About the Role
Two exciting opportunities exist for highly skilled senior leaders to join the team, who will be responsible for the management of a VECRA operations team, which comprises authorised officers and support staff who assess and rate services against the NQS, conduct visits to monitor compliance with regulatory requirements of the National Law, Children's Services Act and the Child Safe Standards, and investigate alleged non-compliances.
The Operations Manager will undertake the following functions:
* contribute to and support the strategic planning and delivery of regional regulatory work based on priorities identified in conjunction with the Regional Manager and Central operations teams
* monitor the achievement of team outputs and targets, including managing and escalating risk
* provide input to VECRA's work, including contributing to new policies and guidelines
* provide high quality leadership, support, mentoring, and coaching to authorised officers within their team and across the region, in relation to the regulatory functions, including monitoring and compliance visits, investigations and assessment and rating
* manage and supervise their team to ensure assessment and rating, compliance and enforcement procedures are applied in accordance with the National Law, Victorian Law and relevant regulations and government policy and are consistent across the state
* provide employees with the leadership, information and guidance required to achieve outcomes and to ensure that these meet compliance requirements
* monitor team and individual performance and advise Regional Manager of any emerging issues that may need to be addressed, including implementing performance plans and holding difficult performance conversations
* work collaboratively across other regions, programs and with the central operation teams
* engage closely with education and care services and key stakeholders to achieve regulatory outcomes including educative and capacity building activities
* engage with regional colleagues to support early childhood reforms and emergency management.
This advertisement is for two (2) full-time, ongoing VPS 6 positions reporting to the Regional Manager.
The Operations Manager is part of a larger regional leadership team and will be required to travel across the region and to metropolitan areas. This will occasionally include planned overnight stays.
We work flexibly at VECRA, and typical work arrangements involve a balance of working offsite independently while visiting ECEC services, with time in an office environment working as part of a bigger inclusive team.
This role has a requirement to work from a VECRA office 3-days per week, usually the Footscray, Ballarat or Geelong (Belmont) offices.
In applying for these roles, you are signalling your understanding of and adherence to these travel and office-based work requirements.
Attributes
To be successful in this role, you will have:
* demonstrated people management and leadership skills, including coaching, mentoring and capacity building, to support and create the conditions for a high functioning, productive and engaged team and positive team culture
* strategic thinking and policy skills, including an ability to identify and develop new policies, protocols and guidelines
* high level organisational skills and a proven ability to work independently to make decisions and manage systems, processes and resources to deliver outcomes and achieve targets
* highly developed critical thinking and problem solving skills with the ability to identify innovative and timely and practical solutions to complex problems
* highly developed interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to influence and negotiate effectively at all levels with a range of internal and external stakeholders
* strong written and verbal communication skills and an ability to engage a range of audiences on regulation, policy and implementation topics
* demonstrated ability to manage organisational risk in a complex regulatory environment
* demonstrated ability to identify, develop and implement strategic priorities and support the work of the Regional Manager
* demonstrated specialist knowledge in the area of regulation, compliance and/or early childhood education and care.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience:
Desirable: Relevant qualifications in regulation, early childhood education, teaching, compliance or similar.
Essential: Successful applicants will be required to hold a valid Victorian Working with Children's Check and Victorian driver's licence.
About the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA)
The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA) is the statutory authority responsible for regulating early childhood education and care services in Victoria. VECRA works to ensure the safety, wellbeing and development of children through effective regulation, compliance, quality assessment and continuous improvement across the early childhood sector.
VECRA plays a critical system management role, providing guidance, oversight and assurance to the sector while supporting high-quality early childhood education outcomes for Victorian children and families.
About the Branch
Located across the four VECRA regions and the central office, the Operations Branch manages and supports the regional teams to deliver VECRA's core frontline regulatory work. The regional teams comprise authorised officers, compliance officers and support staff who assess and rate National Quality Framework (NQF) services against the National Quality Standard (NQS), conduct inspections to monitor compliance with the National Law, Children's Services Act and Child Safe Standards, as well as investigating alleged non-compliances. Regional teams engage with the sector to support, educate and guide providers of early childhood services.
Centrally, the Branch supports the regulatory workforce through capability and capacity building activities and the provision of policy advice, resources and training to address emerging regulatory practice issues and promote consistent practice. The Branch also supports the leadership of the Regulatory Authority.
How to apply:
For more details regarding this position please see attached position description. Applications should include a Cover letter addressing the Key Selection Criteria (no more than 2 pages) along with a Curriculum Vitae.
Further Information
For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.
VECRA values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for VECRA, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the VECRA website and our Diversity and Inclusion page.
Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.
Information about VECRA's operations and employment conditions can be located on the VECRA website.
For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Winnie Driscoll, Regional Manager, South West Victoria Region via phone on (03) 4334 0*** or email ***************@
Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to VECRA will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g. large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.
Applications close 11:59pm on Wednesday 18 March 2026