Early Years Inclusion and Access Officer (CALD)

City of Melbourne; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Parental leave

Career progression

Hybrid working

Job summary

The City of Melbourne is seeking an experienced Early Years Access & Inclusion Officer (CALD Outreach) to deliver targeted outreach, engagement and support to CALD families facing barriers to kindergarten access.

You will work with families, services, schools and community organisations to enable participation in funded programs and successful transitions to school. A Bachelor's degree and 4+ years’ CALD experience are preferred, with hybrid working options available.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience engaging CALD families and communities in early years services.
• Knowledge of kindergarten enrolment processes and supports for vulnerable children.
• Proven ability to build partnerships with schools, services and community agencies.
• Strong communication, administration and data management skills.
• Bachelor-level qualification in a related discipline is required.

Responsibilities

• Engage directly with CALD families to identify and address barriers to accessing kindergarten and early years services.
• Build partnerships with early childhood services, schools and community organisations to boost participation.
• Support enrolment, funding options and transition to school while maintaining records.
• Deliver outreach activities and information sessions to increase awareness of services.
• Maintain accurate data collection and reporting to support program outcomes.

Skills

Community engagement

Stakeholder management

Outreach planning

Communication

Data management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or related field

Job description

Early Years Inclusion and Access Officer (CALD)

Are you passionate about creating equitable access to early learning opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families?

The City of Melbourne is seeking an experienced and community-focused Early Years Access & Inclusion Officer (CALD Outreach) to deliver targeted outreach, engagement and support to families experiencing barriers to accessing kindergarten programs. In this rewarding role, you will work alongside families, early childhood services, schools and community organisations to help children access high-quality early learning opportunities and achieve positive educational outcomes.

This role provides targeted support to CALD families to navigate kindergarten enrolments, access available funding and referral pathways, and successfully transition children from kindergarten to school. Through community-based outreach and engagement, you will play a key role in increasing participation in funded kindergarten programs and strengthening connections between families and the services that support them.

The successful candidate will hold a relevant Bachelor's qualification in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Education, Community Development or a related discipline, together with a minimum of four years' demonstrated experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Experience within the early years, kindergarten, family services, community engagement, settlement or migrant support sectors will be highly regarded.

Given the outreach nature of the position, you will be confident building trusted relationships with vulnerable families and community stakeholders, working independently across community settings, and navigating complex service systems to achieve positive outcomes for children and families. Bilingual or multilingual language skills, along with experience working with refugee and newly arrived communities, will be highly regarded.

A little more about the role

• Engage directly with CALD families to identify and address barriers to accessing kindergarten and early years services.
• Build strong partnerships with early childhood services, schools, migrant and settlement organisations, and community agencies to improve participation in early learning programs.
• Support children and families through kindergarten enrolment, referral pathways, funding options and successful transition to school while maintaining accurate program records and reporting.
• Deliver community outreach activities, information sessions and tailored support to increase awareness and access to early years services.
• Maintain accurate records, data collection and reporting to support program outcomes and continuous improvement.

Located on the traditional lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation, Melbourne is globally recognised as one of the most liveable, diverse, and dynamic cities.

At the heart of it all is the City of Melbourne – a passionate, purpose-driven organisation where your work truly matters. As part of Team Melbourne, you will help deliver what is most important to the people who live, work, study, visit and invest in our great city.

We are proud champions of diversity, committed to continuous improvement, and driven by a shared vision for a vibrant and sustainable future.

This is more than just a role – it is your chance to make a real impact, contribute to something bigger, and shape Melbourne’s future alongside a collaborative and forward-thinking team.

About you

You are an experienced community engagement professional who is passionate about inclusion, equity and culturally responsive practice. You bring strong outreach skills and enjoy building trusted relationships with families, community organisations and service providers. You are comfortable working autonomously in community settings while effectively managing partnerships, referrals, administration and reporting requirements.

What your experience might look like - Key selection Criteria

• Demonstrated experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families and communities, ideally within early years, family services, community development or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of kindergarten enrolment processes, early years service systems, referral pathways and supports available for vulnerable children and families.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships, engage hard-to-reach communities and navigate barriers to service access.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Education (Early Years/Primary) or a related discipline.
• Highly developed communication, administration, record-keeping and data management skills

Benefits of working with us

• Attractive remuneration & benefits: Excellent pay package with a range of exciting benefits. Flexible working, study assistance & other great corporate discounts.
• Excellent leave entitlements: Enjoy up to 20 weeks of fully paid parental leave for primary carers, in addition to the government-funded parental leave, with no waiting period to access. Part-time equivalents are also available for added flexibility.
• Career progression: Career development support and opportunities to learn new skills within a creative and exciting environment.
• Work-life balance and hybrid working: We support flexible hours, alternative work arrangements (like ADOs), and hybrid work-from-home options.

We are a child safe organisation.

We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ individuals, and people of all ages and faith backgrounds.

We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support all applicants. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application prompts or inform our Careers team if you’re contacted for an interview.

Need more info?

Refer to the position description below or contact Anita Dukic Coordinator Parenting Services – ***********@melbourne.vic.gov.au

Inclusion matters

We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ individuals, and people of all ages and faith backgrounds.

We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support all applicants. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application prompts or inform our Careers team if you’re contacted for an interview.