Program Manager, National Register

Program Manager, National Register

• Help children have the best start in life through high quality education & care.
• Improve outcomes for children and families in early education and care.
• Join an expert team working across governments at the national level.

About ACECQA

We want children in Australia to have the best start in life through quality education and care.

We provide national leadership on the implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF) and collaborate with the Australian and state and territory governments to:

• implement changes that benefit children birth to 13 years-of-age and their families
• monitor and promote the consistent application of the Education and Care Services National Law across all states and territories
• support the early childhood education and care sector to improve quality outcomes for children

We strive for innovation and continuous improvement and are committed to keeping the sector and the community informed with the latest developments in early childhood education and care.

ACECQA is committed to being a child-safe organisation, implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and actively promoting the safety and wellbeing of children.

The Role

The Program Manager, National Register leads program and project management functions that support the planning, governance, delivery, reporting and assurance of National Early Childhood Worker Register (National Worker Register) activities, including Stage 1B reforms.

The role is responsible for coordinating integrated delivery planning, milestone tracking, risk and issue management, dependency management, governance reporting, deed delivery tracking, stakeholder coordination and delivery assurance. The position works closely with policy, legislative, operational, data, privacy, security, technology and jurisdictional stakeholders to support clear decision making, delivery confidence, implementation readiness and transition to business as usual operations for the National Worker Register.

This role is full-time and fixed term for up to 12 months at ACECQA Band 6/7 ($130,608 - $167,283).

About You

To be successful in this role you will need

• Demonstrated experience leading complex projects, programs or reform initiatives, including coordination of policy, legislative, operational, data, technology and implementation activities.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective program controls, including integrated planning, milestone tracking, risk and issue management, dependency management, governance reporting and delivery assurance.
• Demonstrated ability to manage contracted deliverables, milestone reporting, acceptance evidence and delivery dependencies in a complex governance environment.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to build productive relationships across government, regulatory, technical, operational and corporate environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear reports, briefings, governance papers and decision materials and executive updates.
• Demonstrated people management capability, including the ability to set priorities, manage workloads, build team capability and support staff to deliver quality outcomes within agreed timeframes.
• Sound judgement, initiative and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify delivery risks, escalate issues and recommend practical solutions.

While not essential, the following attributes will greatly assist you in the role:

• Experience working in a program or project management office or supporting portfolio, program or project governance arrangements.
• Knowledge of project, program or portfolio management frameworks, reporting processes, assurance practices, risk and issue management, dependency tracking and project controls
• Experience supporting government funded programs, contracted deliverables, milestone reporting or implementation schedules
• Understanding of privacy, information governance, cyber security, data quality or digital service delivery issues in a government or regulatory environment.
• A tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience in project, program, policy, governance or reform delivery.

ACECQA is committed to removing barriers and opening up opportunities. As an employer we seek to ensure people with differing needs and abilities have the same opportunities to successfully gain skills, knowledge and experience through work, social activities, education and training irrespective of their age, disability, colour, race, gender, religion, sexuality, family responsibilities, or location. In particular, we are committed to improving opportunities and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

You must have the right to work and live in Australia to apply forthis role.

The successful candidate will be required to consent to a national police check.

How to apply

The closing date for applications is 31 August 2026 at 11.59pm.

Important Note: Please ensure you follow the recruitment process outlined below, otherwise you may not be considered for the role.

To apply, please register with the ACECQA Recruitment Candidate Portal, navigate to Program Manager, National Register vacancy and click Apply for Job. The application process will require you to:

• Attach a CV of no more than 5 pages which demonstrates your ability to meet the criteria contained in the position description.
• Provide the details of at least two referees who have directly supervised you within the last five years of employment.
• Attach a written response to the targeted questions below of no more than 2 pages

Targeted Questions

1. How would you keep the National Early Childhood Worker Register program of work on track and make sure risks, dependencies and delays are managed?
2. Explain a time you coordinated a complex project with different stakeholders, and describe how you resolved issues and kept the work moving?

All complete applications will be acknowledged.

More information

If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@ acecqa.gov.au.

Notice to agencies

ACECQA will not accept applications from any source other than directly from a candidate for this vacancy. Recruitment agencies must have received instructions from ACECQA in relation to a specific vacancy in order to submit applications on behalf of candidates.

ACECQA is collecting the information requested in the advertisement for the purpose of selection, recruitment and engagement of staff. ACECQA is authorised to do so by the Education and Care Services National Law. Please refer to our Privacy Policy which can be accessed at http://www.acecqa.gov.au/privacy-policy.