Job Description

Responsible Person | Afternoon / Closing Role

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Not every great early childhood role has to be inside a room.

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We are looking for an experienced Diploma-qualified educator to take ownership of something that matters enormously to children and families but is often nobody's specific responsibility:

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the outdoor experience.

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This isn't a groundskeeping role.

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And it isn't simply another educator position where you'll be allocated somewhere on the roster.

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We want someone who can look across an outdoor environment full of children, educators and families and think:

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"I've got this."

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We are a small, established and growing Gold Coast childcare group. We remain closely connected to our centres, our educators and our families.

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We aren't a large corporate operator — and we don't want our centres to feel like one.

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What does "Outdoor Experience Lead" actually mean?

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When the centre moves outdoors, you own the experience.

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You will help make sure the outdoor environment is thoughtfully set up, engaging and running well.

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That includes:

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setting up intentional outdoor experiences and activities;

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making sure there is genuinely something for children to engage with — rather than simply opening the doors to the yard;

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helping educators understand where they are needed and what is happening across the outdoor environment;

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being the person educators come to when an issue arises outside;

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keeping an eye across children, staffing, supervision and the overall flow of the yard;

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responding to safety issues and making sure concerns are followed through;

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interacting with children and helping educators create genuinely engaging experiences;

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helping make afternoon pickup a positive experience for families;

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making sure the outdoor setting remains attractive and cared for;

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overseeing pack-down and the proper closing of the yard;

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leaving the environment ready to start well again tomorrow.

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For the right person, you may also act as Responsible Person during the afternoon and centre close.

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Why we're creating this role

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Outdoor time shouldn't be the part of the day where programming stops and everyone waits for children to go home.

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Done properly, it can be one of the best parts of the day.

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Children should be engaged.

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Educators should be engaged.

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There should be things happening.

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The environment should feel purposeful.

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And when parents arrive in the afternoon, we want them to see children who are enjoying being at their centre.

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That's the experience we want you to help create.

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You'll have real ownership

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We're not interested in giving someone responsibility without authority and then telling them exactly how to do every little thing.

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We want someone experienced enough to notice:

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"The children aren't really engaging with this."

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or

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"We need something different happening over here."

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or

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"This part of the yard isn't working."

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...and then do something about it.

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You'll work with the team, rather than simply directing them, but there should be clarity:

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when it comes to the outdoor operation, you're one of the people responsible for making it work.

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And we'll know whether it's working

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Success in this role shouldn't be vague.

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Over time, we'd expect to see:

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consistently interesting and intentional outdoor experiences;

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high levels of child engagement;

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educators actively participating rather than simply supervising;

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a well-presented and properly managed outdoor environment;

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safety issues identified and acted upon;

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positive trends in outdoor incidents and risk management;

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families responding positively to what they see at pickup;

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a yard that is properly packed down and closed each day.

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In other words:

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children should love being outside, educators should know what's expected, and parents should be able to see the difference.

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The hours could suit someone looking for something different

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This role is particularly valuable during the later part of the day.

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Depending on the service and the right candidate, shifts could look approximately like 12pm–6pm or 10am–6:30pm.

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That may suit an experienced educator who doesn't necessarily want a traditional 38-hour week.

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Pperhaps you're balancing family or study.

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Or perhaps you've spent years in early childhood and would simply prefer a role where you're trusted to do something meaningful rather than being another name on the roster.

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Full-time opportunities can also be discussed.

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Who we're looking for

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You'll probably have been in early childhood long enough to know what a genuinely good service feels like.

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Ideally, you'll have:

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a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care or approved equivalent;

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experience within an Australian early childhood service;

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the experience and suitability to act as a Responsible Person;

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a current Blue Card / Working with Children Check;

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relevant First Aid, CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis qualifications;

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confidence working with and guiding other educators;

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strong situational awareness;

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good judgement;

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initiative;

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reliability; and

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genuine pride in the environment you create for children.

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You don't need to want to become a Centre Director.

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But you do need to enjoy taking ownership.

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Maybe you've been wondering whether there's somewhere better

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There is a lot of change happening across early childhood.

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Services change ownership. Organisations become bigger. Teams change. And sometimes very good educators find themselves in workplaces that simply don't feel like the place they originally joined.

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If you still love early childhood but occasionally find yourself thinking:

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"I just want to work somewhere that actually cares about doing this properly."

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We'd particularly like to hear from you.

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We're not interested in negativity about previous employers.

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We're interested in educators who have maintained their own standards regardless of what was happening around them.

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Rather than writing us a generic cover letter, tell us this:

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It's 4:30pm. Most of the centre is outside, families are starting to arrive, and you are responsible for the outdoor environment. What would you want to see happening?

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There isn't a textbook answer.

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We want to understand how you think.

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If this advertisement sounds unusually specific, that's intentional.

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We're not trying to find another educator.

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We're trying to find the person who can own this part of our centre.

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If that sounds like you, we'd genuinely like to meet you.

📌 Diploma Educator & Outdoor Experience Lead (City of Gold Coast)
🏢 Best Staffing
📍 City of Gold Coast