Talent Manager

Join the ECMS Team: Talent Manager

Are you passionate about shaping young minds and making a difference in your community?

At ECMS, we believe every child deserves access to high-quality early learning. As a leading for-purpose organisation, we support children, families and communities across Victoria through exceptional early childhood education and care.

Our purpose is simple: we foster lifelong learning .

We are seeking an experienced Talent Manager to lead ECMS’ recruitment and talent acquisition strategy while covering a parental leave position.

This maximum term role will commence as soon as possible and conclude in April 2027, offering the opportunity to lead meaningful workforce initiatives and make a strong impact in a purpose-driven organisation.

About the role

Reporting to the Director of People, the Talent Manager leads the organisation’s end-to-end recruitment strategy and Talent team.

You will work closely with operational leaders to ensure ECMS attracts, selects and retains high-quality talent while building long-term workforce capability.

Key responsibilities include

Talent strategy & recruitment leadership

• Lead ECMS’ end-to-end recruitment strategy, standards and processes
• Deliver consistent, high-quality recruitment outcomes across services and support functions
• Ensure recruitment practices are inclusive, compliant and aligned with ECMS values

Team leadership

• Lead, coach and develop the Talent team
• Set clear expectations, build capability and support continuous improvement
• Contribute to broader People & Culture initiatives as part of the leadership team

Employer brand & talent pipelines

• Strengthen ECMS’ employer brand and Employee Value Proposition
• Develop talent pipelines and workforce pathways to support sector workforce demand
• Build partnerships with education providers and sector organisations

Workforce planning & insights

• Partner with leaders to anticipate workforce needs and plan recruitment activity
• Use workforce data and recruitment insights to inform decision-making
• Drive improvements to recruitment systems, processes and candidate experience

About you

You are a strategic and people-focused talent leader who enjoys building strong teams, improving recruitment capability and delivering results in complex environments.

You will bring:

Essential experience

• Demonstrated experience leading recruitment or talent acquisition functions in multi-site organisations
• Proven ability to develop and implement recruitment strategies and talent pipelines
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Experience using HR systems, ATS platforms and recruitment reporting tools

Desirable

• Experience in not-for-profit, education, early childhood, health or community sectors
• Relevant qualification in Human Resources, Business or Organisational Development
• Knowledge of modern awards or employment legislation

Why ECMS?

• Generous pay and conditions – 50% childcare discount, discounts to hundreds of major retailers, paid parental leave
• We have a supportive and inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and appreciated – 84% of our team recommend ECMS as a great place to work!
• We're committed to making a positive impact in our communities – we’re a proud place based, for purpose, not for profit, who put people at the centre of our work.
• Flexible working hours with hybrid working opportunities
• Opportunity to accelerate your career due and a 2% professional development budget catered just to you.

Join us in shaping the future of early education!

ECMS is committed to the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children. Successful applicants are required to adhere to our child safe practices and policies located on our website. Applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from diverse communities and backgrounds are encouraged.

If you're passionate about early childhood education and care, and you're looking for a rewarding career with a supportive and inclusive organisation, we encourage you to apply today! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so get your application in asap!