Lead with purpose, make an impact and shape the future with ECMS! At ECMS, we’re proud to be a not-for-profit community organisation that’s all about making a difference in the lives of children and families. With 75 kindergartens and early learning services across Melbourne, our team of 1100 dedicated people work together to create joyful and enriching learning experiences with the safeguarding of children at the centre of everything we do. We know that strong leadership creates strong futures for children. We’re looking for an inspiring and capable Area Manager to guide, develop and empower our service leaders across a portfolio of early learning services around south-east Melbourne (City of Casey and City of Cardinia). If you’re driven by high-quality education, continuous improvement and creating thriving team cultures, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference across multiple established and brand-new kindergartens In this influential role, you’ll work as part of a passionate multi-disciplinary team, ensuring our services deliver exceptional early childhood programs aligned with our organisational pedagogy and meet — or exceed — the National Quality Standards. You’ll bring strong people leadership, operational insight and a collaborative mindset to create sustainable, high-performing services where educators feel supported and children flourish. If you’re a values-led leader who thrives on coaching others, building relationships and driving positive outcomes for children, families and communities, we’d love to hear from you. This position is a full-time and comes with flexible working hours and work from home options. Our team of Area Managers understand the importance of relationship building and are out-and-about interacting at services and with their teams weekly. What will you do? Lead, coach and develop Service Leaders to build their capability, strengthen team culture, and drive high-quality educational practice across all services. Oversee operational, cultural and financial sustainability across a portfolio of sessional kindergartens, using data and insights to guide decision-making and continuous improvement. Ensure services meet and exceed the National Quality Standards (NQS), partnering with Practice Coaches and the Risk and Compliance Team to support quality, safety and regulatory compliance. Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, including families, Local Government Authorities, and the Department of Education, contributing to regional planning and community engagement. Drive reflective practice and professional growth, fostering a culture of learning, curiosity and continuous improvement within service teams. Support service planning, enrolment growth and workforce development, including annual service planning, effective staffing, and place-based strategies tailored to each community. More about you You are a born leadership and people developer! You inspire, mentor and empower Service Leaders and their teams to continue providing the highest quality care to children in our care. You are a strategic and operational thinker. You have strong commercial acumen and experience managing multiple services. You are able to use data, evidence, and insights to drive operational, cultural, and financial sustainability. You have great relationship building skills with the ability to build collaborative relationships with staff, families, stakeholders, and community partners. You hold significant educational and pedagogical expertise. You have a deep understanding of early childhood education, curriculum frameworks, and National Quality Standards. You take initiative and have problem solving skills. You are comfortable with change, challenging the status quo respectfully, and solving complex problems. A qualification in Early Childhood Education, WWCC/VIT registration, Victorian driver’s license, mandatory reporting certificate, police check (or willing to obtain) Why ECMS? 50% childcare discount! 6 weeks paid parental leave. Discounts to hundreds of retail and recreational activities such as Coles, JB-Hi-Fi and Booking.com. A chance to work in a highly flexible and outcome-focused organisation. Flexible working hours and work from home opportunities. Opportunity to accelerate your career due to high level of responsibility, opportunities and a 2% professional development budget catered just to you. ECMS is committed to the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children. Successful applicants are required to adhere to our child safe practices and policies located on our website. Applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from diverse communities and backgrounds are encouraged. If you're passionate about early childhood education and care, and you're looking for a rewarding career with a supportive and inclusive organisation, we encourage you to apply today! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. For more information contact Stephanie at scharalambous@ecms.org.au
