The Spot Visit Team is a newly established regulatory function within the Department of Education, created in response to the Early Childhood Education and Care (Strengthening Regulation of Early Childhood Education) Bill 2025 . The team will play a crucial role in safeguarding the quality, safety, and compliance of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services by conducting unannounced inspections 'spot visits' across approved providers. These inspections will strengthen the Department's ability to identify non-compliance early, ensuring adherence to the Family Assistance Law and respond quickly to the risk to children's health, safety, and wellbeing. If you are passionate about integrity, accountability, and improving outcomes for children and families, we encourage you to apply and help drive meaningful change. The key duties of the position include As an APS Level 5 Compliance Officer , you will be part of a dynamic, field-based team conducting unannounced visits to ECEC services. Your role is critical in assessing compliance with legislative requirements under the Family Assistance Law, gathering evidence, and reporting findings to support the safety, wellbeing, and development of children. In this role, you will be responsible for the following: Undertaking regional and interstate travel to conduct unannounced spot visits to ECEC services in accordance with department protocols. Observe and record compliance with regulations under the Family Assistance Law to uphold the integrity of the Child Care Subsidy and referring non-compliant matters for appropriate action when necessary. Engage respectfully with the service providers to clarify observed practises, seek supporting documentation and support a culture of continuous improvement within the sector by providing feedback and guidance. Prepare factual reports and data entries in regulatory systems for review by a senior officer. Contribute to continuous improvement of inspection procedures by providing feedback on field protocols. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to support information sharing. Engage in the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of systems to support the Spot Visit team, including reviewing templates, standard operating procedures and reports. APS Level 6 Senior Compliance Officers , reporting to the Assistant Director, will lead and coordinate compliance visits, mentor APS5 officers, and ensure findings are accurate, well-evidenced, and aligned with legislative intent. They will act as a key liaison between field teams and policy or legal areas within the Department, supporting the consistent application of strengthened regulatory powers. In this role, you will be responsible for: Undertaking regional and interstate travel to conduct unannounced spot visits to ECEC services in accordance with departmental protocols. Gathering and recording evidence of compliance with the Family Assistance Law to uphold the integrity of the Child Care Subsidy and referring non-compliant matters for appropriate action when necessary. Researching, interpreting, and maintaining up to date knowledge of relevant legislation and policy, ensuring decisions comply with applicable Acts, delegations, and authorisations. Applying sound professional judgement to assess risks to children's safety and wellbeing. Preparing clear and accurate reports that may inform compliance notices, enforcement actions, or legal proceedings. Engaging with internal and external stakeholders, including state and territory regulatory bodies, and facilitating effective information sharing. Preparing a range of documents including ministerial briefs, reports, guidelines, and standard operating procedures. Actively contributing to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of systems that support the strategic direction of the branch. Reporting to the Director, the Executive Level 1 Assistant Director leads a Spot Visit sub-team, setting strategic priorities and overseeing compliance monitoring and assessment activities for ECEC services. This role is pivotal in applying the new powers under the Strengthening Regulation of Early Childhood Education Bill 2025, and is accountable for decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and performance outcomes. In this role, you will be responsible for: Maintaining a well-developed understanding of relevant legislation, policies, and frameworks, with a particular focus on compliance and regulatory enforcement. Using sound judgement and analytical skills to interpret and assess evidence and data gathered through visits and applying findings to inform policy proposals and program decisions. Leading engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including internal teams, child care providers, sector peak bodies, third-party software providers, and other Commonwealth Government agencies. Overseeing the drafting, preparation, and dissemination of a variety of documents, including ministerial briefings and reports for senior executives, ensuring complex ideas are communicated clearly and effectively. Managing a small team conducting spot visits, driving outcomes across a program of work aimed at reducing fraudulent and non-compliant claims for the Child Care Subsidy.
