Managing Director

Turning Stones Recruitment; Canberra; On-site; AUD 117,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

ACT Jewish Community in Canberra seeks a Managing Director to lead a growing, multi-faceted organisation across governance, programs and community engagement.

Based in Forrest, the role requires exceptional relationship-building, financial oversight, and the ability to navigate sensitive community issues with impartiality. A strategic, people-centred leader is sought for this senior executive appointment.

Qualifications

• Experienced senior leader with proven governance and people leadership ability.
• Willingness to engage across government, security and national Jewish organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small, hands-on team and work with a volunteer Board to translate strategy into delivery.
• Build trust across diverse community groups and manage sensitive stakeholder relationships with discretion.
• Oversee grants, budgets, programs, communications and organisational operations while reporting to the Board.

Job description

Managing Director - ACT Jewish Community | Canberra

Community leadership. Executive judgement. A role with genuine breadth.

The ACT Jewish Community (ACTJC) is seeking a Managing Director to lead one of Canberra's distinctive community organisations through its next stage of development.

Based in Forrest, ACTJC supports a diverse Jewish community encompassing Orthodox and Progressive congregations and people with different levels of religious observance and cultural connection.

This is not a religious leadership appointment.

It is a broad executive position spanning people leadership, Board partnership, community engagement, government and stakeholder relationships, grants and funded programs, communications, events, facilities, financial oversight, governance, security and organisational operations.

Reporting to the Board, you will lead a growing team and work alongside Rabbis, volunteers, committees and community leaders while maintaining relationships across government, policing and security organisations, national Jewish organisations, the diplomatic community and the broader Canberra community.

The environment is busy, highly relational and occasionally sensitive.

You may move from a strategic Board discussion to a staff issue, government meeting, grant deadline, community event or unexpected operational matter within the same day. You will need to know what requires executive attention, what can be delegated and how to remain calm when priorities change.

We are looking for an experienced senior leader who combines strong organisational capability with warmth, judgement and genuine ease with people.

You will be able to:

• lead and develop people in a small, hands-on organisational environment;
• work effectively with a volunteer Board and translate strategy into delivery;
• build trust across communities with different perspectives and priorities;
• navigate sensitive stakeholder and community issues with discretion;
• communicate exceptionally well, both verbally and in writing;
• manage grants, projects, budgets and competing operational priorities;
• engage credibly with government and senior external stakeholders;
• remain composed and decisive when circumstances are complex or unexpected; and
• work respectfully across different religious, cultural and secular perspectives without imposing your own beliefs.

You do not need to be Jewish to be considered for this appointment.

What you will need is genuine respect for the community ACTJC serves, curiosity about its culture and traditions, and the capacity to work impartially across different expressions of Jewish life and with people of different faiths and no faith.

Prior CEO or Managing Director experience is not essential. This could equally suit an accomplished senior manager or executive from the community, membership, not-for-profit, government, education, health, multicultural or another stakeholder-rich environment.

Candidates should also understand that community leadership does not always fit neatly within conventional office hours. The position includes some evening meetings, Sunday and community events, Jewish festivals and, occasionally, urgent matters requiring senior leadership.

Canberra | Full-time

Indicative salary from $130,000 + super and onsite parking - starting salary with flexibility for an exceptional candidate