Chief Children's Officer
Troocoo
Date: 2 days ago
City: Brisbane, Queensland
Contract type: Full time
About Goodstart
Goodstart Early Learning is Australia’s largest not-for-profit provider of early childhood education and care, with nearly 17,000 staff across close to 700 centres, supporting over 70,000 children each year. With a clear vision for all children to have the best possible start in life, Goodstart delivers inclusive, high-quality early learning experiences that support strong foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing. The organisation operates with four guiding principles: children are central to everything it does; families are the primary partners; people make the difference; and each centre is a valued part of its local community.
Goodstart is a centre-led organisation that values the uniqueness of each child, family and community, empowering local centre teams to drive performance and continuous improvement. It has a strong focus on innovation and evidence-based practice and maintains a deep commitment to safety, reconciliation, and inclusion. Goodstart creates environments where children are safe and supported, educators are developed and empowered, and communities are engaged in creating better futures for children across Australia.
About the role:
The Chief Children’s Officer (CCO) is a pivotal executive leadership role responsible for shaping the future of early learning at Goodstart. This role requires a highly collaborative and influential leader with the ability to engage across all levels, from frontline educators to national policy makers. A deep alignment with Goodstart’s pedagogical approach is essential, as the CCO partners with educators to elevate teaching practices, attract and retain talent, and ensure high-quality outcomes for all children. The role is centred on supporting and enabling a Centre-led model, empowering each Centre to make the best decisions for their unique communities.
This position plays a key role in advancing Goodstart’s quality trajectory by embedding evidence-based practices and driving measurable improvements in learning, development and wellbeing outcomes. The CCO will continue Goodstart’s legacy of drawing on global thought leadership in early childhood education, co-designing innovative approaches to pedagogy and inclusion. With a focus on building sector-leading frameworks and supporting professional development, the CCO ensures that Goodstart not only sets the standard but continually evolves it to meet the changing needs of children and families.
Specifically, key accountabilities include:
The Chief Children’s Officer (CCO) at Goodstart is a senior executive leadership role requiring a strong educational foundation and significant experience in teaching and learning environments. The ideal candidate will bring a proven track record of leading in complex, distributed organisations, particularly within highly regulated sectors. This role demands a combination of strategic vision and the operational capability to implement change and continuous improvement across a national network of early learning centres.
Exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills are essential, as the CCO must inspire high-performing, purpose-driven teams and build strong relationships across a diverse range of stakeholders. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to translate organisational strategy into practice, engage teams in a shared vision for quality education, and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence. Effective decision-making and the ability to delegate strategically are critical, particularly within Goodstart’s Centre-Led operating model.
Finally, the CCO must be adaptable and dynamic, capable of balancing daily operational needs with longer-term strategic initiatives. As a national role, it involves significant travel to support and connect with centres across the country. This position represents an exciting opportunity to influence early childhood education on a large scale and contribute meaningfully to shaping Australia’s future through the development of its youngest learners.
For more information, please email [email protected] for a copy of the candidate pack.
Submit your application (CV and cover letter) via the apply button.
Goodstart Early Learning is Australia’s largest not-for-profit provider of early childhood education and care, with nearly 17,000 staff across close to 700 centres, supporting over 70,000 children each year. With a clear vision for all children to have the best possible start in life, Goodstart delivers inclusive, high-quality early learning experiences that support strong foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing. The organisation operates with four guiding principles: children are central to everything it does; families are the primary partners; people make the difference; and each centre is a valued part of its local community.
Goodstart is a centre-led organisation that values the uniqueness of each child, family and community, empowering local centre teams to drive performance and continuous improvement. It has a strong focus on innovation and evidence-based practice and maintains a deep commitment to safety, reconciliation, and inclusion. Goodstart creates environments where children are safe and supported, educators are developed and empowered, and communities are engaged in creating better futures for children across Australia.
About the role:
The Chief Children’s Officer (CCO) is a pivotal executive leadership role responsible for shaping the future of early learning at Goodstart. This role requires a highly collaborative and influential leader with the ability to engage across all levels, from frontline educators to national policy makers. A deep alignment with Goodstart’s pedagogical approach is essential, as the CCO partners with educators to elevate teaching practices, attract and retain talent, and ensure high-quality outcomes for all children. The role is centred on supporting and enabling a Centre-led model, empowering each Centre to make the best decisions for their unique communities.
This position plays a key role in advancing Goodstart’s quality trajectory by embedding evidence-based practices and driving measurable improvements in learning, development and wellbeing outcomes. The CCO will continue Goodstart’s legacy of drawing on global thought leadership in early childhood education, co-designing innovative approaches to pedagogy and inclusion. With a focus on building sector-leading frameworks and supporting professional development, the CCO ensures that Goodstart not only sets the standard but continually evolves it to meet the changing needs of children and families.
Specifically, key accountabilities include:
- Strategic Leadership – Reports directly to the CEO and Board, and sits on the Senior Leadership Team, influencing organisational direction and outcomes for children.
- Pedagogical Excellence – Leads the design and implementation of Goodstart’s unique, evidence-based approach to early childhood education, surpassing national quality standards.
- Quality & Practice – Oversees the continuous improvement of quality frameworks, teaching practices, and professional development across the network.
- Educator Development – Champions in-centre coaching, real-time mentoring, and structured capability building for early learning professionals.
- Compliance & Regulation – Ensures robust processes for regulatory compliance, teacher registration, and quality ratings in collaboration with regulators.
- Inclusion Strategy – Leads targeted programs and services for vulnerable children and families, including allied health support and Goodstart’s Recognition and Response Model.
- Safeguarding Children – Drives a proactive child safeguarding culture through the “Look, Do, Tell” model, working closely with Safety and People teams.
- Cross-functional Collaboration – Partners across departments to align efforts on teaching, learning, inclusion, and child safety goals.
- Enterprise Performance – Shares accountability for meeting key enterprise-wide KPIs, including safety, education outcomes, risk, and financial performance.
- Sector Engagement & Innovation – Maintains thought leadership through partnerships with national and international early learning experts to shape best practice.
The Chief Children’s Officer (CCO) at Goodstart is a senior executive leadership role requiring a strong educational foundation and significant experience in teaching and learning environments. The ideal candidate will bring a proven track record of leading in complex, distributed organisations, particularly within highly regulated sectors. This role demands a combination of strategic vision and the operational capability to implement change and continuous improvement across a national network of early learning centres.
Exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills are essential, as the CCO must inspire high-performing, purpose-driven teams and build strong relationships across a diverse range of stakeholders. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to translate organisational strategy into practice, engage teams in a shared vision for quality education, and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence. Effective decision-making and the ability to delegate strategically are critical, particularly within Goodstart’s Centre-Led operating model.
Finally, the CCO must be adaptable and dynamic, capable of balancing daily operational needs with longer-term strategic initiatives. As a national role, it involves significant travel to support and connect with centres across the country. This position represents an exciting opportunity to influence early childhood education on a large scale and contribute meaningfully to shaping Australia’s future through the development of its youngest learners.
For more information, please email [email protected] for a copy of the candidate pack.
Submit your application (CV and cover letter) via the apply button.
See more jobs in Brisbane, Queensland