Experienced Centre Directors for SSR Leadership Talent Network - short-term roles across Melbourne leading established services with real impact.
Centre Director – Melbourne North (Short-Term Leadership Opportunity)
SSR is building an exclusive Leadership Talent Network of experienced Centre Directors or/and Leaders across Melbourne, offering access to short-term leadership opportunities.
We are recruiting experienced Centre Directors to join SSR’s Leadership Talent Network, with access to premium short-term and long-term leadership opportunities across Melbourne.
Our current opportunity is a 2-week temporary Centre Director opportunity, stepping into a well-established early learning service to provide leadership continuity during a planned annual leave period. This is not a traditional vacancy, it is part of SSR’s curated network of senior leaders engaged for high-trust, high-impact leadership opportunities across established services.
This opportunity is ideal for a confident, experienced leader who values flexibility, professional autonomy, and the ability to step into strong services and make immediate impact.
About Our Clients
We partner with established, small, medium to large-scale early learning services that are well-resourced, stable, and committed to high-quality education and strong leadership outcomes. These services operate with experienced teams and structured systems, allowing leaders to step into environments that are already well-established and professionally supported.
Our focus is on quality leadership, strong service outcomes, and long-term professional relationships, rather than transactional recruitment.
This model enables experienced leaders to access flexible, meaningful, and high-quality leadership opportunities while remaining connected to the sector in a dynamic and impactful way.
The Opportunity
As Centre Director, you will step into leadership responsibility for a 2-week period, providing coverage and ensuring the continued smooth operation of a well-established early learning service.
This is a hands-on Centre Director cover role, focused on maintaining stability, supporting the team, and ensuring consistent service delivery during a planned period of leave.
Your responsibilities will include:
Team leadership and support:
Lead and support an established team, ensuring a positive, respectful, and consistent working environment.
Operational leadership:
Oversee day-to-day operations of the service, ensuring compliance with all regulatory, licensing, and quality requirements.
Educational leadership:
Support the continuity of the service’s existing educational programs, routines, and practices.
Service continuity:
Maintain stability and consistency for children, families, and staff throughout the coverage period.
Family communication:
Ensure professional and clear communication with families to support continuity and trust.
You will step into a well-functioning service with established systems and routines, supported by an experienced team, allowing you to focus on providing confident and consistent leadership throughout the cover period.
What’s on Offer
- Market-aligned hourly rate: $65 – $75 per hour (DOE)
- Full-time hours across the 2-week assignment
- Established, well-supported service environment
- Immediate leadership impact in a trusted service
- Access to SSR’s Leadership Talent Network
- Ongoing short-term and flexible leadership opportunities across Melbourne
About You
We are seeking experienced, confident early childhood leaders who bring:
- Minimum 2–3 years’ experience as a Centre Director or senior leadership role
- Strong knowledge of compliance, regulations, and quality frameworks
- Ability to step into a service and lead from day one with confidence
- Calm, structured, and professional leadership approach
- Strong operational and team leadership capability
- Commitment to high-quality early childhood education
- Alignment with child safety, professionalism, and excellence
Expression of Interest
If you are an experienced early childhood leader looking to be part of an exclusive SSR Leadership Talent Network, we would love to hear from you.
This is an opportunity to access premium short-term assignments while maintaining flexibility and staying connected to high-quality services across Melbourne.
Please apply directly or contact us to register your interest.
For further information, please contact:
Gaetano – gaetano@ss-recruitment.com.au
Let SSR help you discover a leadership opportunity that aligns with your skills, aspirations, and passion for quality early education.