Are you a Financial Counsellor looking to have real impact in driving systemic change?

At Consumer Action Law Centre, our vision is a just marketplace where people have power and business plays fair

If you want to work with a great group of people who help people, and you’re either a qualified financial counsellor, or studying financial counselling, we would love to hear from you.

Our financial counsellors provide telephone based financial counselling services and referrals for individuals seeking information and support with debt and financial issues.

If you’re ready for a challenging and varied role that includes:

• Providing financial counselling sessions to assist clients to address their situation and make informed decisions;
• Providing occasional outreach services;
• Mentoring and providing peer support for trainees, other financial counsellors and new team members;
• Working to identify legal and policy issues arising from financial counselling, and participating in Consumer Action's broader policy and advocacy initiatives.

As one of our Senior Financial Counsellors stated recently:

“What I love about my role is the variety, my day is never boring. As well as working on the advice line, I’m regularly involved in training and supporting new staff, working with policy, speaking to external groups about our service and the work of FCs, hosting various VIPs for ‘A Day in the Life’ and I also get to work at the Federal Court every second week as a financial counsellor which I particularly enjoy”

ABOUT YOU

We’re looking for someone that has nearly completed their financial counsellor qualifications or a qualified financial counsellor and member of Financial Counselling Victoria. You’ll need sound technical knowledge of the full range of financial counselling issues, combined with good touch-typing skills and computer literacy. Ideally, you’ll have experience in the use of a telephone based information service.

Experience in the community sector and/or in the provision of legal or welfare information services is highly desirable.

You also have:

• Outstanding listening and communication skills; you can manage potentially challenging clients in stressful and emotionally charged situations;
• The practice of thinking quickly and prioritising tasks under pressure;
• A flexible, pro-active and resilient attitude, including the ability to work under direction;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information in a practical, accurate and understandable manner;
• Demonstrated ability to work within a counselling framework and to recognise the way in which other issues may interact with personal financial issues;
• A demonstrated interest in and commitment to social justice, including awareness of issues such as homelessness, mental health, family violence, disability, drug and alcohol problems and criminal activity.

This is a fixed-term position of 12 months. Full-time or part-time (3 or more days per week) may be considered. Positions will ultimately be based at our office in Melbourne CBD, with Hybrid working arrangements available by agreement.

The salary range offered is between $73,000 - $87,000 commensurate with experience, plus superannuation. Consumer Action Law Centre offers salary packaging, therefore depending upon personal financial circumstances the value of the salary may be equivalent to up to approximately $5,000 - $8,000 higher.

For more information, refer to the attached position description.

About Consumer Action

Consumer Action Law Centre is an award winning campaign-focused organisation with a vision for a just marketplace where people have power and business play fair. As a high impact advocacy organisation they influence change in policy, law and industry practice across a range of consumer issues. The centre’s advocacy is based upon its direct services, provided by dedicated and highly qualified teams of lawyers and financial counsellors who advise, assist and represent vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers across Victoria. The Centre is particularly focused on building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Consumer Action Law Centre is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from First Nations people, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people of all ages, and LGBTIQA+ people. If we can make any adjustments or modifications to standard recruitment processes that will support and enable your application, please contact us at [email protected]