Emali Early Learning – Littlehampton

Location: Littlehampton, SA

Position: Assistant Director

Employment: Full-time opportunity

Lead with purpose. Inspire little learners. Help shape the future.

Are you a passionate early childhood professional ready to take the next step in your leadership journey?

Emali Early Learning Littlehampton is looking for a motivated and experienced Assistant Director to help lead our strong, experienced and child-focused team.

Working in partnership with the Centre Director, you'll play an important role in supporting educators, strengthening educational practice and ensuring children receive the highest quality of education and care.

What makes Littlehampton special? Our very own little animal farm, which is incorporated into the children's educational program! From connecting with animals to exploring nature and learning through hands-on experiences, our farm provides unique opportunities for children to develop curiosity, empathy, confidence and a sense of responsibility.

We're looking for a leader who shares our passion for child-centred learning, understands the importance of solid team relationships and is ready to help create an environment where children, educators and families thrive.

At Emali, leadership is about more than managing a centre. It's about bringing people together, developing educators and ensuring children remain at the heart of every decision.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the Role

As Assistant Director, you'll work closely with the Centre Director to lead and support the team, maintain high-quality practices and achieve positive outcomes for children.

You'll be an approachable and visible leader who supports educators, helps guide daily operations and contributes to a positive, accountable and collaborative team culture.

Your responsibilities will include

- Working in partnership with the Centre Director to lead the centre, strengthen educational practice and achieve positive outcomes for children.
- Supporting and guiding our strong, experienced and child-focused team, building on their existing skills and strengths.
- Helping lead daily centre operations, including staffing, routines, communication and compliance.
- Supporting educators to deliver high-quality, play-based learning experiences aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and National Quality Framework.
- Encouraging meaningful learning opportunities through our unique animal farm, supporting children's connection with animals, nature and the world around them.
- Mentoring and coaching educators to build confidence in intentional teaching, programming, documentation and reflective practice.
- Promoting a culture of active supervision, child safety, accountability and continuous improvement.
- Building solid, respectful relationships with children, families and educators.
- Supporting staff performance, professional development, onboarding and team engagement.
- Assisting with the implementation of policies,



procedures and regulatory requirements.
- Working alongside the Centre Director to identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen the quality of education and care.
- Role modelling Emali's values of Safety, Kindness, Connection, Joy and Growth.

You'll help create an environment where educators feel supported, families feel connected and children are safe, valued and empowered to learn. Child Safety & Child Protection Responsibilities

At Emali Early Learning, child safety is our highest priority. Every leader has a responsibility to protect children and ensure child-safe practices are embedded in everyday operations.

The successful applicant will be expected to:

- Uphold Emali's Child Safe Commitment at all times.
- Actively promote a culture where children feel safe, heard, respected and empowered to speak up.
- Understand and comply with mandatory reporting obligations under South Australian legislation.
- Identify, respond to and escalate concerns regarding child wellbeing, suspected abuse, neglect or other risks to children's safety.
- Follow all child protection policies, procedures and internal reporting processes.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and model respectful, ethical behaviour at all times.
- Support educators to understand and consistently implement child-safe practices.
- Promote active supervision, safe transitions, appropriate educator positioning and effective headcount procedures.
- Ensure incidents, hazards and child safety concerns are reported, documented and managed promptly in accordance with Emali's procedures and regulatory requirements.
- Contribute to a culture of accountability, vigilance and continuous improvement in child safety.

About You We're looking for someone who combines strong leadership capability with a genuine passion for children, education and supporting educators to do their best work.

You will have

- An approved early childhood qualification, such as a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care or a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.
- Experience working in an early learning environment, with demonstrated leadership experience or readiness to step into an Assistant Director role.
- A strong understanding of the EYLF, National Quality Standard (NQS) and National Quality Framework.
- Confidence supporting educators, providing constructive feedback and building team capability.
- The ability to work collaboratively with a Centre Director to achieve positive outcomes for children and the centre.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to support daily operations, staffing and compliance.
- A sound understanding of child safety,



active supervision and mandatory reporting obligations.
- Completion of federally mandated National Child Safe Training.
- A current South Australian Working with Children Check.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- A calm, approachable and solutions-focused leadership style.
- A commitment to professional accountability, reflective practice and continuous improvement.

Most importantly, you're someone who leads by example, builds trust and brings people together around what matters most: the safety, wellbeing, learning and development of every child. A Little Farm with a Big Impact

At Emali Littlehampton, our animal farm is more than a special feature of the centre. It's an opportunity to bring learning to life.

Incorporated into the children's educational program, the farm encourages children to explore, ask questions, develop empathy for living things and build an understanding of the natural world through meaningful, hands-on experiences.

These experiences can support children's social and emotional development, curiosity, confidence and sense of responsibility.

As Assistant Director, you'll help support educators to make the most of these opportunities, ensuring experiences are purposeful, inclusive, age-appropriate and aligned with children's learning and development.

You'll be joining a centre with a strong, experienced team and the opportunity to work alongside the Centre Director to continue building on its strengths.

Why Emali?

At Emali, our people make the difference.

As a South Australian-owned and operated early learning group, we're committed to creating environments where children thrive, educators grow and leaders are supported to make a meaningful impact.

Our values guide everything we do:

- Safety – Putting the safety and wellbeing of children first, always.
- Kindness – Leading with empathy, respect and understanding.
- Connection – Building meaningful relationships with children, families and colleagues.
- Joy – Creating positive experiences and celebrating the difference we make.
- Growth – Supporting our people to learn, develop and reach their potential.

We believe in Where Great People Lead Great Teams. At Emali, you'll have the opportunity to grow as a leader, work alongside experienced professionals and contribute to a culture where children come first.

We value leaders who support their teams, communicate openly, embrace continuous improvement and create a workplace where people feel connected, respected and empowered to succeed.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you're passionate about early childhood education, enjoy supporting and developing educators, and are ready to help lead a strong, experienced and child-focused team, we'd love to hear from you.

Join Emali Littlehampton and help us create meaningful learning experiences, nurture a love of discovery and achieve the best possible outcomes for children, every day.

Great people. Strong teams. Extraordinary little learners.

📌 Assistant Director- Littlehampton
🏢 Emali
📍 Littlehampton