Chief Operating Officer – Social Impact Leader

Beaumont People; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 153,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Wellbeing support

Job summary

The Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) seeks a Chief Operating Officer to provide strategic, financial and operational leadership as it moves into its fifth decade. The role is based in Randwick with a hybrid model and no remote-only applicants.

You will translate strategic priorities into operational plans, systems and services while building high‑performing teams and ensuring sustainable funding and governance across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in business, management, commerce, public administration or executive leadership experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with Boards, executives, government agencies, funders and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop and implement strategic and operational plans that deliver organisational objectives.
• Extensive financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting and resource management.
• Highly developed leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams and foster a positive culture.
• Demonstrated success in identifying, securing and managing diverse funding sources, including government funding, grants.
• Experience leading organisational change, continuous improvement and business transformation initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of governance, enterprise risk management, compliance, WHS and organisational systems.
• Excellent analytical, communication, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to provide high-quality strategic advice.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership to translate strategic priorities into effective operational plans, systems and services.
• Translate strategy into operational delivery across finance, operations, governance and risk management.
• Oversee high-volume priority setting and ensure systems are implemented and adhered to.
• Lead and develop high‑performing teams and cultivate a positive organisational culture.
• Secure diverse funding sources and ensure financial sustainability and reporting.
• Drive organisational change, continuous improvement and business transformation initiatives.

Education

MBA or equivalent

Job description

Chief Operating Officer | Refugee Advice and Casework Service

The Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) is one of Australia’s oldest and most respected refugee legal organisations, providing expert, free legal assistance to people seeking asylum and refugee protection. Guided by a vision of justice and dignity for all refugees, RACS combines direct client services, community education and systemic advocacy to promote fair access to legal protection and uphold Australia’s international humanitarian obligations.

The Role & Key Deliverables

As a key strategic partner to the Board and the Centre Director, the COO will provide strong strategic, financial and operational expertise to steward the operations areas and ensure the financial sustainability of the organisation as they move into their fifth decade. The primary purpose of the role is to provide executive leadership to translate strategic priorities into effective operational plans, systems and services.

The RACS working environment can be high volume of various competing priorities and the successful applicant must be skilled in managing time and priorities whilst ensuring systems are implemented and followed.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be a strong people leader, have demonstrated financial and operational management experience and a deep commitment to social justice.

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in business, management, commerce, public administration or a related discipline, or equivalent executive leadership experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with Boards, executives, government agencies, funders and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop and implement strategic and operational plans that deliver organisational objectives.
• Extensive financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting and resource management.
• Highly developed leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams, develop leaders and foster a positive organisational culture.
• Demonstrated success in identifying, securing and managing diverse funding sources, including government funding, grants.
• Demonstrated experience leading organisational change, continuous improvement and business transformation initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of governance, enterprise risk management, compliance, WHS and organisational systems.
• Excellent analytical, communication, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to provide high-quality strategic advice.

Experience working in or ability to rapidly acquire knowledge of the community legal, legal assistance, not-for-profit or community services sector highly regarded.

RACS welcomes applications from those with the lived expertise of seeking asylum, newly arrived people as well as those on temporary visas with the relevant permission to work.

Location and Remuneration

• The role is located in Randwick.
• While a hybrid model is offered no remote-only applicants will be considered.
• $170,000 plus super, access to salary packaging and wellbeing support.

Please note that verbal references and probity checks will be required as part of the appointment process.

We encourage applications from people of all different backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from CALD backgrounds and people with disabilities or barriers to employment.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or marital or parental status.

Should you require a reasonable accommodation to be made for your application to be assessed, we would be more than happy to discuss how that can be arranged.