Child Development Specialist - Long Day Care

This is a unique opportunity to gain experience in a remote Aboriginal community on Mornington Island, while playing a key role in our Long Day Care Centre and supporting the local children and their families. Located in the lower Gulf of Carpentaria in far north Queensland, Mornington Island is the traditional country of the Lardil people. Traditional culture is very important to the people, and you’ll learn a lot in this opportunity about the culture, the importance of dance, art and the land.

54 reasons is Australia’s leading child rights organisation – no ordinary not-for-profit.

Proudly part of the Save the Children Australia Group and global movement, we’re here to make sure that children and young people have their rights met and thrive, in all their diversity.

With the child’s voice at the centre, we provide quality services to children and their caregivers in every state and territory, and across regions, remote areas and capital cities. From our programs to our support services - this is the place to realise your purpose.

A place to make a difference:

In this full-time, permanent role, you’ll work alongside the early childhood staff at the Kirdi Mayarr Early Learning Centre. Reporting to and supporting the Director, you’ll help manage the daily operations of the centre, and promote engaging relationships with staff, families, children and the local community.

Our centre is a 39 place centre for children ranging from 0 to 5 years old, with 3 rooms operational. Our purpose is to ensure as many children from our community have access to a culturally appropriate, play-based early childhood education while supporting our local people to gain their qualifications in early childhood education and strengthening the workforce on the island. The opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm and shift times are negotiable, to allow you to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle.

Based on Mornington Island, you will need to be resilient and respectful to fit into the traditional culture of the community.

You will make a difference by:

A place to feel valued:

You’re an experienced Child Development Specialist who is based on Mornington Island, and has a passion for working in remote areas and building capacity in Aboriginal communities. Your cultural sensitivity allows you to build strong relationships with people in a respectful way and enables you to engage with the community to develop lasting partnerships. You’re excited by a challenge and willing to go above and beyond.

This role requires:

A place to belong:

At 54 reasons, we invest in the development and wellbeing of our people. Our workforce is approximately 600 people strong, and proudly diverse, whether in race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, cultures and beliefs.

It takes all types of people to do the challenging work we do. We are diverse personalities, backgrounds and talents, embracing our differences as one strong and united team. We see and celebrate the unique value you bring to our organisation, and offer a range of rewards for your effort, including:

Follow this link for the full list of our employee benefits.

Does this sound like the place for you?

We’d love to hear from you. Submit your cover letter and resume below.

Applications Close: Monday 11th August 2025.

Position Description: Child Development Specialist – Mornington Island

For more information about this position, please contact Jaimie Petterwood on jaimie.petterwood@54reasons.org.au. Or for more information about a career at Save, visit our Careers Page.

We have tested our application process with diverse groups in mind, with the intent to ensure its straightforward and accessible for all to apply. Diversity and inclusion