Room Leader / Lead Educator

Smart Cookies ELC; Sydney; On-site; AUD 52,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Worker Retention Payment approved

Ongoing professional development

Career progression opportunities

Autonomy to lead your own room

Employee recognition programs

Regular team celebrations and socials

Own room in a brand-new centre

Architecturally designed facilities &外

Job summary

Smart Cookies Early Learning Centre in Sydney is seeking experienced Room Leaders to help establish a brand-new centre from the ground up. You will own your room, shape routines, and drive educational excellence from day one.

Ideal candidates hold a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care, with leadership experience in ECE, WWC checks and safety certifications. Join a supportive, family-owned team and grow with a new centre in Ermington.

Qualifications

• Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (or ACECQA-equivalent).
• Experience as Room Leader or similar leadership in ECE.
• Current Working With Children Check and relevant safety certificates.
• First Aid, CPR, Asthma & Anaphylaxis certifications.
• National Child Safety Training Certificate and related training.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily room operations and deliver exceptional educational outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with children, families and the local community.
• Mentor and support educators to achieve best practice.
• Plan and implement engaging programs aligned with the Early Years Framework.
• Maintain compliance with NQF, National Regulations and Child Safe Standards.
• Complete observations and learning outcomes to a high standard.
• Create safe, inclusive and inspiring learning environments for children.
• Support Assessment & Rating readiness and QI initiatives.
• Help establish a collaborative, positive culture as a foundation leader.

Skills

Room Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Documentation

Relationship building

Education

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Job description

Because Exceptional Early Learning Starts with Exceptional People

• Join a values-led, family-owned organisation where your contribution is recognised, celebrated and genuinely valued
• Enjoy competitive hourly rates circa $38 - $43 per hour, outstanding benefits, ongoing professional development and real opportunities for career growth
• Be part of a supportive team that empowers educators to inspire children, build meaningful relationships and make a lasting impact
• Help shape brighter futures in warm, inclusive learning environments where children, families and educators thrive

As we prepare to open our brand-new, architecturally designed 75-place Early Learning Centre in Ermington, we're looking for experienced Room Leaders who want the rare opportunity to help establish a new service from the ground up. We also expect our Educators to hold child safety as paramount in every aspect of their practice. This is your chance to shape your own learning environment, build lasting relationships with families from day one, and contribute to a positive culture that will set the foundation for years to come.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the Centre Director, you'll take ownership of your own room while helping establish the culture, routines and educational excellence of our newest service before welcoming our very first families.

More specifically, your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leading the daily operations of your room while delivering exceptional educational outcomes
• Building strong relationships with children, families and the local community
• Mentoring and supporting educators to achieve best practice outcomes
• Planning and implementing engaging educational programs aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework
• Maintaining compliance with the National Quality Framework, National Regulations and Child Safe Standards
• Completing observations, documentation and learning outcomes to a high standard
• Creating safe, inclusive and inspiring learning environments where children can thrive
• Supporting Assessment & Rating readiness and continuous quality improvement initiatives
• Helping establish a collaborative, positive culture as one of the foundation leaders of our newest centre

About You

To qualify, you'll need a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (or an ACECQA-approved equivalent qualification). Previous experience as a Room Leader, Lead Educator or similar leadership role within an Early Childhood Education setting will also be essential.

You will also hold:

• Current Working With Children Check
• Current First Aid, CPR, Asthma & Anaphylaxis certifications
• Accredited Child Protection Training Certificate
• National Child Safety Training Certificate

The following experience and skills will also be highly regarded:

• Strong understanding of the National Quality Framework and National Quality Standards
• Experience preparing for or participating in Assessment & Rating
• Confidence mentoring and supporting educators
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Strong organisational and documentation abilities

As our ideal candidate, you'll be a passionate and confident leader who genuinely enjoys developing others while creating exceptional learning environments for children. You'll thrive in a collaborative team, embrace new opportunities, and be excited by the opportunity to help build a brand-new centre from the ground up.

If you're looking for more than just your next role and want the opportunity to leave your mark while helping shape an exciting new service, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Benefits

Your experience and leadership will be rewarded with a competitive hourly rate circa $38 - $43 per hour + Super, together with an outstanding range of benefits including:

• Worker Retention Payment approved service
• Ongoing professional development and career progression opportunities
• Genuine autonomy to lead your own room
• Support from an experienced, family-owned leadership team
• Employee recognition programs including Employee of the Month
• Regular team celebrations and social events
• The opportunity to establish your own room within a brand-new, purpose-built centre
• Beautiful architecturally designed facilities featuring dedicated outdoor play spaces for every room

About Us

We are more than educators, we are partners in your child's early journey. We value strong, respectful relationships with families and the community, and we invest in ongoing professional learning to uphold the highest standards of care and education.