ABOUT THE ROLE

Inner West OSHC Community-managed service, with strong connections to its partner school, is looking for a Team Leader to join the crew. Proudly governed by a volunteer parent committee, we provide before-school care, after-school care and vacation care to the children and families in our community.

Our team is made up of passionate, creative and experienced educators who bring a wide range of interests, talents and perspectives to our service. We value our staff deeply, and our permanent team reflects this, with many members having dedicated decades of service to The Cottage.

We are seeking an experienced educator and emerging or established leader to join our team. This is an opportunity to play a significant role in shaping our program, supporting colleagues and contributing to the ongoing success of our community-based service.

You will need to be available to work a combination of:

• Before School Care: 7.30am – 9.30am
• After School Care: 2.00pm – 6.00pm
• Vacation Care: 7.30am – 6.00pm

The Cottage also values dedicated planning, programming and administration time outside of direct care hours.

ABOUT YOU

You are an experienced educator who leads with warmth, integrity and confidence. You understand that leadership is not just about supervising others—it is about creating a positive culture where children flourish, and educators feel supported to do their best work.

You enjoy mentoring colleagues, sharing knowledge, modelling best practice and providing guidance to less experienced educators. You are confident coordinating shifts, supporting staff to work through challenges, making decisions when required and maintaining high standards of care, safety and professionalism.

You build genuine relationships with children, recognising them as capable individuals with unique strengths, ideas and personalities. You create environments where children feel safe, included and empowered to explore, create and connect.

You work collaboratively with families, our volunteer Management Committee, school staff and the wider community, recognising that strong partnerships create better outcomes for children.

You are flexible, calm under pressure and able to respond thoughtfully to the changing needs of the service. You take initiative, contribute ideas and are willing to step into leadership responsibilities whenever needed.

Finally, you bring something uniquely yours to The Cottage. Whether your passion is cooking, art, music, gardening, science, sport, storytelling or something wonderfully unexpected, you'll enrich our program and inspire children's curiosity through play.

As a senior member of our team, you will help shape the culture of The Cottage, champion continuous improvement, support the professional growth of others and contribute to maintaining the welcoming, creative and community-focused environment that makes our service so special.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

To be successful in this role, you will have, or be able to demonstrate:

• Experience working with school-aged children in an education, care, recreation or community setting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor and positively influence other educators.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with children, families, colleagues and community stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise, delegate and make sound decisions.
• A commitment to Child Safety, inclusion and the National Quality Framework.
• A current Working with Children Check (or the ability to obtain one before commencement).
• Eligibility and willingness to undertake the Responsible Person role.
• Availability to work a variety of before-school, after-school, and vacation care shifts.

Desirable:

• Current First Aid, CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis qualifications (or willingness to obtain).
• Experience in an Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) setting.
• Experience contributing to programming, quality improvement, compliance or educational leadership.
• Qualifications in, or working towards, Early Childhood Education and Care, Education, Youth Work, Community Services or a related discipline.

Please send your resume and cover letter addressing the Essential Requirements.

For further information regarding the position, please get in touch with the Director at [email protected] using the subject line: Child Care Team Leader enquiry via EthicalJobs.