Client Services Director - Darwin

Carpentaria; Darwin; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive salary + 12% super

Salary packaging

Professional development funding

Mobile phone and laptop

Shared vehicle with private use

Underground parking

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Carpentaria is seeking a Director of Client Services to lead its disability service portfolio, including SIL, Pathways and regional operations across the Northern Territory. You will translate strategy into high-quality, person-centred delivery, oversee 24/7 services, safeguarding, risk management and executive reporting.

You will manage large budgets, occupancy, and participant funding, lead a service management team, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive continuous improvement while

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree or higher in Disability, Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, Allied Health.
• Health management or community services discipline also acceptable.
• Substantial senior leadership experience in disability services.
• Experience managing multi-site portfolios including 24/7 residential services.
• Proven capability managing large operational budgets and occupancy.
• Knowledge of NDIS Practice Standards and safeguarding frameworks.
• Ability to lead, coach and hold to account dispersed workforces.
• Experience balancing outcomes, safeguarding and financial performance.
• Structured reporting to the Executive and Board-level assurance.
• Current Ochre Card and NDIS clearances.

Responsibilities

• Hold strategic and operational accountability for Carpentaria's disability service portfolio across the Northern Territory, including 24/7 SIL, complex and non-complex supports, Pathways and regional operations.
• Translate organisational strategy into person-centred, rights-based and consistently delivered services across the portfolio.
• Ensure operational stability, service continuity and strong performance across all programs and regional sites, including effective after-hours escalation and business continuity arrangements for 24/7 services.
• Drive financial performance and sustainable service delivery, including oversight of budgets, occupancy, participant funding utilisation, workforce costs and responsible growth.
• Maintain safeguarding integrity and provide executive oversight of participant safety, incident management, restrictive practices, complaints, reportable incidents and continuous quality improvement.
• Lead proactive risk management by identifying, escalating and addressing risks that could threaten participant safety, service continuity, regulatory compliance, financial sustainability or organisational reputation.
• Lead and develop the service management team, clarifying accountabilities and ensuring managers and teams work cohesively toward participant outcomes and organisational priorities.

Skills

Senior leadership

Disability services

Budget management

Risk management

Participant outcomes

Executive reporting

Education

Bachelor degree or higher in Disability or related field

Job description

The Director of Client Services provides strategic and operational leadership for Carpentaria's disability service portfolio, which includes Supported Independent Living, Pathways and regional operations. In this role, you will translate organisational strategy into disciplined, high-quality service delivery.
As a senior leader, you will focus on portfolio performance, participant outcomes, safeguarding, risk management and leadership alignment. You will also provide executive oversight of service continuity and escalation arrangements across our 24/7 operations.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Hold strategic and operational accountability for Carpentaria's disability service portfolio across the Northern Territory, including 24/7 SIL, complex and non-complex supports, Pathways and regional operations.
• Translate organisational strategy into person-centred, rights-based and consistently delivered services across the portfolio.
• Ensure operational stability, service continuity and strong performance across all programs and regional sites, including effective after-hours escalation and business continuity arrangements for 24/7 services.
• Drive financial performance and sustainable service delivery, including oversight of budgets, occupancy, participant funding utilisation, workforce costs and responsible growth.
• Maintain safeguarding integrity and provide executive oversight of participant safety, incident management, restrictive practices, complaints, reportable incidents and continuous quality improvement.
• Lead proactive risk management by identifying, escalating and addressing risks that could threaten participant safety, service continuity, regulatory compliance, financial sustainability or organisational reputation.
• Lead and develop the service management team, clarifying accountabilities and ensuring managers and teams work cohesively toward participant outcomes and organisational priorities.

Essential Criteria

• Bachelor degree or higher in Disability, Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, Allied Health, Community Services, Health Management or another relevant human services discipline.
• Substantial senior leadership experience in disability services, with demonstrated knowledge of contemporary disability practice, safeguarding and NDIS requirements.
• Demonstrated senior leadership experience managing geographically dispersed, multi-site disability service portfolios, including 24/7 residential or accommodation-based services for people with complex and non-complex support needs.
• Proven capability managing large operational budgets, financial performance, occupancy and cost ratios within funded service environments.
• Strong working knowledge of the NDIS Practice Standards, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission requirements, incident management and reportable incidents, behaviour support and restrictive practices, the SCHADS Award and workforce cost drivers, and contemporary risk and safeguarding frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and hold to account multiple layers of operational management responsible for large, dispersed and continuously operating workforces.
• Experience balancing participant outcomes and choice, safeguarding, service continuity, workforce sustainability, financial performance and responsible growth in complex service environments.
• Demonstrated capability in providing structured reporting to the Executive and contributing to Board-level assurance.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to interpret financial performance and implement corrective action.
• Sound judgement and decision-making, with the ability to perform effectively under regulatory and reputational pressure.
• Current Ochre Card, Criminal History Check, NDIS Worker Screening Clearance, NDIS Worker Orientation Module, First Aid & CPR Certificate and NT Driver Licence.

Preferred Criteria

• Experience operating in regional or remote service contexts.
• Experience leading both SIL and day program services, including services supporting people with high and complex support needs.
• MBA or postgraduate qualification in leadership, governance or health management.

Remuneration and benefits

A generous remuneration package is available for the successful candidate, including:

• Competitive executive base salary + 12% super
• Salary packaging available (through Paywise)
• Professional development and executive leadership funding
• A mobile phone and laptop
• Access to a fully serviced shared vehicle, for use in the execution of role and entitlement to full private use of the vehicle including home garaging
• An allocated underground parking space at the Harry’s Place precinct
• Relocation assistance (where applicable)

Contacts and further information

For further information please see the role profile - https://carpentaria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Role-Profile-Director-of-Client-Services-1.pdf

For the position description please access https://carpentaria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/PD-Director-of-Client-Services-September-2026.pdf

Carpentaria is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing high-quality Disability, Therapy and Community Services across the Northern Territory. For more than 50 years, we’ve supported children, adolescents, and adults to achieve their goals and live their best lives. Our team delivers person-centred supports that make a real difference every day.

Employment opportunities are available across our Independent Living services, Pathways Day Program, Supported Employment and Training, Children and Youth Services, corporate services and Allied Health therapy programs (including Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Psychology).