Trauma-Informed Safer Communities Lead

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

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.