• Location: Perth preferred, flexible for the right candidate
• Are you passionate about transforming the care workforce landscape to create impactful outcomes for communities?
• Do you have expertise in developing innovative workforce solutions and a talent for translating complex challenges into practical strategies?

We are looking for an authentic, committed, and creative individual who can lead the development of workforce solutions for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in unserved and underserved communities across Australia. You’ll work both strategically alongside senior leadership and hands-on in the field with communities and service providers.

With experience in care economy contexts (such as early childhood, aged care, disability services, or healthcare), you’ll bring versatile skills in workforce development to this critical role.

If you’re excited by the opportunity to design and implement innovative approaches to address chronic workforce challenges, while working within a purpose-driven startup committed to creating extraordinary impact for Australian children, families and communities – we’d love to hear from you.

How you will help us

Participation in high-quality early learning supports young children to thrive and families to flourish.

Yet many communities across Australia experience persistent challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining qualified early childhood educators and staff, particularly in regional, rural, and disadvantaged areas.

Coaxial Foundation is committed to changing that. As part of Project Oasis, we are developing and implementing innovative workforce solutions that enhance the quality and sustainability of early childhood education and care in unserved and underserved communities across Australia. This work requires both strategic leadership and practical, on-the-ground engagement with communities and service providers.

Why we need you

As the Workforce Solutions Specialist, you will be at the forefront of designing and developing workforce solutions that address critical staffing challenges in ECEC settings. Working closely with the Director Workforce Futures and the broader Coaxial team, you will lead the development of innovative, evidence-informed/informing, and place-based approaches that strengthen the ECEC workforce in communities that need it most.

You will serve as a key deputy to the Director Workforce Futures, representing the Workforce Enterprise in their absence and contributing significantly to its strategic direction, while also working directly in the field to co-design and implement practical workforce solutions with communities and service providers.

What we need in you

We are looking for someone with a deep understanding of workforce development in care contexts, preferably in early childhood education, but also potentially across aged care, disability services, healthcare or education more broadly. You have a proven track record in designing and implementing effective workforce strategies in complex environments. You bring analytical rigour, creative thinking, and practical expertise to address complex workforce challenges in diverse contexts.

You are a proactive problem-solver who can translate research and data into actionable solutions, while collaborating effectively with diverse stakeholders. You have a talent for synthesising complex information, identifying patterns, and developing innovative approaches that can be adapted to specific local contexts.

Your strategic mindset, coupled with hands-on implementation skills, will enable you to lead the development of a comprehensive toolkit of workforce solutions that can be tested, refined, and scaled across different communities. You are equally comfortable working independently in the field with community partners and supporting senior leadership in strategic forums.

If you’re ready to play a pivotal role in transforming the ECEC workforce landscape and creating lasting impact for children, families, and communities, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll do

• Support the Director Workforce Futures – Serve as a key deputy, representing the Workforce Enterprise in strategic forums when required and contributing to overall strategic direction and decision-making.
• Lead solution development – Develop, refine, and manage the Solution Strand Base and Validated Workforce Solution Toolkit, ensuring continuous improvement based on research, evaluation, and field experience.
• Conduct field engagement – Work directly with communities and service providers to understand local workforce challenges and co-develop appropriate solutions, spending significant time in target communities.
• Conduct research – Investigate ECEC workforce challenges, identifying barriers, opportunities, and innovative approaches from within and beyond the care economy.
• Facilitate co-design – Lead co-design sessions with partners and local stakeholders to develop tailored workforce solutions that address specific community needs.
• Provide expert guidance – Offer specialised workforce development expertise during implementation, ensuring alignment with best practices and adaptation to local contexts.
• Develop implementation resources – Create guides, tools, and training materials to support effective implementation of workforce solutions across diverse settings.
• Analyse and interpret data – Work with Coaxial internal experts and external partners to evaluate the impact of workforce solutions and extract meaningful insights to inform continuous improvement.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing – Document learnings, develop case studies, and create practical resources to share insights and best practices internally and externally.
• Build strategic relationships – Develop and maintain relationships with key workforce stakeholders, including training providers, peak bodies, and government agencies.
• Support business case development – Contribute workforce expertise to business cases for pilot projects, articulating expected outcomes and alignment with strategic goals.
• Drive innovation – Stay abreast of emerging workforce trends, technologies, and practices, ensuring Coaxial remains at the forefront of ECEC workforce innovation.

Key skills & capabilities

• Workforce development expertise – Comprehensive understanding of workforce development principles, strategies, and best practices, with experience in care economy contexts (early childhood, aged care, disability services, or healthcare).
• Care sector knowledge – Strong familiarity with workforce challenges, regulatory frameworks, and qualification pathways in care sectors, with ECEC experience highly desirable but not essential.
• Strategic and operational capability – Ability to operate both at a strategic level supporting senior leadership and in hands-on implementation roles, adapting to different contexts.
• Strategic thinking – Ability to analyse complex workforce challenges and develop innovative, practical solutions that align with broader organisational goals.
• Research and analytical skills – Capacity to gather, analyse, and interpret data to inform workforce solution design and continuous improvement.
• Co-design and facilitation – Experience facilitating collaborative design processes with diverse stakeholders to develop context-appropriate solutions.
• Communication and influence – Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex concepts into accessible language for various audiences and represent the organisation in a variety of forums.
• Adaptability and innovation – Demonstrated ability to think creatively, adapt to changing circumstances, and develop novel approaches to persistent challenges.
• Project management – Strong organisational skills with experience in managing complex projects from conception to implementation.
• Relationship building – Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders, including community representatives, service providers, and government.
• Cultural competency – Experience working with diverse communities, including First Nations peoples and those in regional and remote settings.

How you’ll work

• You’ll operate across strategic and operational levels, supporting directors in high-level forums while also leading on-the-ground implementation with communities.
• You’ll balance research with practice, ensuring workforce solutions are both evidence-informed and practically applicable in real-world settings.
• You’ll travel frequently, spending significant time in target communities to understand local contexts and build relationships with stakeholders.
• You’ll collaborate extensively with the Coaxial team, communities, service providers, and other stakeholders to design and refine workforce solutions.
• You’ll work flexibly across various contexts, adapting approaches to meet the specific needs of different communities and service providers.
• You’ll embrace continuous learning, staying informed about emerging workforce trends and approaches, and incorporating new insights into your work.
• You’ll bridge theory and practice, translating academic research and policy frameworks into practical, implementable workforce strategies.
• You’ll value both data and stories, recognising that effective workforce solutions require both quantitative evidence and qualitative understanding of lived experiences.