Head of Safety Assurance

Head of Safety Assurance Catholic Early EdCare (CEEC), Paddington, Brisbane | Full Time | Permanent | Vehicle Included (deductable)

Safety isn't a department. It's a discipline. At Catholic Early EdCare, safety is not just policy compliance or reporting cycles. It is culture. It is leadership behaviour. It is governance maturity. It is how children are protected—every single day.

We are now seeking a Head of Safety Assurance—a senior assurance leader who can step back, see the whole system, challenge where needed, and provide executive‑level confidence that our Safety First culture is effective, compliant, and continuously improving. This is not an operational safety role. This is assurance at scale.

The Organisation Catholic Early EdCare operates more than 135 early learning and OSHC services across Queensland. We are a not‑for‑profit organisation. Children sit at the centre of our decisions—not margin. As we continue to grow, we are strengthening governance maturity, assurance capability, and strategic risk oversight across the enterprise. This role sits within our Safety Leadership Team and reports to the General Manager, Safety.

The Purpose of This Role

Validation that safety initiatives are working

Governance confidence to senior leaders and boards

Enterprise‑wide safety assurance frameworks

QA2 performance oversight and forecasting

Thematic reviews and deep risk diagnostics

Strategic insight into emerging safeguarding risk trends

You will not run safety programs. You will assure, validate, test, challenge and elevate them.

What You Will Actually Do

Conduct thematic reviews and deep‑dive audits

Analyse incident, complaint, and safeguarding data for systemic risk patterns

Identify root causes—not just surface symptoms

Provide forward‑looking governance reporting to the Senior Leadership Team

Validate the effectiveness of Safety First initiatives

Ensure regulatory reporting quality and compliance thresholds are met

Forecast QA2 and safety KPI performance

Escalate systemic risks early—before they become crises

Translate complex assurance findings into clear executive insights

This role requires professional courage. You must be comfortable challenging assumptions—respectfully, constructively, and objectively.

Who This Role Suits This opportunity will strongly suit someone with:

Tertiary qualifications in Risk, Governance, Compliance or similar

Senior assurance or safety governance experience within education, care, or human services

Deep understanding of QA2, National Quality Framework and Child Safe Standards

Strong analytical capability and systems‑thinking mindset

The ability to influence without direct authority

You are someone who:

Sees patterns others miss

Understands risk maturity

Values cultural integrity as much as compliance

Is calm under pressure

Can separate signal from noise

Understands that assurance is about enabling improvement

What Makes This Role Different You will influence strategically. You will shape governance maturity across a large, multi‑site organisation.

This is a rare blend of:

Enterprise risk insight

Cultural evaluation

Safeguarding assurance

Strategic governance

All within a purpose‑driven organisation where children are genuinely prioritised.

Why Join CEEC?

Organisation‑wide impact

Not‑for‑profit, child‑centred mission

Strong governance environment

Vehicle included

Stable, values‑led organisation

Opportunity to elevate safety maturity at scale

The Standard We Hold We do not treat safeguarding as a checkbox. We expect maturity. We expect integrity. We expect courage.

If you are motivated by impact, governance excellence, and protecting children through robust systems—this role will challenge and reward you.

Our Commitment to Child Safety All successful candidates must hold:

A current Driver's Licence

A valid Blue Card

A satisfactory Criminal History Check

A willingness to complete ongoing safeguarding training

Confidential Conversations Welcome If you are currently operating in assurance, governance, safety or compliance leadership—and want to apply your expertise in a mission‑driven environment—we would welcome a confidential discussion.

Apply directly or reach out for a conversation.

Our Commitment to Keeping Our Staff and Children Safe Catholic Early EdCare is dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children in its care and maintains a zero‑tolerance approach to any form of abuse. The protection of children is our highest priority. All appointments are subject to referee checks, criminal history screening, and a current Queensland Working with Children Check (Blue Card).

Catholic Early EdCare is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

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