Engagement and Innovation Manager, Centre for Just Places

About the organisation

Jesuit Social Services is a social change organisation working to build a just society where all people can live to their full potential.

Since 1977, Jesuit Social Services has provided services to some of the most disadvantaged in our community.

We place a high priority on advocacy and are a leader in policy development and research.

About the program

The Centre for Just Places was established by Jesuit Social Services with support from the Victorian Government and Gandel Philanthropy, to enable and support place-based approaches nationally through research, collaboration, engagement and knowledge exchange.

The Centre aims to:

• Demonstrate leadership in research and advocacy on place-based inequities and injustice
• Focus on addressing the root causes of social, economic and environmental inequity and injustice
• Promote a social and ecological justice lens in place-based research and action, and
• Collaborate and partner with communities and cross-sectoral stakeholders to support and enable effective place-based approaches.

The Centre for Just Places will:

• Function as an ongoing dedicated resource for research into locational disadvantage (e.g. Dropping Off the Edge) into the future. It will undertake new interdisciplinary research bringing together data and concepts across community development, social services, health, environmental science, urban and social planning, and innovation.
• Undertake action research with vulnerable communities to design, test and evaluate their place-based projects and programs.
• Maintain a freely available national repository of place-based research, including  case studies, papers and articles across multiple sectors.
• Advocate for impactful place-based approaches to solve locational disadvantage, including building capacity of individuals, organisations and communities to campaign on solutions
• Empower local communities and the organisations that work within them to understand and solve their own problems through access to and development of effective community capacity building techniques, including the provision of local data, case studies, evaluated tools (governance, community engagement, design), and purpose built resources in an accessible online platform.
• Build collaborative partnerships across sectors to ensure that effective design, planning and community engagement take place

About the role

We are looking for an experienced practitioner to join our growing team, with a background and passion for engaging collaboratively with a range of communities and organisations. You will have excellent communication skills and ideally have experience in community engagement, community development, social innovation and co-design methods, program evaluation and project management. Experience working within or with government departments across the justice, health or social services is desirable.

Competitive remuneration, plus salary packaging benefit, is offered together with ongoing professional and career development. This role is a Full Time position with flexibility in hours also able to be negotiated for the right candidate.

Candidate Requirements

This role will suit a candidate with the following skills and experience:

1. Experience independently managing or co-ordinating collaborative projects and outputs involving multiple stakeholders and partners.
2. Demonstrated experience and skill in community engagement working with a diverse population.
3. Demonstrated understanding of the intersection between locational disadvantage, social justice and inclusion and place-related issues.
4. A good understanding of the justice and social service sector and networks.
5. Project management experience including managing contractors and budgets.
6. Highly developed analytical, communication, presentation and negotiation skills
7. Demonstrated ability to partner with multiple stakeholders and partners.
8. Superior written and verbal communication skills.
9. Capacity to fulfil reporting and administrative requirements associated with the position
10. Understanding and sympathy with the mission and ethos of Jesuit Social Services
11. Current driver’s licence;
12. Valid Working with Children Check card;

An attractive salary plus salary packaging is on offer.