Job Type: Permanent position | Full time position
Job Description
Position: Childcare Worker (Pedagogical Leader) Type: Full Time, Permanent - 38 hours per week Employer: The Trustee for Happy Hippo Kindergarten and Childcare Trust trading as Happy Hippo Kindergarten and Childcare
Location: Brunswick, VIC **** Salary: $83,****** per annum plus superannuation About the Business
Happy Hippo Kindergarten and Childcare is a family-owned early childhood education and care provider operating three centres across Victoria - Brunswick, Annadale and Lovely Banks - caring for and educating children from two months to five years of age through long day care, integrated kindergarten, government-registered Free Kinder for eligible three and four year old children and a Bush Kinder program. The Brunswick centre operates from 6:30am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday and is organised into dedicated Babies, Toddlers, Pre-Kinder and Preschool rooms, with a spacious outdoor area, a covered deck, natural play structures, vegetable gardens and an active recycling program, an on-site chef who prepares nutritionally balanced meals from seasonal ingredients every day, and extension programs including Little Sports Heroes, Mini Master Chef classes, Out and About, Italian and a School Readiness Program.
The team is made up of educators qualified from Certificate III through to a Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood Education, working within the Early Years Learning Framework, the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework and the National Quality Standard, and the service holds child safety accreditation, was named winner of the **** North West Melbourne Local Business Award and is a finalist in the **** Australian Small Business Champion Awards. Happy Hippo is built on warm, respectful relationships with children and families, a genuine culture of reflective practice and professional growth, and an uncompromising commitment to child safety, inclusion and cultural safety in everything it does.
About the Position
The Childcare Worker (Pedagogical Leader) is a hands-on early childhood role at the Brunswick centre, combining the daily care, supervision and education of children across the Babies, Toddlers, Pre-Kinder and Preschool rooms with responsibility for leading the development, delivery and critical reflection of the service's educational program. Working in every room across the week and reporting to the Service Leader, the successful applicant will care for children through their daily routines and play experiences, plan and deliver learning programs that respond to each child's strengths and interests, document children's learning and progress, coach and support fellow educators in their curriculum planning and practice, maintain the service's medical,



dietary and child safety records, and build strong two-way partnerships with families — making this position central to both the everyday wellbeing of the children at Brunswick and the quality of the education they receive.
Key Responsibilities
Provide attentive, nurturing care and supervision for children aged from two months to five years throughout the day, including indoor and outdoor play, meal times and rest periods, ensuring each child's safety and wellbeing at all times. Assist children with eating, drinking, dressing, toileting, nappy changing and personal hygiene, and guide them in developing healthy independent routines appropriate to their age and stage.
Help prepare and serve meals and snacks prepared by the centre's kitchen, feed and assist children at meal times, and encourage children's participation in cooking and food experiences. Organise and take part in games, stories, songs, craft, outdoor play and other recreational and learning experiences that develop children's physical, social, emotional, language and intellectual capabilities. Plan, deliver and evaluate educational programs aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework, the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, the National Quality Standard and the service's philosophy. Observe children, record and assess their learning and development, and report progress and any concerns to families and to the Service Leader.
Create and maintain learning environments that are inclusive, culturally safe and responsive to each child's strengths, interests and developmental stage, and keep play areas, equipment and resources clean, safe, tidy and well presented. Document children's learning and communicate with families through the service's digital platform, and support the effective use of that platform across the rooms. Visit every room each week to mentor and coach educators in curriculum planning, documentation, child assessment and intentional teaching, and model best practice in interactions, supervision and record keeping.
Lead curriculum meetings and professional conversations that embed critical reflection, evidence-based practice and continuous improvement in pedagogy across the team. Identify professional development needs across the team and guide educators to relevant learning opportunities. Develop and support systems that promote continuity of learning and smooth transitions between rooms,



age groups and on to school.
Build respectful, two-way partnerships with families, support orientations and transitions, conduct tours for prospective families, provide guidance on early childhood development and refer families to support services where needed. Maintain oversight of children's medical management plans, allergy, anaphylaxis, medication and dietary records, complete regular audits of those records and work with educators and the kitchen so that every child's requirements are followed consistently. Uphold and embed the Child Safe Standards, mandatory reporting obligations and professional boundaries in daily practice, and report any compliance or safety risk to the Service Leader promptly.
Monitor compliance with the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations, including supervision strategies, risk assessments and safety protocols, and complete regular educational audits across all rooms. Contribute to the Quality Improvement Plan, service self-assessment, Assessment and Rating evidence and the review of policies and procedures alongside the leadership team. Represent the service in community networks, transition to school processes and professional forums as required.
Requirements
Requirements Australian citizens and permanent residents are encouraged to apply. A Diploma or higher qualification in Early Childhood Education or a closely related field, approved by ACECQA. A minimum of one year of relevant experience in an early childhood education and care setting. A current
Working with Children Check, and current First Aid, CPR, asthma and anaphylaxis certification. Child protection and mandatory reporting training completed or refreshed within the last twelve months.
Sound working knowledge of the Early Years Learning Framework, the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, the National Quality Standard and the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations, with the ability to translate them into daily program planning, documentation and critical reflection.
Competence with digital documentation and family communication platforms, and with maintaining accurate medical, dietary, attendance and incident records. The ability to coach, mentor and inspire fellow educators, lead qualified conversations and give clear, constructive feedback. Strong written and verbal communication skills, warmth and patience with children, and a respectful, culturally responsive approach to working with families.
A reflective, ethical and proactive approach to problem solving, child safety and continuous improvement, and the availability to work rostered shifts across centre operating hours of 6:30am to 6:30pm, Monday
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