Senior Team Leader, CISS

Lifeline Direct; Sydney; Remote; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Regular supervision

Employee Assistance Program

Salary packaging options

Ongoing training and development

Job summary

Lifeline Direct seeks an experienced Senior Team Leader to supervise a distributed 24/7 crisis service, delivering safe, person-centred support across the national Lifeline network. Reporting to the Head of Centralised In-Shift Support, you will mentor Supervisors, manage complex operational matters, and drive continuous improvement.

This remote, overnight role includes weekend work on a 24/7 roster, with two permanent part-time positions available.

Qualifications

• Experience in suicide prevention including complex risk assessment and safety planning.
• Experience leading and developing teams in a complex or distributed service.
• Strong coaching, communication and conflict-resolution skills.
• Sound judgement for risk and changing circumstances.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, governance, confidentiality and WHS.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop team members, promoting accountability and psychological safety.
• Provide operational and practice support to Supervisors on complex matters.
• Offer expert guidance on suicide risk and high-risk decision-making on shift.
• Act as senior escalation point on shift, including overnight decisions.
• Monitor demand, coverage, quality and risks; take action within authority.
• Ensure crisis support frameworks are applied consistently and documented clearly.
• Promote reflective practice, supervision and workforce wellbeing.
• Review incidents and data to identify trends and drive improvements.
• Contribute to quality improvements and service changes.

Skills

Suicide risk expertise

People leadership

Coaching & support

Risk assessment

Education

Tertiary qualifications in human services or related field

Job description

Lifeline Direct (LLD) is a wholly‑owned subsidiary of Lifeline Australia. LLD focuses on supporting the development and ongoing implementation of suicide prevention and community wellbeing programs in the regions which we operate while looking for opportunities to grow Lifeline’s services in geographical areas where they do not currently exist.

LLD encompasses Lifeline Centres in Hunter region, Central Coast, Eastern Suburbs-Bondi, New England North West, Northern NSW, Geelong and South West Victoria, Northern and Western Melbourne. Our specialised and targeted servicesoperate nationally via a telehealth model.

The Senior Team Leader, Centralised In-Shift Support is a key leadership role supporting a distributed 24/7 crisis service to deliver safe, consistent and person‑centred support to crisis supporters across the national Lifeline network.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Centralised In-Shift Support, you will lead and support teams to maintain high standards of practice, workforce wellbeing and service delivery. You will provide guidance to Supervisors, respond to complex operational and practice matters, and contribute to continuous improvement across the service.You will often be the senior decision‑maker on shift, working autonomously to support decisionmaking in high‑risk and emergency situations.

This role works primarily overnight (10pm to 6:30am) and on weekends on a 24/7 rotating roster, and there are two permanent part time (0.5FTE) positions available.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead, coach and develop team members, promoting accountability, inclusion, psychological safety and continuous learning.
• Provide operational and practice support to Supervisors, including escalation of complex, safeguarding and high‑risk matters.
• Provide expert guidance on suicide risk and complex risk assessment, supporting Supervisors to make safe, timely decisions in high‑risk situations.
• Act as the senior point of escalation on shift, making timely decisions on high‑risk and emergency situations, often working autonomously overnight.
• Monitor service demand, workforce coverage, quality, emerging risks and practice issues, taking appropriate action within delegated authority.
• Support consistent application of crisis support frameworks, policies, procedures and escalation pathways.
• Ensure accurate, timely incident documentation and clear shift handovers to support continuity of care and service safety.
• Promote reflective practice, debriefing, supervision and workforce wellbeing.
• Review incidents, feedback, service information and performance data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Contribute to quality improvement, service change and the development of CISS processes and practices.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders to support safe, effective and sustainable service delivery.

About you

You will be an experienced people leader who can combine strong operational judgement with compassionate, person‑centred leadership. You will be confident working with suicide risk and making sound decisions in a complex, fast‑paced environment, and in supporting teams through risk, change and competing priorities.

You will bring:

• Demonstrated experience in suicide prevention, including complex risk assessment, safety planning and responding to imminent risk.
• Experience leading and developing people, preferably within a complex or distributed service environment.
• Strong coaching, performance support, communication and conflict‑resolution skills.
• Sound judgement and the ability to respond calmly and effectively to risk and changing circumstances.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, governance, confidentiality, risk and WHS responsibilities.
• A commitment to trauma‑informed, culturally safe, inclusive and person‑centred practice.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in human services, mental health, counselling, psychology, social work or a related field, or substantial equivalent experience.
• Willingness to work shift work, including overnight and weekend shifts.
• Experience in crisis support, mental health, community services or other 24‑hour services will be highly regarded.
• Lifeline Crisis Supporter, call coach or equivalent practice accreditation is desirable.

Working from home requirements

As this is a remote role supporting crisis work, you will need a private, confidential workspace and a reliable internet connection.

Why join Lifeline Direct

• Access to regular supervision, debriefing and Employee Assistance Program
• Not for Profit Salary Packaging options
• Ongoing training and development.
• The knowledge that you will be part of a team helping to make a difference to your community.

Pre‑employment requirements

You must be able to obtain and maintain a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) for paid employment and a National Criminal History Check.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and all applications will be considered for progression through the recruitment process.