Director, National Early Childhood Policy

Council Jobs; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 149,000 - 167,000; Full time

Job summary

The ACT Government Education Directorate seeks a Director, National Early Childhood Policy to lead and manage teams delivering national policy reform for early childhood development. You will provide strategic policy advice to the Senior Executive and Minister, representing the ACT in national forums and managing complex projects within the Wellbeing Framework.

Temporary position until 31 December 2027 with ABW/mobile work arrangements; based in Canberra with flexible site collaboration across

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience implementing large-scale system reforms, policies and projects.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to represent the ACT’s views in national forums.
• Experience leading teams and managing workloads, priorities, and risks.
• Record of engaging and consulting with stakeholders to build quality relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage team(s) negotiating and delivering national early childhood policy reform.
• Provide strategic policy advice to the Senior Executive and the Minister.
• Represent the ACT Government on matters relating to early childhood education and care locally and nationally.
• Manage policy, financial, governance, and evaluation activities of national early childhood projects.

Job description

Director, National Early Childhood Policy

Classification: Senior Officer Grade B
Salary: $149,172 - $167,151 plus superannuation
Position No: 61961
Directorate: Education
Advertised (Gazettal date): 03 November 2026
Contact Officer: Sybilla Meeth on*************@act.gov.auor(02) 6205 3***

Details:

• Lead and manage team(s) negotiating and delivering national early childhood policy reform, ensuring the Territory’s position is clear, and reform is implemented effectively in the ACT context.
• Provide complex, strategic and policy advice to the Senior Executive and the Minister on matters relating to national early childhood policy.
• Represent the ACT Government and the Directorate on matters relating to early childhood education and care, both locally and nationally.
• Manage and provide advice on policy, financial, governance, and implementation and evaluation activities of national early childhood projects, in line with best-practice approaches and the ACT Government’s Wellbeing Framework.
• Manage and provide advice on communication plans, stakeholder management plans and other managing resources.
• Manage and provide advice on contractual, financial and governance arrangements of early childhood policy and projects, including managing contracts and Deeds of Grant, performance and financial reporting, and data collection activities.
• Demonstrate effective problem-solving skills with a focus on connections, engagement and inclusion.
• Negotiate, liaise and collaborate with a broad range of community and government stakeholders on aspects of early childhood.
• Provide leadership and direction under the Education Act 2004, the Education and Care Services National Law (ACT) Act 2011 and the Children and Young People Act 2008.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where people with diverse thoughts, lived experience, and perspectives can thrive and contribute their unique talents to the ACTPS and ACT community. We encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, veterans, younger and older workers, and people with diverse genders, sexes and sexualities to apply.

Eligibility/Other requirements:

• Demonstrated experience in implementing large-scale system reforms, policies, and projects, including strong communication skills and the ability to represent the ACT’s views in national forums.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams, including managing own and other’s workloads, competing priorities, working under pressure, and anticipating and mitigating risks.
• Evidence of impact leading engagement and consultation processes that build quality relationships with stakeholders, including highly developed interpersonal and representational skills.
• A record of developing innovative approaches to the implementation of policies and projects, within the context of the ACTPS values and signature behaviours.

Notes: This is a temporary position available immediately until 31 December 2027 with the possibility of extension. Selection may be based on written application and referee reports only. A Merit Pool may be established from this selection process and used to fill vacancies over the next 12 months. This position is designed for flexible work arrangements and activity-based working (ABW). We work in a mixed-mode of at home and at multiple ACT Whole-Of-Government sites. Officers are expected to work flexibly across sites. This position is based in the Directorate’s Education Support Office (ESO) with office-based conditions. This role requires the successful candidate to be based in Canberra due to the nature of the work and the need for regular collaboration with ACT-based stakeholders. Remote working arrangements outside of the ACT and local surrounds will not be considered.

Closes: 10 November 2026

Note: Under the ACTPS employment framework you may be placed in another role where required for the efficient administration of the service.

Where an offer of employment is for a fixed-term period, any related temporary contracts within the Territory will be issued in compliance with the requirements and applicable exceptions outlined in the Fair Work Act.

The ACT public service is committed to closing the gap, underpinned by the belief that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a genuine say in the design and delivery of policies, programs and services that affect them, better life outcomes are achieved. More information can be found here ACT Closing the Gap Implementation Plan - ACT Government Transparency Portal.

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