• 51 high quality, affordable kindergartens 
• Charitable Trust, for purpose model
• Waikato/Lakes/Bay of Plenty region

Mō mātou | About us

Central Kids has been providing high-quality, affordable early childhood education since 1951.  We offer a child-led, learning through play philosophy that enables tamariki to grow at their own pace – socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively.

We have 51 kura pūhou (kindergartens) in 27 towns across the central North Island and are governed by a charitable trust.  A member of NZ Kindergartens, we are committed to equity of access and education for all tamariki.  Almost 50 per cent of our tamariki are Māori and we are proud of the diversity in our kindergartens.  We are a proudly bi-cultural organisation and te ao Māori is thriving in our kindergartens.

A key part of our service is Mātauranga Ake, our social services team, which provides wrap around support and guidance towards achieving a resilient, stable and supportive home life for tamariki.  The team connects whānau to housing, employment and wellness services, ensuring tamariki are better placed to access early childhood education.

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

As our next Chief Executive you will lead across our network of kindergartens, deliver our new strategic plan and consolidate our new service delivery model.  You’ll inspire a passionate team of staff and connect meaningfully with the whānau who choose Central Kids for their tamariki.  

You will have oversight of all our key areas including finance, health and safety, property investment and management, educational delivery and relationships with key funders.  Our recent investment into data and analytics will give you the opportunity to use this to further improve our education and equity outcomes.  Delivery of our asset and investment plan will be a key priority, and you will be comfortable leading a range of major capital expenditure land and building projects.  

Our head office is in Tokoroa, and this role can be carried out on a hybrid basis.

Ko wai koe| About you

We are seeking an experienced leader who balances warmth and empathy with a focus on results and delivery.  In particular you will need:

• leadership experience – you’ve held CEO or senior leadership roles, and ideally reported to a board
• service delivery experience – you know how to lead an operational, service focused organisation, ideally with geographic spread
• te ao Māori and equity – you’re committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to equity for all our tamariki
• strategic and commercial acumen – you can take a strategy and make it happen, as well as understanding how to manage revenue and costs effectively
• communication flair – you are a confident public face for an organisation, articulate, influential and relatable.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

For a copy of the information pack please email Melissa Keane or Amy Tea at info@amytea.co.nz

To apply, please email your cover letter and CV to apply@amytea.co.nz

Applications close Wednesday 29th January 2025.

You must have the right to live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand to apply for this job.