Executive Director, Service Delivery

Lifeline Direct Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging benefits

Job summary

Lifeline Direct Ltd in NSW seeks an Executive Director, Service Delivery to ensure reliable, safe, high-quality services across crisis support, digital and community programs. The role leads high‑performing teams, drives clinical governance, and partners with Lifeline Australia to innovate and scale service delivery while upholding consumer outcomes and workforce wellbeing.

You will report to the executive leadership and present to boards, shaping strategy, budgets and change plans in a hybrid

Qualifications

• At least 10 years relevant sector experience in a service delivery organisation at a senior level.
• Tertiary qualifications (minimum Bachelor) in Health, Psychology, Social Work or Counselling.
• Contemporary knowledge of and experience in mental health crisis counselling, suicide prevention, and family violence.
• Capability to interpret trends and data to help design, implement and evaluate new services using a variety of platforms and operating models.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing, leading and promoting clinical governance, risk, and quality frameworks.
• A proven strength in team building and engagement, with the ability to lead and motivate a diverse range of people working in hybrid arrangements.
• Ability to operate confidently and professionally at a senior executive level and present to boards and external stakeholders.
• Experienced in developing corporate strategies and business plans, including the execution of change plans and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop high‑performing teams across crisis support and digital services.
• Promote and strengthen clinical governance, risk and quality frameworks.
• Translate strategy into Service Delivery programs aligned with funding and governance requirements.
• Collaborate with Lifeline Australia teams to explore partnerships and innovation.
• Engage with boards and external stakeholders on performance, budgets and change plans.

Skills

Team leadership

Clinical governance

Quality frameworks

Strategic planning

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor degree in Health, Psychology, Social Work or Counselling

Job description

Lifeline Direct (LLD) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lifeline Australia (LLA) focused on supporting the development and ongoing implementation of services focused on suicide prevention, mental health, domestic and family violence support, along with community wellbeing programs across both the geographical regions where we operate, as well as a range of digital services delivered nationally including Lifeline’s 13 14 Crisis Support helpline, MensLine and Suicide Call Back Service (among others).

To deliver on these services, LLD encompasses both a national remote based telehealth workforce as well as Lifeline Centres in Hunter region, Central Coast, Northern NSW, Eastern Suburbs-Bondi and New England/North West, (all in NSW), as well as Geelong, South West Victoria, Northern and Western Melbourne (in Victoria).

LLD values the voices of lived and living experience, which informs our work and services. This position plays a critical role in our engagement with our Lived and Living Experience Advisory Group (LLEAG) as well as taking a lead role in our Clinical Governance Advisory Committee.

About the position

The primary focus of the Executive Director, Service Delivery (ED, SD) is to ensure that all our services are delivered in a reliable and safe way, with quality as the foundation of our value proposition, support the organisation to grow and evolve while ensuring team wellbeing.

The ED, SD suits a seasoned leader in the mental health crisis support sector who has a track record in planning, operating and growing telephone and digital services to meet strategic plans as well as managing funding requirements.

The role provides thought leadership to the organisation through staying alert to developments in global mental health, suicide prevention and domestic and family violence support, sharing these to build organisational capability.

The ED, SD will also have a close working relationship with the Service Design and Enablement team at Lifeline Australia, as the organisations work together in considering opportunities for innovation or partnership across Lifeline's service portfolio.

About you

Your knowledge in leading and developing high-performing teams sets you apart. With a keen eye for best practices and service quality, you will offer insightful leadership, supporting the General Managers of our Service Delivery teams.You have a deep understanding of relevant standards and legislation, ensuring compliance across all services and your commitment to consumer outcomes and workforce planning will be evident.

As a credentialled and experienced mental health practitioner, the ED, SD knows how to enable and motivate crisis supporters, volunteers and counselling teams to provide the best services possible, in alignment with quality, governance and compliance frameworks.

What the position requires

• At least 10 years relevant sector experience in a service delivery organisation at a senior level.
• Tertiary qualifications (minimum Bachelor) in Health, Psychology, Social Work or Counselling.
• Contemporary knowledge of and experience in mental health crisis counselling, suicide prevention, and family violence.
• Capability to interpret trends and data to help design, implement and evaluate new services using a variety of platforms and operating models.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing, leading and promoting clinical governance, risk, and quality frameworks.
• A proven strength in team building and engagement, with the ability to lead and motivate a diverse range of people working in hybrid arrangements.
• Ability to operate confidently and professionally at a senior executive level and present to boards and external stakeholders.
• Experienced in developing corporate strategies and business plans, including the execution of change plans and budgets.

In return we will offer

• An opportunity to be part of Australia’s leading and largest suicide prevention service that is there to support people as they contact us more than 4000 times each day across Australia.
• Salary packaging benefits.
• A supportive and dynamic work environment.
• The satisfaction of being part of a team that genuinely impacts the community.