Chief Operating Officer (COO) | Childcare & Early Learning

seek.com.au; Sydney; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

seek.com.au seeks a proven Chief Operating Officer to lead a private Australian early learning network across NSW, VIC and QLD. You will drive quality, safety, regulatory compliance and profitability while guiding the operations leadership team and partnering with finance, property and marketing to scale centres.

You will own occupancy strategies, family experience, and the rollout of a unified operating model, reporting to the owner and delivering sustained growth and governance excellence.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead multiple sites in a regulated sector.
• Experience with NQS, National Law, CCS and related reforms.
• Track record of improving occupancy, margins and safety.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end operating performance across the network.
• Lead operations leadership team and align with finance, property and governance.
• Open and integrate new centres with a consistent operating model.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

People management

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Tertiary qualifications in business or early childhood

Job description

Chief Operating Officer (COO) | Childcare & Early Learning

Chief Operating Officer (COO) | Early Learning Group | NSW, VIC and QLD

A whole-of-business operating role, reporting directly to the owner

We are a privately owned Australian early learning group operating purpose-built long day care centres across New South Wales and Victoria, in both metropolitan and regional communities, with further centres in development. We were built from the ground up with private capital and remain privately owned today. We sit within a larger diversified private group with its own property and construction capability, which means our new centres are designed, funded and delivered in-house. Our centres are well regarded by the families and communities they serve, and the next stage of growth is planned and funded.

We are appointing a Chief Operating Officer to lead the network through that next stage. This search is being conducted confidentially for commercial reasons. The organisation will be identified to shortlisted candidates before first interview, and every application is handled in strict confidence.

The mandate

Reporting to the Managing Director, you will own the end-to-end operating performance of the network: quality and child safety, regulatory compliance, people, family experience, occupancy and centre profitability, and the opening of new centres. You will lead the operations leadership team (area managers, centre directors and nominated supervisors) and work alongside the group's finance, property, construction and marketing functions.

This is a COO role in the full sense: complete accountability, real authority, a direct line to the owner, and the capital to back sound decisions.

What you will be accountable for

Quality and child safety: sustained Meeting or Exceeding NQS ratings across every service, a lived child safe culture in every room, and rigorous incident management, notification and reporting.

Regulatory compliance: full compliance with the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations, Family Assistance Law and Child Care Subsidy requirements, and the recent national child safety reforms (the national worker register, mandatory child safety training, device rules, 24-hour notifications, tripled penalties and expanded regulator powers), with constructive relationships with the NSW and Victorian regulators and the Commonwealth.

People: attraction, retention, rostering and development of centre directors and educators; award compliance; a leadership bench that is ready for growth.

Commercial performance: occupancy and enrolment conversion, fee and CCS strategy in the 3 Day Guarantee environment, cost control and each centre's P&L, with clear KPIs and a monthly operating rhythm reported to the Managing Director.

Growth: opening new centres from provider and service approval through to full occupancy, working with the in-house development and construction teams, and integrating each new service into one consistent operating model.

Systems and operating model: standardised policies, procedures and playbooks; effective use of CCMS, family communication and workforce platforms; data and reporting that lets the leadership team see every centre at a glance.

Family experience and reputation: enquiry-to-enrolment conversion, parent communication, and the standing of each centre in its local community.

What success looks like in the first 18 months

Every centre holding, or on a credible path to, Meeting or Exceeding NQS.

A compliance and child safety framework that is audit-ready every day, not just at assessment.

Occupancy and profitability targets met across the network, with mature centres at benchmark and new centres ramping to plan.

The next new centres opened on time, approved without issue and filling on schedule.

A stable, capable leadership bench, with educator turnover trending down.

A monthly operating rhythm the Managing Director and owners can rely on.

About you

A proven multi-site operator in early childhood education and care (or a comparable regulated, people-intensive sector such as aged care, disability, health or education), with experience leading a portfolio of services through area or regional managers.

Deep working knowledge of the National Quality Framework, the National Law and Regulations, Child Safe Standards and the CCS and Family Assistance Law framework, and current on the 2025 and 2026 reforms.

P&L ownership with a track record of lifting occupancy and margin without compromising quality.

Experience opening or scaling services; greenfield openings are strongly regarded.

A hands-on, systems-minded leader who is comfortable in an owner-led business where decisions are made quickly and followed through.

High integrity and sound judgement. For you, child safety is the first consideration, not a compliance item.

Willing to travel regularly to centres across NSW and Victoria.

Tertiary qualifications in business, early childhood or a related field; postgraduate qualifications are well regarded.

You will be nominated as a person with management or control of the approved provider and must satisfy the fitness and propriety requirements under the National Law. Appointment is subject to current Working with Children Checks for NSW and Victoria, a National Police Check and completion of the mandatory national child safety training.

What we offer

An executive package of base salary, superannuation and a performance-based incentive, set to attract an outstanding operator.

A real seat at the table: strategy, capital allocation and growth decisions are made with you, not around you.

The backing of a well-capitalised private group with a funded pipeline and in-house development capability.

A head office base in Sydney, with regular time in centres.