Centre Manager

Journey Early Learning Careers; Palmerston; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Centre Manager bonus structure

Educator Worker Retention Payments (EW

Birthday leave & recognition

Journey Academy and Leadership Pathway

Professional development (4C’s)

Employee Assistance Program

Discounts

Leadership support

Career growth across Journey

Job summary

Journey Early Learning Durack is seeking an experienced Centre Manager to lead a thriving 111-place service, focusing on people, children, families and community engagement. You’ll steer operations, rostering, budgets and quality outcomes with your leadership team.

You’ll bring a Diploma or higher in ECEC, prior Centre Manager experience, and a proven ability to lead large teams while navigating NQF/NQS requirements.

Qualifications

• Diploma or higher qualification in Early Childhood Education and Care.
• Previous Centre Manager/Director experience within early childhood.
• Experience leading a large team and early learning service.
• Strong understanding of the NQF, NQS and regulatory requirements.
• Confidence managing budgets, rostering, occupancy and operational performance.
• Current First Aid, CPR, Asthma & Anaphylaxis certificates.
• Current Working with Children Clearance.
• Completed National Child Safety Training.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop your team to deliver high-quality learning.
• Create a positive, collaborative, and accountable centre culture.
• Partner with your leadership team to drive quality practice.
• Build strong relationships with children, families and the local community.
• Manage rostering, budgets, occupancy and centre performance.
• Support recruitment, retention and succession planning.
• Maintain compliance with the NQF, NQS and Journey Standards.
• Drive continuous improvement and safeguarding across the service.

Skills

Centre leadership

People development

Budget management

Staff rostering

Regulatory knowledge

Communication

Relationship-building

Education

Diploma or higher in Early Childhood Education and Care

Job description

Centre Manager | Durack

Lead with Purpose. Empower Your Team. Make an Impact.

Journey Early Learning Durack is looking for an experienced and people-focused Centre Manager to lead our established 111-place early learning centre.

This is an opportunity to lead a large service with the support and structure to focus on what matters – your people, children, families and the continued success of your centre.

Working out of ratio, you’ll lead alongside your Centre Leadership Team, supporting a positive team culture, strong centre operations and high-quality early learning.

About the Role

As Centre Manager, you’ll take ownership of the overall leadership and performance of the centre, including:

• Leading, mentoring and developing your team
• Creating a positive, collaborative and accountable centre culture
• Partnering with your leadership team to drive quality practice
• Building strong relationships with children, families and the local community
• Managing rostering, budgets, occupancy and centre performance
• Supporting recruitment, retention and succession planning
• Maintaining strong compliance with the NQF, NQS and Journey Standards
• Driving continuous improvement and positive outcomes across the service
• Championing child safety and safeguarding practices every day

About You

You’re an experienced early childhood leader who knows how to balance people, quality and operations while creating a centre culture where teams feel supported to do their best work.

You’ll bring

• Diploma or higher qualification in Early Childhood Education and Care
• Previous Centre Manager/Director experience within early childhood
• Experience leading a large team and early learning service
• Strong understanding of the NQF, NQS and regulatory requirements
• Confidence managing budgets, rostering, occupancy and operational performance
• Strong leadership, communication and relationship-building skills
• A genuine passion for developing and empowering your team
• Current First Aid, CPR, Asthma & Anaphylaxis certificates
• Current Working with Children Clearance
• Completed National Child Safety Training

Why You’ll Love Journey

• Out-of-ratio Centre Manager position
• Centre Manager bonus structure
• Educator Worker Retention Payments (EWRP)
• Paid birthday leave & anniversary recognition
• Journey Academy and Leadership Pathways
• Specialised professional development, including our 4C’s program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retail and lifestyle discounts
• Support from experienced operational and quality leaders
• Genuine opportunities to grow your leadership career across Journey

Lead with Journey

At Journey, our Centre Managers are empowered to lead with purpose, build strong teams and create centres where children, families and educators feel a genuine sense of belonging.

You’ll be supported to develop your leadership, share your ideas and make a meaningful impact within your centre and the wider Journey community.

Safeguarding Children

At Journey Early Learning, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. Through our See, Act, Tell framework, we are committed to creating safe environments where every child feels protected, respected and heard.

Ready to lead your next Journey? We’d love to hear from you.