We are looking for caring, nurturing and creative educators to join Sandhills Early Childhood Centre (Sandhills Early Childhood Centre – Byron Shire Council).

Sandhills Early Childhood Centre is a council-operated 59-place centre in the heart of Byron Bay with natural and welcoming indoor and outdoor spaces abundant with trees, wildlife, garden beds, rockeries and grassed areas.

We pride ourselves on having a collaborative, creative and supportive team culture in a spacious and natural environment within walking distance to the Byron foreshore.

At our service we strive to nurture each child’s sense of belonging as a part of a strong connected community, ensuring a safe and supportive environment.

We are looking for:

We are seeking an exceptional Cook to join Sandhills (term, part time, 1 day per week with a potential for leave coverage. The hourly rate is $34.00 -$39.39 depending on experience and qualifications, plus a worker retention payment of approximately $4 per hour.

You will:

• work with a team of exceptional educators to implement the daily program in line with the National Quality Framework and Early Years Learning framework
• receive the Federal Government’s early childhood worker retention payment (additional 10% of the base Children’s Services award rate)
• be eligible for flexible working arrangements
• be eligible for 12% superannuation, access to long service leave, education training support, salary packaging, fitness passport, employee assistance

Our position description outlines the key responsibilities of the role and what skills are required.

We look forward to reading more about your experience, skills and why you think you would be a great fit.

Please apply by filling the form below and attaching your resume that demonstrates:

• your experience cooking for children in a long day care environment
• your strengths and commitment to working in early childhood education and care
• how you communicate effectively with children, parents and other staff

Please refer to the position description for full list of key responsibilities, required competencies and selection criteria.

Byron Shire Council is committed to being a child safe organisation – we respect all children and their wellbeing. We will embed Child Safe Standards into our leadership, governance and culture. We will support our staff and volunteers in their responsibilities. We will strive to keep children safe from harm and abuse.

Working with Byron Shire Council:

Byron Shire Council is focused on partnering with our community and offers pristine beaches, diverse lifestyles, a magnificent natural environment and a subtropical climate.

Byron Shire Council has a high performance, collaborative culture and we value our employees.

As an employee you would partner with an organisation that is taking steps in all areas to reduce our carbon emissions and be an innovative and sustainable council.

We provide a rewarding and flexible working environment and celebrate our values of:

• We lead with enthusiasm and purpose
• We are open, honest and respectful
• We foster well-being and creativity
• We achieve our goals and succeed together

Location:

This position is based at Council’s Sandhills Early Childhood Centre in Byron Bay.

Contact:

Anna Vinfield – Business Manager – 02 6685 8118

Closing date:

Sunday, 1 March 2026 at 10pm.

We believe in diversity, inclusion and equality and are committed to ensuring that our workplaces are a reflection of our community. We recognise the benefits that diversity and inclusion brings, and in turn encourage talented people from all backgrounds, abilities and identities to apply for our vacancies.

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to explore new ways of working – including part-time, job-share or working from different locations. Everyone can ask about it.

We strongly encourage applications from people with disability and will provide reasonable adjustments in our recruitment process and in the workplace. If you need an adjustment during the recruitment process, please call or email the contact person listed above, and also advise us of your preferred method of communication.

Pre-Employment Screening Process:

• Reference Checks: Referees will preferably be your current or most recent supervisor and must be able to comment directly on your abilities in a work situation. If you have any objection to this action, your concerns should be raised in your application and be discussed with the Selection Panel.
• Functional Health Assessment: If applicable, the functional health assessment evaluates your physical and functional capacity against the physical demands necessary to safely perform the job for which you have applied.
• Background Screening: Background checks verify the information you have provided in your application, and where applicable, also check for relevant criminal history. Checks may also include, for example, a confirmation of your employment history, qualifications/tickets and working with children clearance.