Our play-centred supported playgroup program, Play2Learn, works with children aged 0-5 and their caregivers. We use weekly high-quality playgroups to foster children's psychosocial development; facilitate school readiness; and improve family wellbeing. Our playgroups not only benefit children, but also provide caregivers with access to support, connection to community, and the opportunity to learn and grow in their parenting role.

We also work with older children as part of the Kids Connect program, which is a targeted program for primary school aged children who require additional support with social and emotional learning. Students are referred via the school principal, assistant principal and/or wellbeing officer to participate in the semester length program.

54 reasons is Australia's leading child rights organisation - no ordinary not-for-profit.

Proudly part of the Save the Children Australia Group and global movement, we're here to make sure that children and young people have their rights met and thrive, in all their diversity.

With the child's voice at the centre, we provide quality services to children and their caregivers in every state and territory, and across regions, remote areas and capital cities. From our programs to our support services - this is the place to realise your purpose.

A place to make a difference:

In this full-time, maximum term position (through to September 2025, with potential to extend) you'll oversee the day-to-day operational and administrative requirements of the Play2Learn and Kids Connect programs.

You'll provide effective leadership to a team of practitioners, will build and maintain stakeholder relationships with local communities, professionals, service providers and referral services, and will provide advocacy on behalf of children, parents and/or carers. Based in Katherine, you'll be part of our Northern Territory team and report to our Regional Manager.

You will make a difference by:

• Overseeing daily operations within the Play2Learn and Kids Connect Programs and ensuring that practice standards are met
• Leading and developing a dedicated and driven team of practitioners
• Identifying, managing, and monitoring risks to service delivery, program quality, staff wellbeing and Child Safeguarding
• Maintaining stakeholder relationships in the local community that support referral pathways for vulnerable, avoidant, or fearful families to engage with our programs
• Ensuring compliance with service agreements, policies, procedures and compiling relevant data to acquit reporting requirements

A place to feel valued:

You have experience in leading a team of high-performing people delivering early childhood and middle years programs, and you work from a strengths-based perspective.

You highly value the wellbeing of your staff, and your infectious enthusiasm for your job will see you actively seeking out families in need of support. Importantly, you'll keep the values of 54 reasons at the forefront of your work and will always seek excellence in the services we provide to our families.

This role requires:

• Experience in managing and leading high-performing teams
• Knowledge/experience in working with children and families including culturally diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families
• Strong computer and data collection skills
• Strong networking and consultation skills
• Knowledge of child protection issues and commitment to upholding the child protection processes
• Degree or Diploma in Community Services, Social Work, Psychology or similar and/or significant equivalent experience

A place to belong:

At 54 reasons, we invest in the development and wellbeing of our people. Our workforce is approximately 600 people strong, and proudly diverse, whether in race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, cultures and beliefs.

It takes all types of people to do the challenging work we do. We are diverse personalities, backgrounds and talents, embracing our differences as one strong and united team. We see and celebrate the unique value you bring to our organisation, and offer a range of rewards for your effort, including:  

• Generous award rate salary (Level 6.1 - currently $53.84 per hour) plus full salary packaging benefits - use this link to see how much this benefit could mean to you!
• Extra leave to use in a range of ways to ensure you're able to perform at your optimum
• Supportive Managers - we provide professional supervision training and monthly supervision sessions so you can feel supported and build a career
• Support for workplace wellness, including access to our free, confidential Employee Wellbeing Program
• Internal deployment and secondment opportunities within one of Australia's largest non-profits

Follow this link for the full list of our employee benefits. 

Does this sound like the place for you? 

We'd love to hear from you. Submit your cover letter and resume by clicking on one of the buttons in the 'Apply Now' section.

A position description is attached.

For more information about this position, contact Tricia Wake on [email protected], using the subject line: Team Leader - Early and Middle Years - Katherine enquiry via EthicalJobs. Or for more information about a career at Save, visit our Careers Page.

We have tested our application process with diverse groups in mind, with the intent to ensure its straightforward and accessible for all to apply. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture and improve our ability to reach our most vulnerable client groups. But we also know there is no one-size fits-all when it comes to recruitment - so if we didn't quite hit the mark for you, please let us know at [email protected]. We're dedicated to ensuring Save the Children Australia is a place where everyone can feel supported - no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, neurodiversity, culture and beliefs.

Save the Children Australia is a child-safe organisation. All employees are required to undergo a National Police Check, a Working with Children Check, and sign our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. We also support the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.

Save the Children is committed to providing and maintaining a safe working environment for its employees and client groups, consistent with our obligations under OH&S legislation.

If you are having any issues with uploading your application for this role, please contact [email protected] for further support.