Program Manager, Investing in Rural Community Futures

• Contribute to the social & economic strength of NSW rural communities
• Use your exceptional project, program and grant management experience
• Work with a unique organisation dedicated to regional Australia

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) is a not-for-profit organisation with DGR 1 status, whose mission is to champion the economic and social strength of Australia’s rural, regional and remote communities through partnerships with the private sector, philanthropy and governments. They offer a wide range of grant programs – general community strengthening grants, targeted issues or place focussed grants, and strategic and step change grant programs.

Since being established in 2000 through collaboration between Government, Philanthropy and Business, FRRR has distributed more than $85M to more than 8,000 projects across rural, regional and remote Australian communities. Those funds have focused on enabling communities to respond to the needs of their:

• People, by developing healthy, connected, skilled communities and individuals;
• Place, by building vibrant cultures, healthy environments, sustainable social and physical infrastructure; and
• Prosperity, by supporting sustainable, viable and adaptive local economies that are inclusive and provide opportunities for economic participation and financial wellbeing.  

In this is newly created role, the Program Manager, Investing in Rural Community Futures will be accountable for the development, management, and evaluation of the new Investing in Rural Community Futures program; a five year partnership program between FRRR and the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation.  This program is focussed on strengthening the capacity, capability, and resilience of grassroots non-profit organisations in rural, regional and remote New South Wales.

Reporting to the CEO, the successful candidate will have proven capability in all aspects of community development projects and programs, including launching, managing and continuously improving programs, preferably in a rural, regional or remote community setting.

You will have demonstrated and deep experience working in or with non-profit organisations at a grassroots level, ideally in a capacity building or grants management role and have a sound understanding of regional issues and regional networks in NSW.

Crucial to this role is the ability to develop relationships, as well as manage stakeholders including rural community leaders, non-profit organisations, governments, and philanthropists. 

A strategic mind-set is required, coupled with an ability and willingness to manage the detail, actively stay abreast of regional development and non-profit organisation development issues, trends and opportunities.

This role will be based in NSW away from the FRRR Head Office, so the ability to work autonomously and with initiative is important as will be managing complex competing priorities and meeting timelines, communications and reporting, and project budgets.

This role is 4 days per week for a 5 -year fixed term contract  and can be based anywhere within NSW with close access to a regional airport, road links, and good telecommunications coverage.