Director, Community – Fire to Flourish

Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) is committed to sustainable development, research, translation and education. It also engages across Monash to facilitate cross-faculty research partnerships that provide solutions to sustainable development challenges globally. Their expanding education focus includes postgraduate courses and PhD supervision alongside capacity development and student leadership activities.
  
A key MSDI Program, Fire to Flourish aims to build resilience in communities affected by the 2019/20 bushfires and which experience entrenched disadvantage. The Program brings together a consortium of partners to work over 5 years with these communities through community-led processes to build resilience and develop the connections and leadership to shape a thriving future. The underlying principles for the Program are to be community-led, foreground Aboriginal wisdom, enhance inclusion and self-determination, be strengths-based and trauma-informed, be holistic and impactful, learn, adapt and evolve.
  
The Director, Community – Fire to Flourish is a senior leadership position accountable for the Community Portfolio’s strategic outcomes, including budget of up to $20M, people, delivery planning and implementation, informed by data to deliver the highest quality community resilience and research outcomes. This role will connect local communities, Indigenous knowledge holders, disciplinary specialists, resilience and community development practitioners, and institutional stakeholders with Program staff and researchers for long-term community-led initiatives. This role will build and sustain relationships with institutional and community stakeholders to enable systemic thinking at local and national scales, and to promote a positive brand and reputation to support new funding/program opportunities.
  
This role reports to the CEO and will lead and manage a high performing team of 8 staff and oversee the Community Portfolio team of about 25, in accordance with the Program’s policies, principles and governance frameworks, to ensure community engagement and activities. It will help increase the number and diversity of community participants in Fire to Flourish over time. In addition, it will focus on delivery while driving innovation and developing strategies and systems for planning, implementing and monitoring Program components in ways that facilitate integration and maximise impact.
  
About YOU

• Significant executive leadership experience and proven ability to lead, manage and motivate at a high level,
• Extensive experience working effectively with professionals, researchers, practitioners and community-based staff,
• Significant experience working with Indigenous communities, Elders and Traditional Owners,
• Exceptional ability to develop and maintain professional networks, as well as ability to monitor and respond to needs,
• Outstanding project, time and priority management skills that contribute to successfully achieving key outcomes,
• Excellent cross-cultural, interpersonal, collaboration, verbal and written communication skills,
• Extensive community development and management experience
• You have excellent judgement, are a strategic problem solver and negotiator; and able to adapt and be responsive,
• Postgraduate qualifications with community development experience or extensive management experience.

APPLY NOW if you are a strategic, delivery- and outcomes-focused connector and leader, with a desire to empower communities and a passion to see them heal and flourish. Applications will be accepted until close of business on 5 June 2023.

Only Indigenous Australians are eligible to apply for this position as it is exempt under the Special Measure Provision, Section 12 (1) of the Equal Opportunity Act 2011 (Vic).
  
Gembridge is proud to partner with Monash University and MSDI. For a confidential discussion, please contact Michelle Varcoe on 03 8375 9661 or 0438 340 270  or apply@gembridge.com.au