An exciting opportunity exists to join the Barwon Early Childhood Improvement Branch as a Senior Early Childhood Funding Advisor and support the roll out of the Best Start Best Life reforms until June 30 2026, located in our Barwon Area office in Geelong. The role of the Senior Early Childhood Funding Advisor (SECFA) is to provide a range of program support services to funded agencies, Early Childhood Improvement Branch staff and the broader regional staff through providing quality, timely and effective customer service and advice. The SECFA will work collaboratively as part of an area-based team that is building the capabilities of early childhood service providers and focused on delivering improved outcomes for children in the Barwon area. The role will require high level communication and planning skills and close attention to detail.
This role is located in the Barwon Area, 0.8 FTE, fixed term until 30 June 2026
About the Department
The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.
About the Group
Schools and Regional Services (SRS) offers central, regional, and local expertise to enhance learning and development outcomes, supported by a diverse and geographically dispersed workforce. It comprises 17 areas within 4 regions, backed by 5 central office divisions, all collaborating to deliver improved outcomes for early childhood services, schools, communities, and learners, in line with Education State commitments. SRS regions serve as a bridge between the central office, schools, and service providers, ensuring smooth transitions for learners and achieving the department's ambitious targets. Each region includes divisions specialising in school performance, student wellbeing and early childhood support, working with area-based teams to tailor local interventions and practices. The 17 areas provide crucial insights into local trends and issues, facilitating effective policy and program development and driving child and learner outcomes across all services and programs.
This role is located in the Early Childhood Improvement Branch, Barwon Area, South Western Victoria Region, SRS. The Early Childhood Improvement Branch implements key government Early Childhood policy, initiatives, reforms, and strategies at a local level.
About the Branch
The Early Childhood Improvement Branch implements key government Early Childhood policy, initiatives, reforms, and strategies at a local level. The Early Childhood Improvement Branch ensures a dedicated team supports Early Childhood providers and services in Areas. The Branch has multiple responsibilities, including supporting services with kindergarten programs and the implementation of the suite of Early Childhood reforms including, Pre-Prep, three-year-old kindergarten and the Best Start, Best Life reforms, as well as driving improvement in service delivery and outcomes for children across the Early Childhood sector.
About the Role
This role is located in the Barwon Area, 0.8 FTE, fixed term until 30 June 2026
The role of the Senior Early Childhood Funding Advisor (SECFA) is to provide a range of program support services to funded agencies, Early Childhood Improvement Branch staff and the broader regional staff through providing quality, timely and effective customer service and advice. The SECFA will work as part of a multidisciplinary, area-based team that is building the capabilities of early childhood service providers and focused on delivering improved outcomes for children in the Barwon area.
As a Senior Early Childhood Funding Advisor, you will support early childhood services to apply for and access a range of early childhood funding, including Kindergarten Funding and funding to support vulnerable children and families. The role will require high level communication and planning skills and close attention to detail.
The role will:
* Provide support in the use of the relevant IT and funding systems, in accordance with the relevant program business rules.
* Support early childhood stakeholders including kindergartens, long day care centres and families with funding queries
* Build capacity of stakeholders to understand roles and responsibilities in implementing kindergarten funding
* Prepare funding reconciliation, documentation, manage records and processes in line with policy guidelines
* Utilise a range of funding systems to develop program related reports as required
* Lead analysis of key issues and trends in line with the funding and service agreements
Attributes
The ideal candidate will possess strong skills and experience in various office systems and procedures, strong project management skills and use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to provide innovative solutions to complex issues. They will be able to build and develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and work collaboratively within a team. They will also have the capacity to effectively analyse data and utilise this to inform the work of the Branch, and be able to work proactively and independently.
Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and communication abilities will also be beneficial in this role.
Qualifications and Experience
* Desirable: A relevant tertiary qualification or relevant experience in a related field.