Operations Manager - Early Learning

Little Stars Holding Pty Ltd; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Little Stars Early Learning & Kindergarten in Melbourne seeks an experienced Operations Manager to lead a portfolio of services. You will be hands-on, visible in centres and focused on improving outcomes for children and families while balancing quality, compliance, and commercial performance.

Reporting to the General Manager, you will coach Centre Managers, drive occupancy and enrolments, and ensure high standards across all services in the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Significant multi-site operational experience in early childhood.
• Ability to drive occupancy, performance and quality compliance.
• Strong leadership and accountability across centres.

Responsibilities

• Providing strong, visible leadership across your portfolio of centres.
• Coaching and developing Centre Managers to accountable leaders.
• Driving occupancy, enquiries, tours, enrolments and retention.
• Monitoring wage performance and rostering to support staffing.
• Ensuring compliance, quality improvement and regulatory alignment.

Skills

Multi-site operations

Centre Manager coaching

Occupancy management

Quality & compliance

Job description

Little Stars Early Learning & Kindergarten

Little Stars Early Learning & Kindergarten is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Operations Manager to join our senior leadership team and support a portfolio of our early learning services.

This is a hands‑on operational leadership role for someone who enjoys being visible in services, developing Centre Managers, solving problems and driving results.

We are looking for a leader who can balance the two critical sides of successful early childhood operations: quality and compliance, alongside strong commercial and operational performance.

About the role

Reporting directly to the General Manager, you will take responsibility for the operational performance of a portfolio of Little Stars services in the South Eastern Suburbs. You will work closely with Centre Managers, providing clear direction, coaching and accountability while ensuring each service is delivering high‑quality outcomes for children and families. This is a hands‑on operational leadership role for someone who enjoys being visible in services, developing Centre Managers, solving problems and driving results. You will balance the two critical sides of successful early childhood operations: quality and compliance, alongside strong commercial and operational performance.

Key responsibilities

• Providing strong, visible leadership across your portfolio of centres
• Coaching and developing Centre Managers to become confident and accountable leaders
• Driving occupancy, enquiries, tours, enrolments and family retention
• Monitoring wage performance and supporting effective rostering and workforce management
• Maintaining a strong focus on compliance, quality and continuous improvement
• Supporting services through Assessment & Rating and regulatory requirements
• Reviewing centre KPIs and quickly responding when performance is below expectations
• Supporting Centre Managers with staffing, performance management and difficult operational matters
• Ensuring centres maintain excellent presentation and consistently high standards
• Building strong relationships with children, families, employees and local communities

About you

• Significant multi‑site operational experience within the Early Childhood Education and Care sector, with a demonstrated ability to improve centre performance
• Strong sense of urgency and accountability
• Proactive and doesn't wait to be told what needs to happen
• Comfortable having difficult conversations when required
• Can identify an issue and move quickly from problem → action → result
• Understands occupancy, labour management and the commercial drivers of an early learning service
• Can drive occupancy growth and strong conversion focus
• Strong knowledge of the NQF, National Law and Regulations and quality improvement processes
• Builds genuine relationships with Centre Managers while maintaining clear expectations
• Enjoys spending time in centres with teams, rather than managing solely from behind a desk