Kindergarten Improvement Advisor

Department of Education; Ballarat; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Education in Victoria is seeking a Kindergarten Improvement Advisor (0.7 FTE, ongoing) to advise, support and build the capacity of funded kindergarten services to continually improve service quality, especially through the Best Start and Best Life reforms and the delivery of School Readiness Funding.

The role requires experience in an early learning context, strong interpersonal and analytical skills, and the ability to lead collaborative work with services, schools and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education – Early Childhood.
• Experience in an early childhood setting or transferrable knowledge is desirable.
• Current Working with Children Check/VIT is required.
• Flexibility during surge activity is required.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain relationships with funded kindergarten services.
• Apply problem-solving skills to manage issues and decisions.
• Utilise department systems for Kindergarten Information and Service Agreement Management.
• Engage in data-driven conversations to identify needs of services.
• Foster collaboration across the community.
• Understand current research in the early childhood sector and its implications.
• Advise Early Childhood Improvement Manager on delivery issues.
• Enable collaboration between early childhood services and schools.
• Implement quality assurance to deliver reforms.
• Support services to develop plans in response to reform funding.
• Advise and support kindergartens to plan use of allocated reform funding.
• Collaborate as part of a team and strengthen Area/state-wide connections including VECRA.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Influencing skills

Analytical skills

VEYLDF knowledge

Group facilitation

Stakeholder management

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Education – Early Childhood

Job description

The Kindergarten Improvement Advisor role is to advise, support and build the capacity of funded kindergarten services to continuously improve service quality, particularly through the implementation of early childhood reforms, Best Start, Best Life reforms and the delivery of School Readiness Funding.

This is a 0.7 FTE, ongoing role

About the Department

The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.

About the Branch

The Early Childhood Improvement Branch implements key government Early Childhood policy, initiatives, reforms, and strategies at a local level. The Early Childhood Improvement Branch ensures a dedicated team supports Early Childhood providers and services in Areas. The Branch has multiple responsibilities, including supporting services with kindergarten programs and the implementation of the suite of Early Childhood reforms including, Pre-Prep, three-year-old kindergarten and the Best Start, Best Life reforms, as well as driving improvement in service delivery and outcomes for children across the Early Childhood sector.

About the Role

The Kindergarten Improvement Advisor role is to advise, support and build the capacity of funded kindergarten services to continuously improve service quality, particularly through the implementation of early childhood reforms, Best Start, Best Life reforms and the delivery of School Readiness Funding.

The Kindergarten Improvement Advisor will need to draw on experience and knowledge in an early learning context, administration of early childhood services and curriculum delivery. To be successful in this role you should have excellent interpersonal, influencing, and analytical skills. You will possess a strong understanding of quality pedagogical practices and a strong knowledge of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). Group facilitation skills and experience would be an advantage. You will play a lead role in strengthening early childhood service collaboration, which will ultimately support services through a time of significant reform activity, help create a culture of trust and reflection, and improve transitions for children and families between services and into school. Flexibility will be required during periods of surge activity.

Key responsibilities of the role may include:

• establishingandmaintainingstrong working relationships with funded kindergarten services.
• applying problem-solving skills to manage problems and decisions
• utilise department systems, including the Kindergarten Information and Service Agreement Managementsystems.
• engaging in meaningful conversations with services, using data and evidence, toidentifyand address theneeds of the services as it relates to educationally disadvantaged children.
• fostering the development of collaborative relationships widely in the community.
• understanding current research and developments in the early childhood sector,identifyingimplicationsandopportunities
• provideadvice to the Early Childhood Improvement Manager on delivery issues, operationalperspectivesand policy implications
• enabling collaboration between early childhood services and schools to build local communities of practice.
• implementing quality assurance measures to ensure that early childhood reforms are delivered in line with Departmental requirements.
• providing support,toolsand advice to early childhood service providers toassistthem to develop plans in response to their identified challenges in delivering early childhood reforms.
• advising and supporting funded kindergartens to plan the best use ofallocatedEarly Childhood reform funding.This may include, but is not limited to, receipting, reviewing, signingoffand approving Early Childhood reform funding plans.
• working collaboratively as part of a team and strengthening Area and state-wide connections including the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Division. (VECRA)

Attributes

To be successful in this role the ideal candidate will have the following attributes and capabilities:

• Strong project management skillsandability touse critical thinking and problem-solving skills to provide innovative solutions to complex issues
• Excellentstakeholder management and influencing skills, including theability to build and develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability towork collaboratively within amultidisciplinaryteam
• Capacity to effectively analyse data and utilise this to inform decision makingandbe able to work proactively and independently

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Desirable: ABachelor'sdegree in Education– Early Childhood.

Desirable: Recent relevant experience in an early childhood setting,orother clearly relevant and transferrable knowledge and skills.

The successful applicant will be required to provide a current Working with Children Check/VIT

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Sean Fernandes, Senior Kindergarten Improvement Advisor, Early Childhood Improvement Branch, Central Highlands Area via (03) 70051*** or **************@education.vic.gov.au

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g. large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close 11:59pm on 24-Sep-2026