The Centre Director is accountable for high quality, safe and sustainable service delivery at Campus Kindy. In this capacity, the Centre Director will work with the Board, staff, children and wider community to develop the Centre’s operational strategy and will be the accountable officer for delivery on this strategy.
The Centre Director is responsible for the overarching leadership of the Kindy including effective stakeholder management including government funding agencies, industry accreditation bodies, the University of Queensland, parents, carers and children as well as prudent management of Centre facilities, physical and financial resources.
The Centre Director is also responsible for overseeing the ongoing maintenance of the Centre’s license to operate, audit preparation, record keeping, data management, administration, and any other compliance matters.
Leadership and Governance
- Engage in regular dialogue with the Board on key aspects of Centre operations including education strategy, financial performance, safety and compliance, parent and carer feedback, incident reporting
- Seeking regular evaluation and feedback from staff, Board, and parents to contribute to ensuring a culture of continuous improvement aimed at providing best practice in early childhood delivery
- Communicate in a timely manner to the Board any incidents and work in accordance with Board and policy direction to resolve or manage such incidents.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Development of strong trusting relationships between children, families, board, and staff.
- Proactively develop strategic relationships with key stakeholders including the University of Queensland, Gowrie (QLD)
- Support integrated service delivery through the development of professional networks with contacts outside Campus Kindergarten, including child health and other specialist services, UQ, schools, parenting and family support services.
- Facilitate and be an active participant in the centre’s calendar schedule including monthly staff meetings, board meetings, parent meetings, orientation days, information nights, annual general meetings, end of year celebrations, and other key events.
Operations
- Provide regular reports, including staffing, occupancy and child attendance reports to Board to assist budget monitoring and maintenance.
- Identify and prioritise building and equipment maintenance requirements and work with the Board to address these requirements.
- Oversee the consistent, systematic and effective systems for the maintenance of information and records.
Financial Management and Service Administration
- Oversee and monitor the centre budget and report monthly on status to the Board.
- Develop, implement and regularly review staff rosters to support high quality, staff equity and cost effective service provision.
- Authorise expenditure in accordance with the budget (subject to the approval of the Board for purchases exceeding the specified limit).
- Support timely and effective processing of data collection for related funding and accountability reports (e.g. Child Care Benefits through CCMS)
- Oversee the provision of timely information to third party supplier to enable the on-time payment of staff wages.
- Oversee (and approve as per delegations schedule) the procurement of education and facility resources.
- Identify potential funding sources and coordinate the preparation of funding submissions as appropriate.
Safety and Compliance
- Working to ensure a safe operating environment for staff, children, and visitors at all times, with a focus on also protecting our environment from harm by using sustainable practices/solutions and reducing or eliminating waste.
- Ensure that all statutory requirements with respect to the service are being met or exceeded (e.g., National Quality Framework, Approved Kindergarten Program Provider, funding agreements, and other relevant legislation and regulations) and organise accreditation where applicable.
- Accountability for Health and Safety including timely notification of incidents to relevant authorities (where applicable), record keeping, facilitating regular safety drills, (including fire evacuation and centre lock down procedures), ensuring safety management duties are assigned to responsible persons, hazards are reported and managed, risk assessments are completed and incorporated into all event/excursion management, daily equipment and environment checks are completed and damaged or faulty equipment is decommissioned, removed, and/or replaced.
Human Resource Management
- Contribute to the setting of annual professional development priorities for the Kindy teaching team and working with individual reports to identify individual professional development goals and plans.
- Oversee all teaching room staff recruitment and selection (with assistance from experienced teachers and / or Education Lead)
- Oversee daily roster and replacement of staff as necessary
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) or equivalent; Registration with the Queensland College of Teachers;
- First Aid Certificate; CPR Certificate; Asthma and Anaphylaxis certificated; Current Suitability Card and capacity to operate as Nominated Supervisor.
Experience, Knowledge and Skills (Selection Criteria):
- Qualifications as noted above
- Minimum five (5) years of teaching experience in kindergarten settings
- Minimum three (3) years operations management experience in a kindergarten or child care setting
- Proven track record in effectively managing kindy operations including financials, facilities, safety and regulatory compliance
- Strong working knowledge of the Queensland Kindergarten Guidelines, Early Years Learning Framework and experience in implementing the National Quality Standards
- Highly developed written and verbal communication skills including the ability to develop strong relationships with key stakeholders including parents, staff and children
- Ability to contribute to building and leading a professional and diverse team
- Experience in an education leadership role in a kindergarten setting (highly desirable)
Reports To: Campus Kindergarten Board
Location: Campus Kindergarten – University of QLD, St Lucia
Position Objective: Manage centre operations to enable a smooth running centre that enables the centre vision to be achieved.
Centre-Staff Values: Innovation; Accountability; Respectfulness; Communication; Commitment