Group Manager, Learning for Life Operations & Delivery

• Strategic National Leadership Opportunity
• Based in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane (Hybrid Flexibility)
• Permanent full-time position reporting to the Head of Operations

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that works with children and young people to overcome educational inequality caused by poverty – so they can thrive now and into their futures.

We are seeking an experienced operations leader for the role of Group Manager, Learning for Life Operations and Delivery to oversee a national team dedicated to delivering high-quality educational support to young Australians. This role is central to ensuring the consistent and excellent implementation of The Smith Family’s programs, supporting both team members and students, and making sure our work is aligned with our purpose and values.

About this role

As Group Manager, Learning for Life Operations & Delivery, you will be leading a large-scale, geographically dispersed operations team, fostering a culture of performance and excellence, and overseeing the strategic delivery that helps define our impact nationwide.
In this pivotal role you will maximise the potential of people, data, and systems to ensure our Learning for Life, On Par, and Girls at the Centre programs are delivered safely, consistently, and at scale.

As an integral member of our Operations Leadership Team, you will work directly with your Regional Program Managers, as well as in close collaboration with senior leadership and the Executive Group. Your leadership will be critical in shaping the organisation’s performance and direction, driving continuous improvement, and advocating for a collaborative and effective workplace.

Key responsibilities

As Group Manager, Learning for Life Operations & Delivery, you will help enable scalable delivery models and strengthen practice fidelity across operations. Your leadership will ensure alignment and maximise impact within the team and the broader organisation by:

• Empowering and supporting Regional Program Managers and Team Leaders to build and maintain high-performing teams aligned to key strategic objectives and delivery goals
• Driving strategic thinking, planning, budget and resource allocation for our Learning for Life suite of programs
• Using feedback and data-driven insights to inform and refine program delivery and performance tracking
• Championing excellence in child safeguarding, Work Health and Safety (WHS), and regulatory compliance across all operational activities
• Designing and implementing systems that drive performance and accountability organisation-wide, with a strong focus on prioritising strategic and operational results whilst effectively mitigating and managing risks

About you

You are a visionary and experienced senior leader with a strong track record leading large-scale, complex service delivery at a national scale. You combine strategic insight with operational discipline and are deeply committed to delivering safe, high-quality outcomes for children and families.

You bring exceptional people leadership capability, strong judgement in complex environments, and the confidence to lead through change. You are values-led, collaborative and motivated by purpose-driven impact, with a deep appreciation of the responsibility that comes with leading a core organisational program.

Skills and experience:

• Extensive experience in leading large teams (300+ members) with a proven track record of driving and upholding high standards of performance and excellence across national operations
• Demonstrated expertise in influencing strategic decisions and stakeholders to lead organisational change and shaping innovative strategies with measurable impact
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a strong ability to foster and continue to build a constructive and positive workplace culture
• Commitment to maximising the potential of people, data, and systems to achieve organisational goals
• Consistent integration of continuous learning and agile frameworks into strategic and operational activities
• Deep experience in child safeguarding, Work Health and Safety, and regulatory requirements

Our benefits

At The Smith Family, employees are at the heart of what we do. Joining our team means you can:

• Find balance with flexible work options and the ability to purchase additional annual leave
• Maximise your take-home pay through salary packaging and access to retail discounts
• Fulfil your potential with a suite of career development and learning opportunities
• Feel you belong with inclusive leave options including cultural, parental and gender affirmation leave
• Thrive with access to wellbeing support including EAP and discounted gym membership through Fitness Passport

If you are passionate about what you do, committed to making a difference, and ready to help shape strategy and performance in a purpose-driven organisation, please click apply, we’d love to hear from you. You may view the position description here.

Closing date: 1 February 2026

Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate must be prepared to undertake a National Police Check and a Working with Children Check. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to cultural diversity. Applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are encouraged.