Service Manager

Busy Bees Global; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Childcare fee discount

Learning & development

EAP support

Global Talent Exchange opportunities

Career progression

Job summary

Busy Bees is seeking a Centre Director for our Noarlunga Downs service in South Australia. You will lead daily operations, drive occupancy and financial performance, and build a capable leadership team within a Safety-first, child-centric culture.

You will ensure NQF and EYLF compliance, mentor staff, and develop strong partnerships with families and the local community, while aligning with Busy Bees values and strategic goals.

Qualifications

• Diploma or Bachelor qualification in Early Childhood Education and Care (ACECQA approved).
• Current Working with Children Check for SA.
• Proven experience leading a service, ideally within a medium to large centre.
• Strong knowledge of the National Quality Framework (NQF) and EYLF.
• Demonstrated ability to manage occupancy, rosters and financial performance.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operations of a high-quality early learning service.
• Drive occupancy growth and financial performance in line with budget targets.
• Build, mentor and retain a high-performing leadership team.
• Maintain compliance with the National Quality Framework and SA regulations.
• Foster a culture of safety, inclusion and educational excellence.
• Develop strong partnerships with families and the local community.
• Collaborate with Area Director and support functions to achieve strategic goals.
• Lead performance management, workforce planning and succession planning.

Skills

Leadership

Occupancy management

Staff development

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

ECE degree (ACECQA approved)

Job description

Centre Director | 2/8 Lovelock Drive, Noarlunga Downs SA 5168

Busy Bees is a leading global early learning provider, offering high-quality education in nurturing, purpose-built centres where educators are supported to grow, lead and make a real difference in children’s lives, with over 130 centres across Australia and around 3,000 employees.

Our Bee Safe Commitment: Child safety is at the heart of everything we do and is embedded in our people, places and processes. Help us give every child the Best Start in Life

We’re looking for an experienced Centre Director to lead our 97-place service at Noarlunga Downs. This is an exciting opportunity for a confident, hands-on leader who is passionate about developing teams, driving accountability and creating positive change.

Our beautiful, purpose-built centre is conveniently located close to shopping, cafes and the beach. With a large kitchen, an engaged team and strong foundations already in place, there’s a great opportunity to build on what we do well and take the service to the next level.

What you’ll do

• Lead the day-to-day operations of a high-quality early learning service.
• Drive occupancy growth and financial performance in line with budget targets.
• Build, mentor and retain a high-performing leadership team.
• Maintain compliance with the National Quality Framework and SA regulations.
• Foster a culture of safety, inclusion, and educational excellence.
• Develop strong partnerships with families and the local community.
• Collaborate with your Area Director and support functions to achieve strategic goals.
• Lead performance management, workforce planning, and succession planning.

What you’ll bring

• A genuine commitment to child safety, speaking up, always doing the right thing, and alignment with Busy Bees values.
• Diploma or Bachelor qualification in Early Childhood Education and Care (ACECQA approved).
• Current Working with Children Check for SA.
• Proven experience leading a service, ideally within a medium to large centre environment.
• Strong knowledge of the National Quality Framework (NQF), EYLF, and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage occupancy, rosters, and financial performance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Why Busy Bees?

Because we offer the B.E.E.S. advantage:
Better pay. Everyday balance. Education for growth. Support you can rely on.
We live by our values of Care, Quality, Service, and Value to make a real impact on child safety and quality.

• Opportunity to strengthen team capability and drive positive change.
• Family-friendly benefits; 50% childcare gap-fee discounts for permanent staff, because your family should benefit too.
• Paid learning & development; First Aid, CPR & mandatory training covered, ongoing professional development, and access to our Busy Bees learning platform and ACCCO RTO pathways.
• Supportive leaders & inclusive teams; hands-on leadership, strong tenure and a culture built on trust, respect and collaboration.
• Career pathways that grow with you; opportunities & training to progress from Educator to leadership, management and area roles.
• Global & national opportunities; connect with leaders across Australia and apply for our Global Talent Exchange Program (UK, Canada and Asia).
• Wellbeing support that goes beyond work; free, confidential EAP access for you and your immediate family, when you need it most.

Employment is conditional on satisfactory, rigorous pre-employment checks (including WWCC , ID, Qualifications, Gecko Training, Work Rights, NQAITS register/Prohibited Persons & References) and child safety training, reflecting our strong commitment to safeguarding, equity, diversity and inclusion.

We are proud to be a child safe organisation, putting child safety at the heart of everything we do through our Bee Safe commitment.

Why Work for Busy Bees?

If you’re passionate about early learning, Busy Bees is the place to be. Although we are part of a global organisation, our company was founded by three families looking for better, more enriching childcare. Three decades later, we still keep the same values at heart.

We know that we couldn’t do what we do without the important people in our teams. We invest in our people and work with them to build career pathways that inspire.