Kindergarten Operations & Administration Coordinator

Lady Forster Kindergarten; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Lady Forster Kindergarten is hiring a full-time Kindergarten Operations & Administration Coordinator to manage daily administration while supporting education delivery. The role blends reception, enrolments, compliance and records with educator duties when needed, including a 3.5-hour on-call component.

You will coordinate staff rosters, support leadership recruitment, handle onboarding, and maintain compliant records.

Qualifications

• Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (or studying toward)
• Current First Aid, Mandatory Reporting, National Child Safety training, and WWC Check
• Proven administrative experience in an early childhood setting, including rostering
• Ability to manage the weekly 3.5-hour out-of-hours on-call component

Responsibilities

• Coordinate staff rosters and backfill for staff absences, including on-call cover.
• Support leadership recruitment and manage the casual educator pool.
• Handle day-to-day administration: reception, phone, email, filing and ordering.
• Maintain compliant records for staff, children, families and visitors; monitor child safety compliance.
• Support financial administration as directed (funding, fees, expenditure, budgets).
• Assist Leadership Team with workflows and tasks as required.

Skills

Staff rostering

Administrative experience

MS Office

Early childhood experience

Education

Certificate III or Diploma in ECE

Tools

MS Office

ECEC software

Job description

Kindergarten Operations & Administration Coordinator

We're seeking a full-time Administration Assistant & Educator to support the kindergarten's day-to-day administration alongside education delivery. This new role relieves the Kindergarten Manager and Leadership Team of routine admin – reception, enrolment, compliance and record keeping – while blending administrative work with early childhood education. Ideally, you'll already have an early childhood qualification (or be willing to work towards one) to support the team as an Educator when needed. Coordinating staff rosters and cover for planned and unplanned absences (including an out-of-hours on-call component) is a central part of the role.

About Us

Join our much-loved community kindergarten, uniquely located on the Elwood foreshore, with more than 100 years of history. This is a chance to join a warm, supportive team and contribute to a rich nature-based program in a beautiful beachside setting.

Key Responsibilities

Coordinate staff rosters and organise backfill for staff absences, including out-of-hours on-call cover; adapt long-term rosters for staffing changes.

Support leadership recruitment, coordinate the casual educator pool, and manage staff induction, onboarding and records.

Provide day-to-day admin: reception, phone, email, filing, correspondence and ordering.

Maintain compliant records for staff, children, families and visitors; welcome visitors and monitor for child safety compliance.

Assist families with enquiries, information and documentation.

Support financial administration as directed, including funding, fees, expenditure and budgets.

Support the Leadership Team and teachers with workflows and tasks as required.

Implement OH&S practices, and work in accordance with the National Law, National Regulations, NQS and all child safety and privacy requirements.

Provide educator support to programs where required, not exceeding an average of 19 hours pw.

Hours of Work

The Employee works a standard 38-hour week with all works undertaken on site.

The role incorporates a 3.5-hour allocation designated for out-of-hours ‘on-call’ staffing coordination.

On-Site Roster Schedule

Monday to Friday: 8:30 am – 4:50 pm daily (7.6 work hours + 45-minute unpaid lunch break)

Weekly Allocation: 19 hours for administration (minimum) and no more than 19 hours for educator duties/cover

About You

Minimum Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (or studying towards or willingness to undertake this study)

Current First Aid, Mandatory Reporting, National Child Safety training, and WWC Check + Federal Police Check (or willingness/eligibility to provide these prior to commencement)

Proven administrative experience, ideally in an early childhood setting, including staff rostering and arranging cover to meet regulatory ratio requirements.

Willingness and capability to manage the weekly 3.5-hour out-of-hours on-call component.

Strong MS Office skills; familiarity with early childhood software platforms is desirable.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a friendly, professional demeanour.

Experience or strong interest in outdoor education, beach/bush kinder, sustainability and play-based learning.

Work-Life balance: Predictable daily work hours with structured, transparent boundaries around your on-call times.

Growth: Ongoing professional development, mentoring and support for further study.

Environment: A heavily supported, well-resourced kindergarten with a collaborative and passionate team.

Remuneration: A competitive salary that matches your experience and qualifications, fully aligned with the VECTEA and CSA frameworks.

Lady Forster Kindergarten is a child safe and equal opportunity employer. We are committed to child safety and have zero tolerance of child abuse. Applicants should be aware that we carry out Working With Children, Police Records and reference checks to ensure we are recruiting the right people.