Area Manager Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten | Melbourne VIC Full Time | South Yarra Office Travel Across Victoria Connect, Learn & Grow with Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten At Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten, we are committed to providing high quality learning experiences that nurture confident, capable, and curious children. Since our foundation in 2017, we have grown rapidly and now operate 42 centres across Melbourne, regional Victoria, Western Australia and New South Wales (VIC, WA and NSW), with a strong pipeline of new centres opening each year. As part of this growth, we are seeking an experienced and values driven Area Manager to lead a portfolio of new and recently opened centres. This is a unique opportunity to build high performing teams from day one and shape the success of new services across Victoria. The Opportunity As an Area Manager, you will lead multiple centres through pre-opening, launch, and their first 12 months of operation, ensuring each service is set up for long term success. Key Responsibilities Centre Set Up & Launch • Lead end to end centre set up including environments, resources, and operational readiness • Partner with internal teams to ensure centres are fully prepared for opening day • Establish strong foundations, systems, and consistent ways of working Leadership & Team Development • Build, mentor, and support Centre Managers to lead confident and capable teams • Create a strong, values aligned culture across your portfolio • Coach leaders across performance, engagement, and development Recruitment & Workforce Planning • Partner closely with Talent Acquisition to build high quality teams • Support onboarding and ensure teams are set up for success • Drive retention strategies during the critical first 12 months Compliance & Quality • Oversee pre-service approvals, licensing, and regulatory requirements • Ensure strong understanding and implementation of the National Quality Framework • Embed compliance, safety, and quality practices across all centres Occupancy & Growth • Drive occupancy growth through community engagement and enrolment strategies • Support Centre Managers to build strong relationships with families • Monitor centre performance and implement strategies to achieve targets Operational Excellence • Support centres through the critical first 3 to 12 months of operation • Identify risks early and proactively implement solutions • Ensure consistency, structure, and accountability across your portfolio Location & Travel This role supports centre openings across Victoria, including regional areas, Northern suburbs, South East, and Western suburbs. We are looking for a flexible and committed leader who is comfortable travelling regularly to support multiple services. • Travel required across metro and regional Victoria • Opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio of new and growing centres • Company provided car to support travel across all locations • Play a key role in multiple centre openings across the state About You • Proven experience as an Area Manager or multi-site Centre Manager • Experience supporting new or recently opened centres highly regarded • Strong knowledge of the National Quality Framework and compliance requirements • Confident leader with the ability to coach, influence, and build high performing teams • Highly organised with strong problem solving and decision making skills • Thrives in a fast paced, high growth environment • Strong focus on people, culture, and engagement • Relevant qualification • Full driver licence and willingness to travel across Victoria Why Join Aspire At Aspire, we are building more than centres — we are building careers, teams, and communities. • Opportunity to lead new centres and shape them from day one • Work closely with a supportive and experienced leadership team • Company car and phone provided • Attractive salary package with incentives • Up to 50% childcare discount • Paid Birthday Leave • Wellbeing Leave • 24/7 Employee Assistance Program • Ongoing professional development and career progression pathways • Be part of a rapidly growing organisation with strong future opportunities Apply Now Join us in building something new and making a real impact from day one. We review applications as they are received, so apply early to avoid missing out.
