Safer Communities Team Lead - Education

The University of Sydney; Sydney; On-site; AUD 152,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sydney is seeking a Safer Communities Team Lead on a full-time, fixed-term basis located on Darlington Campus in Sydney. You will lead a specialist team supporting students and staff impacted by gender-based violence and other critical incidents, with a base salary of AUD 152,045–160,430 plus 17% superannuation.

You will provide leadership and clinical oversight to ensure trauma-informed support, case management and compliant reporting across higher education standards.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Work, Counselling or related discipline.
• Extensive experience supporting people affected by gender-based violence, sexual harm or trauma-related matters.
• Experience leading and mentoring staff within a complex wellbeing/health/community services environment.
• Experience managing high-risk and sensitive cases including escalation management and risk assessment.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation and trauma-informed practice.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.
• Sound judgement, resilience and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the continuous improvement of the Safer Communities Case Officer team through coaching and mentoring, and provide clinical guidance.
• Plan and coordinate triage, risk assessment and resource allocation to ensure timely, trauma-informed support for disclosures.
• Partner with the Manager to act as escalation point for complex/high-risk cases and contribute to clinical decision-making.
• Support engagement with stakeholders to inform initial response and ensure compliant case management across policies and codes.
• Ensure data integrity and provide specialist advice for reporting under university codes and higher education requirements.
• Lead risk assessments for disclosures, integrating professional judgement with established frameworks.
• Participate in an on-call roster, including weekends, in line with escalation pathways and duty of care obligations.

Skills

Leadership

Trauma-informed practice

Risk assessment

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Confidentiality & boundaries

Crisis support

Resilience

Team mentoring

Problem solving

Education

Psychology / Social Work / Counselling

Job description

• Full time, fixed term until 25th February 2028. Located on Darlington Campus.
• Lead a specialist team supporting students and staff impacted by gender-based violence and other critical incidents.
• Base Salary $152,045 - $160,430 (HEO9) + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

As the Safer Communities Team Lead, you will be responsible for the leading a team of Safer Communities Case Officers, who are responsible for supporting current /former students and visitors who are impacted by gender-based violence, sexual harm, domestic/ family violence, bullying, harassment in and issues relating to modern slavery.

Working within Student Wellbeing, you will provide leadership, guidance and oversight to a team of Safer Communities Case Officers, ensuring the delivery of trauma-informed support and effective case management for members of the University community.

You will coordinate, monitor and report on disclosures and incidents, while contributing to prevention, education and continuous improvement initiatives across the Safer Communities function.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• lead the continuous improvement of the Safer Communities Case Officer team by developing, coaching, and mentoring employees, and providing clinical management and case management guidance
• be responsible for planning and coordination of triage, risk assessment, and resource allocation across the team to ensure the timely, effective provision of support and trauma informed care for victim/survivors for the management of disclosures relating to gender-based violence, sexual harm, domestic and family violence, bullying and harassment and issues relating to modern slavery affecting members of the University community
• work in partnership with the Manager, Safer Communities to act as a key escalation point for complex and high-risk cases, particularly those involving staff, contributing to clinical decision-making and case oversight
• support coordinated engagement and communication with key stakeholders across the University to inform initial response and ensure consistent case management that meets legislative requirements, University policies and procedures, and is aligned with best practice and trauma informed principles
• ensure data integrity and interpretation and provides specialist advice to inform reporting under the Higher Education National Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence, as well as annual reporting and reporting to University Executive and Senate committees
• hold primary responsibility for comprehensive risk assessments for all disclosures, integrating professional judgement with established risk assessment frameworks to evaluate and mitigate risk to individuals and the broader University community
• participate in an on-call roster, including weekends, in line with established escalation pathways, duty of care obligations, and the requirements of the Higher Education National Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence.

About you

• tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Work, Counselling or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• extensive experience supporting people impacted by sexual assault, domestic and family violence, gender-based violence or other trauma-related matters
• demonstrated experience leading and mentoring staff within a complex support, wellbeing, health or community services environment
• experience managing high-risk and sensitive cases, including escalation management and risk assessment
• strong knowledge of relevant legislation, frameworks and best-practice approaches relating to sexual misconduct, domestic and family violence, and trauma-informed practice
• exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills
• sound judgement, resilience and the ability to manage competing priorities in a complex and fast-paced environmentThe Safer Communities Team Lead will regularly engage with individuals who have experienced traumatic events and may be exposed to distressing information or materials. The role requires the ability to manage this exposure in a professional manner, maintain appropriate confidentiality, professional boundaries, and utilise reflective practice,supervision,and wellbeing strategies to support personal resilience.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University. Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

This position is designated as involving child-related work. To undertake or remain in this position, you are required to apply for and obtain a Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQ+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Gold employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.