Experienced Educational Leader | Reggio Emilia | Bira Bira Early Learning

Bira Bira Early Learning Centre | Cheltenham, VIC

Are you an experienced Educational Leader who is passionate about pedagogy, child-led learning and developing educators?

Bira Bira Early Learning Centre is looking for an experienced Educational Leader to join our leadership team and help shape the next stage of our educational direction.

This is a genuine, hands on pedagogical leadership role. You won't be sitting on the sidelines reviewing programs and documentation. You'll be visible across the centre, working alongside educators, mentoring teams, challenging practice respectfully and turning educational philosophy into meaningful experiences for children.

Working closely with our Director, 2IC, Early Childhood Teachers and Room Leaders, you will lead and strengthen pedagogy across the centre.

You will:

• Lead, mentor and inspire educators to strengthen their teaching practice

• Embed BiraBira's Reggio Emilia inspired, child-led philosophy into everyday practice

• Strengthen curriculum, inquiry, project work and pedagogical documentation

• Lead reflective practice, coaching conversations and professional learning

• Support educators to make children's thinking, voice and learning visible

• Mentor Room Leaders and Early Childhood Teachers in leading their teams

• Identify opportunities for improvement and turn them into practical action

• Contribute meaningfully to the Quality Improvement Plan

• Support thoughtful, appropriate risk-taking and risk assessment processes

• Help lead and develop our Bush Kinder program

• Play a key role in the introduction of our sessional kindergarten program

• Ensure educational practice aligns with the EYLF, VEYLDF, NQS, NQF and Victorian Child Safe Standards

• Work collaboratively with leadership to continually raise the standard of education and care across BiraBira

We are looking for someone who understands Reggio Emilia beyond the aesthetics.

You understand the image of the child as capable, curious and competent. You value children's agency, inquiry, relationships and collaboration. You see the environment as an important part of pedagogy and understand the educator as researcher, co-learner and intentional teacher.

Most importantly, you can translate philosophy into practice.

You naturally ask:

What are the children investigating?
What are they thinking?
What are educators noticing?
Where could this learning go next?

You don't simply tell educators what to do. You help them think differently, reflect more deeply and become stronger professionals.

You will bring:

• Minimum 3 years' experience as an Educational Leader or in a comparable pedagogical leadership role

• An ACECQA-approved Diploma, Bachelor of Early Childhood Education or equivalent qualification

• Strong practical understanding of Reggio Emilia

• Comprehensive knowledge of the EYLF, VEYLDF, NQS and NQF

• Strong understanding of the Victorian Child Safe Standards

• Demonstrated experience mentoring, coaching and developing educators

• Strong curriculum, documentation and reflective practice skills

• Confidence providing constructive feedback and leading professional conversations

• Experience with risk assessment and appropriate risk-taking

• Excellent communication, organisation and follow-through

• A collaborative, professional and solution-focused approach

• Current Working with Children Check

• Current First Aid, CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis qualifications

• Appropriate Australian working rights

Experience with Bush Kinder, nature based learning or sessional kindergarten will be highly regarded.

You're someone who notices practice.

You ask questions. You are curious. You can recognise what is working well while seeing where practice could become stronger.

You're equally comfortable:

on the floor with children | mentoring an educator | unpacking documentation | leading reflective practice | reviewing a risk assessment | planning the future of our kindergarten program

You bring warmth and respect, but you also have high expectations.

You understand that pedagogical leadership is about developing people, not simply managing processes.

This is an opportunity to genuinely influence the educational direction of a growing early learning community.

You will have:

• A genuine centre wide Educational Leadership position

• A highly involved and supportive leadership team

• Autonomy to develop and implement pedagogical ideas

• The opportunity to shape our Bush Kinder and sessional kindergarten programs

• Opportunities to lead professional learning and educator development

• A strong commitment to continuous improvement

• Professional learning and development opportunities

• Competitive remuneration based on experience and capability

• The opportunity to work within a centre where pedagogy is taken seriously

At Bira Bira, we believe every child is our child.

We believe children are capable, curious and competent citizens of their world and they deserve educators who genuinely believe this too.

Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining:

1. Your Educational Leadership experience

2. What Reggio Emilia means to you in practice

3. How you have mentored or strengthened educator practice

4. An example of how you have improved curriculum or pedagogy

5. Any experience with Bush Kinder, nature-based learning, risk assessment or sessional kindergarten

We are looking for an experienced Educational Leader - not simply someone wanting the title.

If you're passionate about pedagogy, confident leading adults and ready to help shape what comes next at Bira Bira, we'd love to hear from you.

Bira Bira Early Learning Centre
Children are capable. Curiosity matters. Learning has purpose.

Bira Bira Early Learning Centre is committed to the safety, wellbeing, participation and empowerment of all children. We have zero tolerance for child abuse or harm, and every member of our team is expected to actively uphold this commitment.