Services and Programs Team Leader - Nowra and Cooma

NSW Department of Communities and Justice; Cooma; On-site; AUD 117,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & wellbeing

Flexible, autonomous work environment

Training and development opportunities

Employee assistance programs

Job summary

NSW Department of Communities and Justice seeks a Services and Programs Team Leader to coordinate accredited rehabilitation programs across correctional centres and community locations in NSW. You will guide Services & Programs Officers, ensuring high-quality service delivery and adherence to policy and professional standards.

The role emphasizes leadership, program management, and safeguarding community safety, with ongoing and temporary full-time opportunities in Cooma and Nowra.

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in social work, psychology, mental health, or related human services field.
• Certificate IV in Correctional Practice or ability to obtain within required timeframes.
• Current driver's licence and willingness to travel throughout NSW.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and deliver accredited rehabilitation programs and services across correctional centres and community sites.
• Plan, monitor and facilitate program delivery ensuring safety and compliance with procedures.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and supervision to Services & Programs Officers.
• Balance program coordination with direct program delivery to improve offender outcomes.

Skills

Contemporary correctional programs

Group-based behavioural change

Communication & stakeholder engagement

Staff leadership & guidance

Prioritisation in dynamic settings

Education

Tertiary qualifications in social work/psychology/mental health/human services

Certificate IV in Correctional Practice

Job description

Services and Programs Team Leader

Corrective Services NSW

Location – Cooma and Nowra

Employment type – Ongoing and Temporary Full-time positions available

Salary – $116,981 - $129,492 pa Plus Superannuation and Annual Leave Loading

Your role

This role is responsible for coordinating and delivering accredited programs and services that support offender rehabilitation and positive behavioural change across correctional centres and community locations. You will provide guidance and administrative supervision to Services & Programs Officers, ensuring programs are delivered safely, ethically, and to a high professional standard. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact on community safety, develop leadership and program management skills, and contribute to outcomes that help individuals successfully reintegrate into society.

What You’ll Do

As a Services and Programs Team leader, you will coordinate and deliver accredited and approved rehabilitation programs and services that support positive behavioural change and help reduce reoffending. You will plan, monitor and facilitate program delivery across correctional centres and community locations, ensuring services are delivered safely, effectively and in line with operational requirements.

You will provide day-to-day guidance and administrative supervision to Services & Programs Officers, supporting quality program delivery and professional development. This includes reviewing reports, providing advice to internal stakeholders, and ensuring compliance with policy, procedures and professional standards.

You'll work within a dedicated and collaborative team focused on rehabilitation and community safety. Operating in a dynamic correctional environment, you'll balance program coordination responsibilities with direct program delivery, making a meaningful contribution to offender outcomes and safer communities.

What We're Looking For

Key knowledge and experience

• Knowledge of contemporary correctional programs and practices, including alcohol and other drug, crisis and welfare services.
• Experience facilitating group-based behavioural change programs.
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to lead, support and guide staff in a service delivery environment.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic setting.

Essential Requirements

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in social work, psychology, mental health, or a related human services field, and/or equivalent experience.
• Certificate IV in Correctional Practice (or ability to obtain within required timeframes).
• Current driver's licence and willingness to travel throughout NSW.

What We Offer

We offer a variety of benefits, including:

• A challenging and rewarding career
• Flexible, autonomous work environment
• Competitive pay and conditions
• Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities
• Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs.

We do work that really matters

Working for the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) provides lots of opportunities to make a real difference. We collaborate with other agencies and community partners, to improve lives and realise the potential of children, adults, families and communities. We're focused on breaking, rather than managing, disadvantage. It’s work that really matters.

Are you ready to join us?

We invite interested candidates to attend an Information Night for this position.

Join us at Akister House, 1 Vale Street, Cooma, on the Wednesday 2nd September 2026, between 5:00pm and 6:00pm, to meet representatives from the team, gain insights into the roles, and have your questions answered. Attendance is voluntary and all prospective applicants are welcome.

Applications close 7th September 2026 at 11:59pm AEST.

Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit

We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups.

To find out what DCJ are doing to build an inclusive and diverse workforce, visit Inclusion and diversity on the DCJ website.

Other Information

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. Priority will be given to filling the role at Cooma CC and South Coast CC.

For more information visit Applying for DCJ jobs on the DCJ website.