Organisation : Knowledge Society
Location : Perth
Work type : Full-time
Sector : Consulting
Salary type : Annual Package
Salary : 90000 - 100000 plus superannuation
Application closing date : 27 Aug, 2019
About the organisation
Knowledge Society is a consulting firm that exists to help education and human services organisations improve the lives of Australians. We believe in thoughtful, evidence-informed design of community services and partner with organisations who want to be more effective in their mission and purpose and change lives for the better. Since our founding in 2014, Knowledge Society has worked on solving some of our society’s deepest problems and biggest challenges, including working with education systems to build the capacity to radically improve teaching and learning, helping organisations adapt and grow in the face of technological disruption, and supporting community-facing organisations working with vulnerable communities to be intentional and evidence based about their program design and delivery. We are proud of our work and rapid growth in this period, which is a testament to the impact of our approach, a blend of human-centred design, economic reasoning and turning knowledge into practice.
Our company’s founding team is committed to growing the intensity and scale of our work to reach more partners, clients and beneficiaries to do the most important work in Australia in education and human services. We are growing our Flourishing Communities practice to support improvement in the design and delivery of human-centred community and government services.
Knowledge Society’s philosophy is to combine learning from the past with quality empirical research done now in order to promote what works in sustaining human communities and people. We are interdisciplinary by nature. Our work draws on a wide range of domains of knowledge from community development to human-centred design, positive psychology and integrated localism which considers the economic, the social and the psychological dimensions of place.
Knowledge Society brings together a range of disciplines to inform the creation of a new model of community-activated flourishing. We draw on knowledge bases including:
- Economics
- Public administration
- Social services
- Placemaking and community activation
- Technology and innovation
- Philosophy and theology
- Sociology and anthropology
- Art and history.
From research undertaken by the Productivity Commission, most Australian human and social service organisations could lift their productivity and impact significantly. (Shifting the Dial: 5 Year Productivity Review, Productivity Commission, 2017). Knowledge Society’s Knowledge to Practice to Impact (KPI) methodology helps organisations close the productivity gap by adopting better practices, better ways of working, and through a leap forward in solving real human problems in community. We advocate: place based-working, relational ways of working, deeper understanding of core human needs for belonging, mastery, independence and generosity, better service design and better measurement. Our task is to help the human services sector change their practices to increase their impact.
Culture
Knowledge Society is a boutique national practice with big ideas and bold ambition. We value economic reasoning and the capacity to think in systemic terms. We also think highly of service and experience design and the capacity to lead problem-solving teams. If you are looking for a job that will stretch and grow your understanding of the world around you – societies, systems and markets – Knowledge Society may be the place for you.
Knowledge Society looks for exceptional people who want to help us pursue our ambitious mission. A career at Knowledge Society means working in a multidisciplinary team for clients in the government, education, social and philanthropic sectors. You will collaborate with smart and passionate people who yearn to make an impact and are tough judges of it.
We are highly selective about the projects we undertake and we put our whole selves into our work. This means that joining Knowledge Society is not just a professional choice, it is a personal choice. We want people in our team who are independent thinkers with a strong work ethic and unwavering commitment to the betterment of society.
Our consultants work autonomously, but collaboratively.
Senior Consultants work independently, but value input from a variety of sources and collaborate with client partners, other colleagues and experts to create value and build our company’s knowledge base.
Our consultants think deeply.
Do you read widely? Are you a policy wonk? Do you have your finger on the pulse of the global frontier of practice in the areas that interest you? We are looking for people who, like us, are always thinking about different strategies to ameliorate wicked problems.
Our consultants understand client paradigms.
Relationships of trust that sustain the creation of long-term value are based upon being able to understand the world from the client’s perspective and bring new insight to them in their everyday language.
Our consultants have natural leadership qualities.
We are looking for people who have natural leadership attributes who inspire good work from others and foster great individual and team work. We look for people who thrive in ambiguity and combine strategic nous with creativity and rigour.
About the role
We are recruiting a Senior Consultant in Perth to manage projects and teams within our growing Flourishing Communities practice. Senior Consultants lead consulting projects, including working closely with clients on the identification of the problem to solve and the implementation of a solution. They are involved from strategy through execution with a disciplined eye on impact throughout engagements.
Initially working closely with Knowledge Society’s Practice Lead, the Senior Consultant (Flourishing Communities) will contribute to the design and leadership of initiatives that reweave the social fabric of local communities and promote community flourishing. These could include: human services innovation labs; co-designing programs with communities, service users, and providers; convening local partnerships and coalitions; codifying practices and tools for reweaving; and delivering capability-building. Over time, it is anticipated that the candidate will be in a position to lead initiatives for Flourishing Communities nationwide using Knowledge Society proprietary methodologies.
In addition to delivering client projects, the candidate will also be part of the Knowledge Society Group management team and have responsibility for the delivery of some backbone projects for the organisation.
Duties
- Design and lead initiatives that reweave the social fabric of local communities and promote community flourishing.
- Understand and implement place-based social and economic renewal approaches.
- Design and manage change processes within communities, organisations and systems.
- Build coalitions of cross-sectoral partners and build their capacity to achieve local change.
- Lead and manage complex, long-term projects ensuring milestones and outcomes are met within budget and positive relationships are maintained with project partners.
- Develop learning experiences which transfer knowledge and skills to build lasting capability within communities and organisations so change becomes sustainable.
- Manage the production of high-quality communications and engagement strategies across a range of media.
- Establish and maintain relationships of trust with existing clients and partners.
- Build collaborative partnerships and networks with clients that will further their ambitions and deepen our relationship.
- Consult with clients to define, describe and prioritise their challenges. Generate strategic and creative responses to client problems and turn these insights into compelling new proposals.
- Stay at the forefront of research, commentary and intellectual inquiry in the field of flourishing communities and other relevant fields, translating these insights for our team and the wider public.
- Advance Knowledge Society’s contribution to thought leadership in education and the domains of your choice.
- Form relationships and increase Knowledge Society’s presence in the human services / community sector. Participate in and help curate occasional events to promote Knowledge Society’s work and extend our impact.
- Identify and cultivate relationships with potential clients and partners, lead and take part in client pitches and negotiate new work and contracts with clients.
How to apply
Applications not allowed for this job listing.
Please quote in application: Senior Consultant (Flourishing Communities) via Pro Bono Australia.
Sector: #Consulting
