Child Care Cluster Director

Application Close Date: 11:59pm on 31/07/2026

At Penrith City Council, it’s not about having to choose.

Life with us is the best of both worlds.

Child Care Cluster Director

What we offer you

• Salary: $107,058 – $123,924 per annum + 12% Superannuation
• Flexible working arrangements
• The best of both worlds – meaningful work that creates lasting impact, supported by genuine flexibility and career growth
• 15 days Personal Leave each year
• Health and Wellbeing Leave
• 18 weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Fitness Passport
• Complimentary access to Ripples Leisure Centres
• Professional development and leadership opportunities across one of NSW's largest local government Children's Services providers

Here's what you'll be up to...

Lead, inspire and support a cluster of Children's Services where your leadership will influence children, families, educators and the wider community every day.

As Cluster Director, you will oversee a diverse cluster across three separate sites, including a long day care centre, a combined preschool and OSHC service, and a standalone school-based OSHC service. Together, these services have a combined capacity of 143 licensed places, with responsibility for leading approximately 16 full-time equivalent employees, supported by a Team Leader.

This is a senior leadership opportunity where you will balance strategic thinking with operational excellence to deliver outstanding outcomes across multiple services.

In this role you will:

• Provide leadership across multiple Children's Services, ensuring exceptional education and care
• Lead, coach and support Centre Directors and educators to build high-performing teams
• Foster positive relationships with children, families, employees and the community
• Oversee service operations, compliance, staffing and continuous improvement
• Drive educational excellence and innovative practice aligned with the National Quality Framework
• Manage budgets and resources to ensure sustainable service delivery
• Undertake the role of Nominated Supervisor across the cluster
• Work collaboratively with Area Managers and Children's Services leaders to achieve strategic priorities

This role offers the opportunity to lead at scale, influence service quality across multiple locations and make a meaningful difference to children and families throughout our community.

Who we are (And why you'll love us)

At Penrith City Council, our Children's Services team is passionate about delivering exceptional early childhood education while creating environments where children, families and educators thrive.

You will join an experienced and collaborative leadership team that values innovation, continuous improvement and genuine support. We celebrate success together, invest in leadership development and encourage new ideas that improve outcomes for our community.

If you are looking for a role where you can grow as a leader while making a lasting impact, you will feel right at home with us.

Check out our Position Description to learn more about this role.

What are we looking for (essential criteria)

We are looking for an experienced leader who enjoys working in complex environments and is passionate about developing people and delivering high-quality services.

You will bring:

• Proven experience leading multiple services, large teams or complex operational environments
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach, mentor and inspire others
• Excellent organisational, delegation and time management skills
• Sound business acumen and confidence making operational decisions
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills
• A collaborative leadership style with a commitment to continuous improvement
• A Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (or equivalent) or a tertiary qualification in Early Childhood Education
• Current First Aid Certificate, including Asthma and Anaphylaxis Management Training

Desirable

• Tertiary qualifications in Business, Management, Leadership, Early Childhood Education or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated extensive experience in business management, operational leadership, financial management and strategic service delivery within a complex organisational environment

The must-know bits

This position has been identified as a Child-Related Position under Child Protection legislation. Applicants must hold a current Working with Children Check.

You will also be required to undertake employment checks which may include a Criminal History Check, Qualification Check, Medical Declaration and/or Functional Assessment relevant to the position. Where a Criminal History Check is required and has returned a result that indicates disclosable court outcomes, you will be required to provide a copy of the report to Penrith City Council, for review, in order to progress through the recruitment process.

Applicants must be either a Citizen or Permanent resident with the right to live and work in Australia to apply for this position.

Council is a Child Safe Organisation, for more information about this please see our website

Ready to make work feel less like... work?

If you are ready to lead multiple services, inspire high-performing teams and make a meaningful impact across our Children's Services, we'd love to hear from you.

To apply, please submit:

• Your resume
• Responses addressing the essential criteria outlined in the Position Description

Applicants who do not meet the essential criteria will not be considered.

We've got an opportunity, you've got talent... Let's talk.

For more information, contact Anna, Talent Acquisition Specialist, on 0437 785 516.