Head of Impact Communications

Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation (SCHF); Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 134,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging with charity-sector/t

2% additional superannuation

3 office locations: CBD, Randwick, and

Remote working

Flexible working hours

Mental health support and training

Job summary

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) is seeking a strategic leader to head its Impact Communications team for a 12-month parental leave contract. This role develops donor-centred proposals, impact reports and stewardship communications that demonstrate the power of giving to sick kids and their families.

You will lead storytelling, donor insight, proposal development and reporting frameworks, partnering with fundraising teams to tailor messages to donor motivations while upholding

Qualifications

• At least 8 years’ relevant work experience in a similar role. Transferable skills will be considered and welcomed
• Proven experience traffic managing competing demands into teams.
• Not-for-profit experience will be looked on favourably but is not mandatory.
• Experience in change management will be looked on favourably, but is not mandatory
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to be persuasive and develop trust with a variety of internal and external stakeholders across all levels and from varying backgrounds.
• Proficiency in Microsoft suites and experience
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, and to collaborate across teams to achieve enhanced outcomes.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experience making data driven decisions and exercising reporting and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of high-quality donor proposals, impact reports and stewardship communications that are compelling, accurate, emotionally engaging and strategically aligned to donor expectations.
• Develop and embed donor-centred storytelling frameworks that support stronger narrative development across proposals, impact reporting and broader fundraising communications.
• Ensure major proposals and impact reports have a clear emotional and strategic narrative arc, connecting donor motivation, organisational priorities, clinical need and tangible impact.
• Translate complex clinical, research, operational and organisational information into clear, engaging and donor‑relevant communications.
• Provide strategic copywriting oversight across major proposals, impact reports, donor updates and other priority philanthropic communications.
• Partner with fundraisers to advise on proposal structure, messaging, donor positioning and narrative approach.
• Ensure all materials are tailored to audience, purpose and donor stage, and reflect SCHF’s brand, tone of voice, values and ethical storytelling standards.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Strategic storytelling

Copywriting

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Project management

Data-driven decision making

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you ready to join a team of unstoppable changemakers at one of Australia’s largest children’s charities and one of the largest children’s hospital foundations in the world? Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) is seeking people who think big, aim high and want to help bring about a groundbreaking new revolution in kids’ health. Working at SCHF goes beyond just being a job; it offers the opportunity to join a change-making and future-shaping team that is making incredible contributions and being part of something bigger. Following a year of exceptional fundraising achievements, we are experiencing growth.

Winner - Financial Review BOSS Best Place to Work 2026

Winner - Employer of Choice 2025 - HRD Awards

Winner - Australian HR Team of the Year 2025 - HRD Awards

Winner - Best Workplace Flexibility Programme 2024 - HRD Awards

Join us in our Movement of Many!

Our Vision is to foster a place where all children should have access to the best possible healthcare, whenever and wherever they need it. That’s why we’re on a mission to harness the power of philanthropy, bringing world-leading care to the front line and future of children’s health.

Here are a few things that we care about as a team at SCHF. Five simple Employee Value Proposition (EVP) values that guide our behaviour, inform our decisions, and help us do what we do, in a way that is authentically us.

• Think big, aim high!
• Lift those around you
• Real meaning, actual change
• Be you

About the role

In this 12-month parental leave contract the Head of Impact Communications plays a critical role in enabling philanthropic growth by leading the development of compelling, high-quality donor-centred proposals, impact reports and stewardship communications that clearly demonstrate the power of giving to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation.

Sitting within the Philanthropy Communications and Impact team, the role brings together strategic storytelling, donor insight, proposal development, impact reporting and workflow governance to ensure fundraisers are supported with high-quality, timely and tailored communications that help deepen donor engagement and inspire philanthropic investment.

The role is responsible for strengthening the narrative quality, strategic positioning and emotional impact of major proposals, reports and donor communications. This includes translating complex clinical, research, operational and organisational information into clear, engaging and donor‑relevant materials that connect donor motivations with the needs and impact of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.

Job Responsibilities:

Donor-centred storytelling, proposals and impact communications

• Lead the development of high-quality donor proposals, impact reports and stewardship communications that are compelling, accurate, emotionally engaging and strategically aligned to donor expectations.
• Develop and embed donor-centred storytelling frameworks that support stronger narrative development across proposals, impact reporting and broader fundraising communications.
• Ensure major proposals and impact reports have a clear emotional and strategic narrative arc, connecting donor motivation, organisational priorities, clinical need and tangible impact.
• Translate complex clinical, research, operational and organisational information into clear, engaging and donor‑relevant communications.
• Provide strategic copywriting oversight across major proposals, impact reports, donor updates and other priority philanthropic communications.
• Partner with fundraisers to advise on proposal structure, messaging, donor positioning and narrative approach.
• Ensure all materials are tailored to audience, purpose and donor stage, and reflect SCHF’s brand, tone of voice, values and ethical storytelling standards.

Strategic planning, donor alignment and reporting frameworks

• Lead the strategic planning that underpins proposal development, donor impact reporting and stewardship communications.
• Partner closely with fundraising teams and Prospect Research to ensure proposals and impact materials are informed by donor motivations, interests, giving history, philanthropic priorities and engagement opportunities.
• Manage, develop and embed donor persona strategies into proposals, reporting, stewardship materials to support more personalised and effective donor experiences.
• Contribute to the development of frameworks, tools and templates that connect prospecting, donor engagement, proposal development and impact reporting.
• Support the evolution of impact reporting approaches for priority campaigns, including the Transitional Campaign and future comprehensive campaign activity, ensuring reporting is consistent, meaningful and aligned to campaign pillars and donor expectations.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the strategic connection between donor need, funding opportunities, impact evidence and long‑term stewardship.
• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure impact communications are aligned to organisational priorities, fundraising strategy and SCHF’s broader philanthropic growth ambitions.

Workflow governance, prioritisation and SCHN coordination

• Oversee the intake, prioritisation and coordination of proposal and impact information requests between fundraisers, SCHN and relevant internal teams.
• Ensure requests are well‑defined, appropriately prioritised, clearly briefed and aligned to agreed governance, approvals and ethical requirements before progressing to SCHN or other stakeholders.
• Manage and sequence multiple concurrent proposal and impact workflows to support timely delivery, realistic planning and respectful management of SCHN capacity as per the MOU.
• Maintain visibility of proposal and impact workflows, ensuring fundraisers are kept informed of progress, risks and delivery timelines.
• Act as the primary liaison between SCHF and SCHN for proposal, impact and donor reporting activity, building trusted relationships with clinicians, researchers and communications teams.
• Support SCHN stakeholders by providing clarity on donor context, intended use, timelines, approvals and information requirements.
• Ensure the ethical, sensitive and approved use of patient, family, clinician, research
• Analyse workflow, operational and financial performance, providing insights and recommendations to drive continuous improvement.
• Develop reports, dashboards and budgets, tracking progress, risks, outcomes and key metrics.
• Identify opportunities to improve systems, processes and stakeholder experience.
• Lead and develop the Impact Communications team, providing coaching, direction and performance support.
• Collaborate with fundraising, communications and leadership teams to deliver high‑quality donor communications and impact storytelling.
• Contribute to strategic planning, governance and organisational priorities while championing a culture of accountability, collaboration and excellence

Qualifications and Experience:

• At least 8 years’ relevant work experience in a similar role. Transferable skills will be considered and welcomed
• Proven experience traffic managing competing demands into teams.
• Not‑for‑profit experience will be looked on favourably but is not mandatory.
• Experience in change management will be looked on favourably, but is not mandatory
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to be persuasive and develop trust with a variety of internal and external stakeholders across all levels and from varying backgrounds.
• Proficiency in Microsoft suites and experience
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, and to collaborate across teams to achieve enhanced outcomes.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experience making data driven decisions and exercising reporting and analytical skills.

Our Proposal to You:

We are pleased to offer a full‑time salary from $148,426 plus superannuation for this position. We believe in recognising and rewarding the valuable contributions of our team members.

• Along with competitive salaries, enjoy salary packing with charity-sector tax exemptions, allowing you to enjoy more take‑home pay.
• SCHF will provide 2% additional superannuation to help take care of your future.
• At SCHF, we are all about that flex with a choice of 3 office locations (CBD, Randwick, and Westmead), remote working, and flexible working hours.
• We focus on mental health support with free training and tools, as well as relief and support resources.

At SCHF, you’ll have a richer, more meaningful job with the chance to create change at scale, knowing that what you do every day improves the lives of sick kids and shapes the front line and the future of kids’ health.

Acknowledgement of First Nations people

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognises their continuous connection to country, community, and culture. We are committed to helping to close the gap to achieve equality in health and life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As such, if you require any adjustments to submit your application, please get in touch with us at [e-mail]