Executive Manager - Community Services

Orana Australia Limited; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Orana Australia Limited seeks an Executive Manager – Community Services to lead a diverse portfolio including Supported Independent Living and Community Options. You will drive strategy, ensure service quality and financial sustainability, and develop high-performing teams across multiple sites.

You will balance compassion with accountability, lead transformative change, and uphold person-centred practice while navigating regulatory frameworks and stakeholder relationships.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience within disability, aged care, health or community services.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-site operations and managing diverse teams.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing substantial budgets.
• Proven ability to implement change and deliver measurable results.
• Experience in strategic planning, business development and sustainable service growth.
• Understanding of contemporary disability services and regulatory frameworks.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
• Strong analytical, communication and decision-making capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight across Community Services.
• Lead delivery of high-quality, person-centred services with a focus on performance and continuous improvement.
• Take ownership of portfolio budgets, financial performance and operational efficiency.
• Strengthen and grow services through innovation and partnerships.
• Lead, coach and develop operational managers and foster a positive culture.
• Champion governance, risk management and safeguarding in line with regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to accommodation planning and service model development.
• Build trusted relationships with clients, families, staff and stakeholders.

Skills

Senior leadership

Multi-site leadership

Financial acumen

Change management

Strategic planning

Business development

Regulatory frameworks

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Decision-making

People-centred practice

Education

Tertiary qualification in health / allied health / social sciences / business / management

Job description

Orana Australia is seeking an experienced, dynamic and commercially astute Executive Manager – Community Services to lead a diverse portfolio encompassing Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Community Options.

This is an exciting opportunity for a confident, compassionate and forward-thinking executive who thrives on leading people, driving improvement and delivering meaningful outcomes for people with disabilities.

As Orana continues an exciting period of organisational transformation, we are looking for a leader who brings fresh thinking, strong operational discipline, emotional intelligence and a genuine commitment to people.

We want someone who understands that exceptional leadership is about more than budgets, systems and performance measures. It's about building relationships, inspiring others and making a genuine difference.

About Orana

For more than 75 years, Orana has been supporting South Australians with disability to live a life of their choice.

Today, we support more than 650 people across South Australia through a diverse range of services, including accommodation, community participation and supported employment.

We are proud of our history, but equally excited about our future.

With a renewed focus on service excellence, innovation, accountability and sustainability, Orana is building an organisation that is contemporary, connected and ready for the future.

Our values — Be Kind, Be Brave, Be Me, Be Inclusive, Be Positive and Be-long — underpin everything we do.

About the opportunity

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and forming part of Orana's Executive Leadership Team, you will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight across our Community Services portfolio.

This is a significant leadership role with responsibility for service quality, operational performance, financial sustainability, workforce capability and future service development.

You will be empowered to challenge existing practices, identify opportunities for improvement and lead meaningful change, while ensuring the people we support remain at the centre of every decision.

We are looking for someone who can balance compassion with accountability, commercial thinking with social purpose, and strategic ambition with genuine care for people.

• Strategic Leadership: Contribute to Orana's strategic direction and translate organisational priorities into clear, measurable operational outcomes.
• Operational Excellence: Lead the delivery of safe, high-quality, person-centred services, with a strong focus on performance, consistency, efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Financial Sustainability: Take ownership of portfolio budgets, financial performance, resource allocation and operational efficiencies to ensure services remain sustainable.
• Service Development and Growth: Strengthen and optimise existing services while identifying opportunities for innovation, strategic partnerships and sustainable growth.
• People and Culture: Lead, coach and develop operational managers, fostering a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture built on trust, collaboration and accountability.
• Quality and Safeguarding: Champion strong clinical governance, risk management, safeguarding practices and compliance with NDIS and other regulatory requirements.
• Accommodation Strategy: Contribute to the planning and development of accommodation and service models that respond to current and emerging needs.
• Stakeholder Relationships: Build trusted and meaningful relationships with people we support, families, employees, government, sector partners and other key stakeholders.

About you

You are an accomplished executive or senior leader who combines strong commercial acumen, emotional intelligence and a genuine commitment to people.

You are warm, approachable and authentic, with a natural ability to connect with people at every level. You lead with empathy and integrity, but are equally comfortable making difficult decisions, setting clear expectations and holding people accountable.

You understand that compassion and accountability go hand in hand. You bring energy, optimism and sound judgement, along with the confidence and capability to lead a complex service portfolio.

You are a visible and engaged leader who takes the time to listen, values the contribution of others and genuinely celebrates their achievements. You inspire confidence, build strong teams and create an environment where people feel respected, supported and empowered to succeed.

Importantly, you understand that delivering exceptional services requires both a genuine commitment to people and strong commercial discipline.

You will bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience within disability, aged care, health, community services or another complex service delivery environment.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-site operations and managing diverse teams.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing substantial budgets and improving operational performance.
• Proven ability to implement change, improve systems and processes, and deliver measurable results.
• Experience in strategic planning, business development and sustainable service growth.
• A sound understanding of contemporary disability services, person-centred practice and relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and the ability to build trusted relationships.
• Strong analytical, communication and decision-making capabilities.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in health, allied health, social sciences, business, management or a related discipline.

Above all, you will be a compassionate, courageous and values-driven leader who genuinely cares about people, believes in the potential of others and takes pride in making a meaningful difference.

Orana is entering an exciting new chapter, and this is an opportunity to play a meaningful role in shaping it.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Join a refreshed, collaborative and ambitious executive leadership team.
• Influence organisational strategy and lead a significant service portfolio.
• Drive meaningful operational improvements and service innovation.
• Build and develop capable, engaged and high-performing teams.
• Make decisions that positively impact the lives of people with disability.
• Contribute to an organisation with a proud history, strong values and an exciting future.

We offer a supportive, values-driven environment where initiative, fresh thinking, genuine care for people and strong leadership are welcomed and valued.

Employment requirements

The successful applicant will be required to hold or obtain relevant employment screening clearances, including a NDIS Worker Screening Check, Working with Children Check and National Police Certificate.

Ready to help shape our future?

If you are an experienced leader who combines commercial capability with compassion, courage and a genuine passion for people, we would love to hear from you.

Join Orana and help create opportunities, strengthen services and build a sustainable future for the people we support.