Do Your Best Work At Choklits!

Role: Assistant Service Manager
Location: Surrey Hills
Employment status: Full-time
Salary band: Competitive, dependent on experience

Child Care Heroes: Shaping our Next Generation

Want to put your communication, leadership and educational skills to the test, challenge yourself to make a difference and support those shaping our next generation? Come be part of the future, today!

Do you dream of a role that’s not just a job, but a captivating adventure? Buckle up, because Choklits is here to challenge your expectations and redefine what childcare leadership looks like!

We’re not your typical child care centres; we’re a group of innovative thinkers and committed lifelong learners. We’re on a mission to do things a bit differently (and better) than the rest, and we’re looking for an Assistant Manager and Educational Leader to help lead the charge.

Picture this: You, at the heart of our curriculum, leading and overseeing our educators in their growth and development, ensuring our little learners get the learning experience they deserve. You’ll have the autonomy to create and craft our curriculum, all while backed by a team that’s as passionate about your success as you are.

We don’t just offer a job; we’re offering an opportunity for you to thrive, grow, and make a meaningful impact on the lives of children as part of our incredible team. At Choklits, we’re not just about childcare; we’re about building careers, pushing boundaries, and creating a brighter future.

If you’re ready to take your coaching and leadership skills to new heights then read on and we could be redefining what’s possible in childcare, together.

Children our our future

We are an all-inclusive child care and early learning organisation operating in multiple locations across Melbourne’s East. We believe childhood is much more than the first stage of life, we believe it’s the most important. When children come to Choklits they get to learn through play, make new friends, develop skills and habits that will become their advantage in life, and they get to have fun.

Our dedicated team of 140+ work tirelessly to ensure that every child and family has a meaningful early education experience. We’re sure you know that 90% of a child’s brain develops before they are 5 years old? We think that’s a pretty darn important time in your life and we’re looking for a superstar to help us carry this message. We provide early education and care for children from 6 weeks to 6 years, and implement a dynamic play-based learning approach to foster curiosity and a love of learning.

About the role

As our Educational Coordinator & Leader, you’ll lead our mission to foster a love of learning in young minds. We’re searching for a visionary who not only guides our educators with passion but also oversees the holistic growth of the centre. You will be responsible for ensuring high-quality educational programs are delivered, establishing strong bonds with our community, and helping maintain an environment that reflects sound early childhood principles.

You’ll have the opportunity to shape and grow the next phase of our Choklits Curriculum and leadership, including;

• Creating, cultivating and guiding our curriculum and practice
• Leading our team’s career development and upskilling their teaching 
• Drive the story of our brand, ensuring brands voice shines bright
• Report to and work with our Service Manager, and work collaboratively across multiple departments including finance.
• Be an advocate for children’s rights, needs, and interests.

If you’d been with us for the past month, here’s a peek at some of the things you would have achieved:

• Curriculum: assessed, guided and overseen the educational value being delivered by our educators, and ensured that our programs and lessons consistently achieve high ratings and reflect the diverse nature of our community.
• Community: engaged with our parents, families and careers to share, review and further develop our curriculum. You would have used the meetings to assess the running of the service and implemented suggestions and tested solutions for our continued improvement as a result.
• Team Development: Lead, supported, and mentored our team, ensuring their professional growth is set to ‘always on’. You would have reviewed our educators’ interactions, curriculum decisions, and ensured that children’s developmental needs are being addressed. You would have provided feedback, conducted appraisals, and ensured all regulatory requirements are met.
• Strategic Leadership & Management: in the possible absence of the Centre Manager you would have taken the rains and steered the course of the centre, ensuring a safe, stimulating, and happy environment for children and our team while maintaining and promoting professional standards and upholding a strong customer service focus.
• Operational Excellence: overseen our financial operations, reporting, and compliance aspects of the centre, ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all our team and children are being met. You would have taken on any urgent matters and solved them in accordance with Choklits policies.

About you

Seasoned Childhood Pro: With at least 5 sparkling years in early childhood/childcare, you’ve seen it all and thrived!
Family Whisperer: Building bonds with families? You’ve mastered that art! Plus, you’re always updated with the buzz in the childcare universe.
Childhood Guru: You’ve got an intuitive grasp on children’s development, with an extra spotlight on those needing an added sprinkle of attention.
Standards Virtuoso: When it comes to the National Quality Standards and the nitty-gritty of the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010, you’re the encyclopaedia everyone turns to.
Charming Communicator: Whether it’s decoding feelings or mediating a little playground tiff, your stellar communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills shine bright.
Change Champion: You’re never one to settle. Spotting areas that need a sprinkle of improvement and leading revolutionary changes? That’s just another Tuesday for you!

Ideally, the role would suit someone with solid educational leadership experience who wants to move into a broader leadership role and get an insight into the running of a child care service. You might be seeking some greater accountability or control to lead our curriculum and outcomes and see things through end to end knowing that you made the difference. You might not have all the skills or experience yet and that is ok too – we just want strong fundamentals with an awareness of gaps and a willingness to learn.

Why Choose Us?

Being in the early learning sector, we understand the value of nurturing and the difference a great education makes. And that absolutely applies to our team too! This is an opportunity to work directly with our educators and a breadth of knowledgeable managers in our growing organisation. 

While we may be family-owned, we pride ourselves on being progressive, innovative and we invest in the right areas and expertise to ensure we can be nimble, agile and play to win. The person in this role will therefore have the support and the exposure to develop and grow exponentially across the many facets of the role, as we also continue to grow too.

Still reading?

We know we’ve included a lot here, but we wanted to lay it all out, be transparent and seek to find the ideal person for the long-haul. If this job overview resonates with you, we definitely want to hear your story. Yes, you’ll have to wear various hats and probably be prepared to upskill in some areas too, but we wholeheartedly believe in the power of diverse experiences and perspectives. After all, it takes a village to raise a child… and also run a child care centre.

Join us in shaping futures. Be part of our journey in nurturing the next generation while fostering a space of growth, learning, and excellence for all.

What’s next?

To apply, please use the button below to send us your resume and a personalised cover letter. Please mention ‘Chokliteers’ (take that as a creative challenge) in your submission.