’re not interested in standing still. We’re looking for someone excited by the opportunity to build on what we do well, support a long-standing team and continue striving for excellence.

You’ll work closely with our established team, Assistant Director and Educational Leader, with the support from the Operations Manager and Approved Provider.

What makes this role exciting — and challenging?

This is a role for someone who genuinely enjoys people, leadership and the fast-moving world of early childhood.

You’ll be stepping into a large, long-standing team, where building trust, understanding team dynamics and leading people through change will be an important part of your success. We’re looking for someone who can bring people with them, someone who can have the difficult conversations when needed, celebrate the wins, mentor educators and create a culture where people want to do their best.

You’ll also need to balance the many demands of a leadership role: maintaining and exceeding compliance requirements, supporting children and educators on the floor, mentoring and guiding your team, responding to families and managing the day-to-day challenges that come with running a busy early learning service.

No two days will be the same! This role requires someone who is organised, resilient, adaptable and able to step back and look at the bigger picture while still being willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved.

What we’re looking for

Proven experience in an early childhood leadership role is a must.

Strong knowledge of the EYLF, NQF and National Quality Standard.

A confident and motivating leader who can mentor, inspire and develop a diverse team.

Someone who enjoys building genuine relationships and creating a positive team culture.

A genuine passion for children, early education and inclusion.

A strategic and creative thinker who can respond calmly and positively when things don’t go to plan.

Someone who can balance time on the floor with the team with the administrative, compliance and leadership responsibilities of the role.

A leader who is comfortable working autonomously while knowing when to seek support.

Your role will include

Leading, mentoring and supporting educators to deliver high-quality programs and outcomes for children.

Building a positive, collaborative and accountable team culture.

Supporting educators to grow in confidence, capability and professional practice.

Ensuring the service maintains strong compliance while continuing to strive for Exceeding practice.

Building meaningful relationships with children, families, educators and the wider community.

Working alongside the Educational Leader to support curriculum, pedagogy and continuous improvement.

Being visible and connected with the team while also making time for planning, reflection, compliance and strategic leadership.

Taking ownership of the day-to-day operation of the service and contributing to its ongoing growth and development.

What we offer

Above-award wages + bonus structure

Heavily discounted childcare fees for your family

A supportive and engaged management team

Genuine autonomy and ownership in your leadership role

Paid professional development and a strong commitment to ongoing learning

The opportunity to work alongside an experienced, established team

A workplace where your ideas, leadership and contribution are genuinely valued

This is an exciting opportunity to take the lead in an Exceeding-rated service and help shape its next chapter.