This role is a 24-month fixed term role until 30 June 2026About the DepartmentThe role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and societyAbout Early Learning VictoriaThe Victorian Government is establishing 50 government-owned and operated, Early Learning and Childcare Centres, offering childcare, Three and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten and Pre-Prep, where applicable. We are working with local government and the community to plan each centre, and we are looking for people who are passionate about early childhood education. These centres will be co-located with schools, hospitals, TAFEs and major employers, and may be co-located maternal and child health services and playgroups for convenient access. The first four will open in 2025, with all 50 open by 2032. Early Learning Victoria is being set up as a new business unit within the Department of Education to establish and operate the 50 centres. We are building a team of high performers, that are willing to be work adaptively to achieve this ambitious reform agendaAbout the RoleYou will support the Manager (Pedagogy and Practice) in developing policy, frameworks and program design to support the delivery of high-quality ECEC services across the centres. The role will also work closely with centre staff to build their Pedagogy and Practice knowledge and capabilities. This requires a deep understanding of best-practice research, along with recent Victorian ECEC practical experience. There will be a focus on embedding the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework into Early Learning Victoria's operational and policy decisions. It also includes providing expert advice and guidance in relation to the National Quality Framework, Child Safe Standards and the Education and Care Services National Law.Your duties will include
- Supporting centres to implement and embed the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, National Quality Framework and Child Safe Standards
- Developing policies and procedures that support the delivery of high quality Pedagogy and Practice, informed by best practice research
- Designing programs that support centre teams to build best practice knowledge and capability
- Supporting the development of networks and communities of practice between centres, ensuring a culture of reflective practice and continuous improvement is established and maintained
- Developing stakeholder relationships with relevant external and government departments to ensure accuracy, alignment and consistency of information
- Supporting centre teams through the Assessment and Rating process, working closely with the Senior Quality Improvement Officer to ensure consistency of advice across NQS Quality Areas
- Supporting infrastructure and procurement activities, applying a Pedagogy and Practice lens where relevant
- Policy development and design, including strong analytical, conceptual, and written communication skills
- Planning and managing timeframes, understanding the political and organizational environment
- Collaborating and building relationships within the department, government, and with external stakeholders
- Experience mentoring, coaching and working with centre based teams to deliver high quality education and care
- Recent practical experience within the early childhood education system
- Relevant tertiary qualification in early childhood education
- Understanding of the early childhood sector at a provider level is highly regarded
Location: Melbourne - CBD
Work Type: Fixed term - full time
Job Function: Policy
Classification: VPSG5
Salary Range: $106,534 - $128,897
Job Duration: 30/06/2026
Date posted: 28-Jun-2024
Application Close Date: 12-Jul-2024
Attachments: (Word, 73KB)
Position DescriptionContact:Helen WolfeHelen.Wolfe@education.vic.gov.au or 03 8904 2693