Early Childhood Operations Manager
Harmony Early Education - Gold Coast
Harmony Early Education is a contemporary, privately owned early learning provider committed to delivering exceptional outcomes for children, families, and communities. Everything we do is grounded in quality, child safety, integrity, and a deep respect for people and culture. As we continue our growth journey, we are focused on building a leadership team that is aligned in values, standards, and intent with unwavering commitment to excellence.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead a portfolio of centres across the Gold Coast region. This is a pivotal leadership role suited to a commercially astute, people-centred leader who holds high standards, leads with clarity and care, and builds strong, accountable relationships.
The Operations Manager plays a critical role in translating Harmony’s strategy into high-quality, safe, compliant, and commercially sustainable operations. Acting as a key connector between strategy and execution, you will partner closely with Centre Directors and a highly capable Head Office support team, leveraging robust systems, expertise, and resources to build leadership capability, drive consistency, and deliver strong, sustainable performance across your portfolio, always with children, families, and teams at the centre of decision-making.
Why Lead at Harmony
Harmony leaders are supported, valued and empowered. Our benefits reflect that:
-
75% off childcare fees
-
15% retention payment on top of Award
-
Wellbeing support & coaching
-
A culture built on compassion, curiosity, inclusion & accountability
What Success Looks Like at Harmony
A successful Operations Manager at Harmony demonstrates the following outcomes:
Strong, Capable Centre Leadership
Centre Directors are confident, supported, and accountable, with a coaching-led approach that builds capability and addresses performance issues early and constructively.
Championing Child and Cultural Safety
A culture where child safety and wellbeing are non-negotiable is actively sustained, with strong protection systems, clear mandatory reporting practices, and robust incident management frameworks embedded across services.
Consistent Quality and Compliance
Centres are well prepared for Assessment and Rating, with clear improvement trajectories, strong governance, and consistent operational standards across the portfolio.
Improved Performance and Stability
Measurable improvements are evident across occupancy, workforce stability, engagement, and financial performance, balancing commercial responsibility with quality outcomes.
Proactive, Strategic Operations
Risks, trends, and challenges are identified early and addressed proactively. Insight and feedback are contributed to inform broader operational and strategic decision-making.
Constructive and Collaborative Working Relationships
Centre teams experience the Operations Manager as approachable, fair, and consistent, creating an environment where issues can be raised openly and addressed productively.
How You Will Lead at Harmony
As an Operations Manager at Harmony, you will consistently:
Lead with integrity, professionalism, and calm authority- Coach and develop leaders, enabling ownership and capability
- Hold high standards and engage in respectful, direct conversations
- Consider multiple perspectives and business impacts before making decisions
- Communicate clearly, thoughtfully, and constructively, especially in complex situations
- Take accountability for your impact and adjust your approach when feedback is received
How Success Is Measured
Success in the role is reflected through:
Improved Assessment and Rating outcomes and readiness- Strong engagement and retention of Centre Directors and teams
- Consistent compliance and reduced risk across centres
- Uplift in operational and financial performance
- Positive feedback from centre leaders and support teams
What You Bring
To succeed in this role, you will bring:
Extensive experience in the early childhood education and care sector- Proven multi-site leadership experience in a similar role
- Strong knowledge of ECEC compliance frameworks and mandatory reporting obligations
- Demonstrated success supporting services through Assessment and Rating
- Experience managing budgets and driving sustainable performance outcomes
- Relevant tertiary qualifications
- Current Working with Children Check / Blue Card
- Valid driver’s licence and capacity to travel across centres
Lead With Purpose. Grow With Harmony.
If you are ready to lead a region where your impact is visible, meaningful, and deeply aligned with children, families, and community, and where shared values and exceptional standards matter, we would love to meet you.
Please apply with your resume and a short cover letter responding to the following:
1. Impact & Outcomes Share a specific example of an improvement you led (quality, compliance, culture, or performance). What was the situation, what actions did you take, and what measurable outcomes did you achieve?
2. Child Safety as a System Describe how you embed child safety across multiple services as a daily discipline. What systems, routines, and non-negotiables do you put in place, and how do you verify they are working?
3. Coaching and Accountability Tell us about a time you improved a Centre Director’s performance or capability. How did you coach them, hold accountability, and ensure sustainable change without stepping in and doing it for them?
Apply now and begin your Harmony leadership pathway.
Learn more at www.harmonylearning.com.au
