Strategic Vulnerability & Partnerships Leader

Energy Australia; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

Parental leave

Energise Program

Recognition programmes

Supportive leadership

Job summary

EnergyAustralia is seeking a Vulnerability & Partnerships Strategy Leader to drive support for vulnerable customers, including FDV and hardship considerations, across programs and external partners. The role leads governance, risk and stakeholder engagement, influencing senior leaders and regulators to embed compassionate, compliant practices.

Based in Docklands with hybrid work 2–3 days in the office, you will coordinate with community organisations, financial counsellors and government bodies

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in a senior role working with vulnerable customers, hardship programs or FDV frameworks — preferably in energy, utilities, financial services or telco.
• Proven ability to build and maintain productive relationships with external community organisations, financial counsellors and government or regulatory bodies.
• Experience providing strategic input into programs of work, influencing design and outcomes at a senior level.
• Sound understanding of energy retail hardship and FDV regulatory obligations and best practice frameworks.
• Experience in controls, compliance or risk management within a customer operations environment, including supporting or managing Ombudsman and escalated complaint processes.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex issues with clarity and conviction to senior audiences.
• Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline (social work, community services, business, law or related field) preferred; relevant experience in lieu of formal qualifications will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Serve as EnergyAustralia's primary point of contact and relationship holder for financial counsellors, community service organisations and advocacy groups, building a trusted external network that strengthens EnergyAustralia's approach to vulnerability support.
• Represent EnergyAustralia at community events, industry forums and sector conferences relating to financial difficulty, hardship and FDV, strengthening the organisation's reputation as a leader in vulnerability support.
• Lead and maintain the governance, controls and compliance framework for FDV and hardship operations, including process governance and internal audits.
• Identify and monitor regulatory obligations and risks, develop mitigation strategies, and lead remediation where required, ensuring obligations under relevant energy retail codes and hardship frameworks are met and evidenced.
• Champion risk identification across FDV and hardship programs, maintaining a detailed Risk Register and supporting audit processes to achieve satisfactory or above outcomes.
• Act as subject matter expert and direct support for Ombudsman teams managing escalated FDV and hardship complaints, providing guidance on appropriate customer outcomes and identifying systemic issues.
• Serve as the key hardship and FDV lens across Customer and Technology programs of work, engaging at the design and planning stage to ensure vulnerable customer considerations are identified early and appropriately addressed.

Job description

EnergyAustralia is seeking a Vulnerability & Partnerships Strategy Leader to drive support for vulnerable customers, including FDV and hardship considerations, across programs and external partners. The role leads governance, risk and stakeholder engagement, influencing senior leaders and regulators to embed compassionate, compliant practices.

Based in Docklands with hybrid work 2–3 days in the office, you will coordinate with community organisations, financial counsellors and government bodies