Early Years Regional Team Leader - Multi-Site experience required

Harrison McMillan Pty Ltd; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Harrison McMillan Pty Ltd in Melbourne seeks an accomplished Early Years Regional Team Leader to oversee a diverse portfolio of education and care services across multiple sites. This senior role involves guiding service leaders, building strong relationships with families, community partners and regulators, and shaping high-quality, inclusive programs.

You will lead across strategy, quality, compliance, and workforce development, ensuring safe operations and sustainable delivery while

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Early Childhood or related discipline.
• Substantial leadership experience in early years or regulated environments.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams across multiple sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead a significant multi-site early years portfolio.
• Shape service performance and workforce capability.
• Coach coordinators to deliver child-focused services.
• Oversee recruitment, induction and performance development.
• Translate government reform into practical service plans.

Skills

Leadership

Multi-site management

Stakeholder engagement

Change leadership

Education

Degree or Diploma in Early Childhood

Job description

Early Years Regional Team Leader - Multi-Site experience required

Lead quality, people and improvement across a multi-site early years portfolio

Location: Melbourne, Victoria | Classification: Senior local government leadership level | Employment checks: Police Check, Working with Children Check and valid Victorian driver’s licence

The Opportunity

An established public-sector organisation is seeking an accomplished early years leader to oversee a diverse portfolio of education and care services. This is a visible leadership role with genuine scope to influence service quality, workforce capability and long-term sustainability.

Working across several locations and program areas, you will guide experienced service leaders and multidisciplinary teams while building strong relationships with families, community partners, government agencies and regulators. Your leadership will help ensure children and families receive safe, inclusive, responsive and high-quality services.

What You Will Lead

• Lead a significant multi-site early years portfolio.
• Shape service performance, workforce capability and continuous improvement.
• Join a collaborative leadership group committed to better outcomes for children and families.

Key Responsibilities

• Coach and support centre coordinators, team leaders and support staff to deliver consistent, child-focused services.
• Set clear expectations, strengthen accountability and create an environment where people can develop and perform at their best.
• Oversee recruitment, induction, supervision, performance development and workforce planning.
• Lead teams confidently through service redesign, organisational change and improvement initiatives.
• Provide practical guidance on complex workforce, operational and service-delivery matters.
• Contribute to broader organisational priorities, leadership forums and emergency-management responsibilities when required.

Strategy and Service Development

• Translate organisational priorities and government reform into practical service plans.
• Use demographic information, community feedback, performance data and sector insights to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Embed evidence-informed practice, contemporary operating models and consistent procedures across the portfolio.
• Contribute to policy, consultation and cross-functional projects that improve access, quality and outcomes.

Quality, Compliance and Risk

• Maintain strong oversight of the National Quality Framework, Victorian Child Safe Standards, funding agreements and relevant legislation.
• Monitor service performance, quality indicators and compliance obligations, acting early where improvement is needed.
• Coordinate audits, regulatory reviews, corrective actions and risk-management activities.
• Build constructive working relationships with regulators, departments and funding bodies.
• Turn operational information into clear reporting, advice and recommendations.

Finance and Resources

• Plan, monitor and report on operational budgets and forecasts.
• Identify financial risks, improvement opportunities and actions that strengthen service sustainability.
• Ensure resources are used efficiently and public value remains central to decision making.
• Support compliant procurement, purchasing, subsidy administration and funding arrangements.
• Contribute to funding proposals, service agreements and external funding opportunities.

Partnerships and Community

• Develop trusted relationships with families, community organisations, providers and government stakeholders.
• Represent the organisation in committees, networks and professional forums.
• Build partnerships that improve participation, inclusion and outcomes for children and families.
• Handle complex enquiries and service concerns with sound judgement and a strong customer focus.
• Advocate for community needs and present at meetings or forums, including occasional activities outside standard business hours.

About You

You are a calm, credible and adaptable leader who can move comfortably between strategic thinking and day-to-day operational decisions. You understand the complexity of regulated early years services and know how to bring people with you through change.

To succeed, you will bring:

• A degree or diploma in Early Childhood, or a closely related discipline.
• Substantial leadership experience within early years, education and care, community services or a comparable regulated environment.
• A strong record of leading multidisciplinary teams across multiple services or sites.
• Detailed knowledge of the National Quality Framework, child-safe obligations, funding arrangements and relevant legislation.
• Experience in strategic planning, service development, quality assurance and continuous improvement.
• Confidence managing budgets, forecasts, resources and financial performance.
• Demonstrated capability in change leadership, workforce development and performance management.
• Highly developed communication, negotiation and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• The judgement to resolve unfamiliar issues and provide clear, evidence-based advice.
• Strong reporting, analytical and Microsoft Office skills.

Leadership Style

The organisation is seeking someone who acts with integrity, communicates openly, remains resilient under pressure and builds an inclusive, accountable culture. You will plan effectively, collaborate across functions and keep the needs of children, families and the community at the centre of decision making.

Child Safety Commitment

The employer is committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of children and young people. The successful candidate must uphold child-safe policies, procedures and codes of conduct and contribute to a culture of zero tolerance for abuse.

Pre-employment Requirements

• Current Victorian driver’s licence.
• Current Working with Children Check.
• Satisfactory police check.
• Valid Australian working rights.