Head of Impact and Policy

NGO Recruitment; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Job summary

Stepwise Community Services, formed from the integration of Metro Assist and Community Action for Better Living, seeks an executive leader to strengthen impact measurement and policy engagement in a growing service portfolio across Greater Sydney.

You will guide strategy, translate research into actionable insights, and lead the evidence agenda to support funding submissions and stakeholder engagement. Hybrid work options are available.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership, impact, policy, research or evaluation experience in social services.
• Ability to analyse quantitative and qualitative data and translate into strategic advice.
• Policy engagement, evidence-based advocacy and government consultation experience.
• Experience supporting funding submissions and tenders using evidence and data.
• Experience with business intelligence or data visualisation tools.
• Understanding of issues affecting culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• Qualifications in public policy, social sciences, human services, evaluation, governance or related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and continuous improvement of the Stepwise Impact and Outcomes Framework.
• Translate data, research and practice insights into actionable knowledge.
• Strengthen reporting, outcomes measurement and performance frameworks.
• Oversee communications to align with advocacy priorities and impact
• Build relationships with government and sector partners to enable growth.
• Support funding submissions and tender proposals with evidence-based narratives.

Skills

Impact assessment

Policy analysis

Research

Stakeholder engagement

Data interpretation

Communication

Leadership

Education

Public policy

Social sciences

Human services

Evaluation

Governance

Job description

• Newly created executive leadership role in community services
• Recently integrated organisation | new strategy | exciting future
• Campsie | 12 month contract with probable extension | Part time considered

• Newly created executive leadership role in community services
• Recently integrated organisation | new strategy | exciting future
• Campsie | 12 month contract with probable extension | Part time considered

The Organisation

Stepwise Community Services was formed through the integration of Metro Assist and Community Action for Better Living, bringing together two respected organisations with a combined history of more than four decades of supporting individuals, families and communities across Greater Sydney.

Today, Stepwise delivers a broad range of community services including migrant, refugee, multicultural, family, tenancy, financial counselling, employment, DV, court advocacy and Meals on Wheels. Through these services, Stepwise improves wellbeing, community connections and helps people navigate life's most complex challenges.

With a new identity, leadership structure and three-year strategy Stepwise is focused on creating meaningful and measurable outcomes, strengthening its use of evidence and impact measurement to influence change through selective, evidence-based advocacy.

The newly created position will be central to this work. By strengthening how Stepwise measures, understands and communicates impact, the role will ensure that community voices, service outcomes and evidence inform strategy, advocacy and continuous improvement, ultimately increasing the organisation's ability to create meaningful and lasting change.

Benefits & Culture

• Opportunity to support delivery of a unified strategic direction for a recently integrated community organisation
• Provide strategic advice, evidence-based insights and policy analysis helping the organisation make a real difference in the lives of individuals and families
• Work alongside passionate professionals committed to inclusion, advocacy and social justice
• Opportunity to influence service innovation, strategic growth, communications and continuous improvement
• Hybrid working options available

The Role

Reporting to the chief executive officer, you will be responsible for strengthening the organisation’s impact, influence and effectiveness through evidence generation, measurement, policy engagement, advocacy and strategy development.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will provide strategic insight, technical expertise and evidence-based advice to inform decision-making and to strengthen capacity to meet community needs and to respond to emerging trends, reforms and opportunities. Working from a base in Campsie and collaborating with leaders and key staff, you will translate data, research and practice insights into actionable knowledge.

The role is offered on an initial 12 month fixed term basis with a strong possibility of an extension. Part-time working options are available.

Specifically, you will:

• Contribute skills in impact assessment, research, evidence-based insights and policy analysis to promote service design, innovation and learning
• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of Stepwise's Impact and Outcomes Framework
• Through the use of evidence and data, strengthen organisational sustainability and growth and contribute to funding submissions and tender proposals.
• Oversee the communications function ensuring its priorities align with strategic objectives, impact framework, policy positions and advocacy priorities
• Build productive relationships with government, community organisations and sector partners, identifying opportunities for innovation, collaboration and service growth
• Develop and strengthen organisational reporting, outcomes measurement and performance frameworks that translate data into meaningful organisational insight.

Skills Required

You have experience in a senior leadership, impact, policy, research or evaluation role within a like-minded organisation or related environment. Along with exceptional research & analysis, policy engagement, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, you will have:

• Experience developing, implementing or embedding impact, outcomes measurement, evaluation or evidence-informed frameworks in a complex human services setting
• Ability to analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data, research and sector trends and translate these into strategic advice to benefit the organisation
• Demonstrated understanding of policy engagement, evidence-based advocacy, government consultation, sector submissions, research partnerships and initiatives.
• Skills to support funding submissions, business cases and growth initiatives using evidence-based narratives, impact data and analysis
• Experience using business intelligence, reporting or data visualisation tools
• An understanding of the issues impacting culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• Qualifications in public policy, social sciences, human services, evaluation, governance or a related discipline

Please note there is no formal closing date for this role.