About Disability Justice Australia Inc (DJA)? 

DJA is a well-known Not for Profit national organisation with its office in Melbourne and registered with ASIC under Commonwealth Corporations Law. It reports annually to the Australian Charities Not for Profit Commission (ACNC). 

We advocate for people with continuing needs associated with disability.  Our service is a mobile outreach one; that is we travel to meet our clients, they rarely ever come to our office. We specialise in legal advocacy. See https://dja.org.au/legal-advocacy.

Our services are funded by the Commonwealth Government Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide disability advocacy, NDIS Appeals for Participants and advocacy support to people with disability who want to engage with the Disability Royal Commission.

DJA is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity and supports diversity and inclusion at all levels of our organisation. You must be over 18 and an Australian citizen or permanent resident and agree to become a member of DJA to apply for this role. (Membership is free) 

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders with disability to apply.   

The Role

Under Section 44 (2) of the Constitution the Board may appoint 2 other individuals to the Board  in accordance with any need identified by the Board as being required taking into account, but not limited to, the candidate’s particular expertise and relevant experience. Such members will be entitled to vote at Board meetings.

The Board is seeking to appoint a voluntary member at a time of national expansion and the development of a number of Social Enterprises.  As a result, we are looking to maintain and further enhance the mix of skills and diversity within the Board.

A Position Description is attached. 

As a Board member, you will join a team responsible for the governance of DJA and overseeing the implementation of our Strategic Plan. You will assist in ensuring our statutory and legal obligations are met, approving, and monitoring the annual budget and monitoring the performance of the organisation and the CEO. This position is a unique opportunity for you to make a valuable contribution to the governance and national expansion of DJA regardless of which state or territory you live in.

The person we are looking for will have all or many of the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Previous experience in governance as a director or member of a Board
• Industry experience in:
  • strategic planning and implementation
  • business development and planning
  • innovation and sustainability
  • risk management
  • continuous improvement
  • networking within business and government circles
  • sales, marketing, promotion and public relations
  • targeted strategic relationships e.g. mergers, partnerships, MOU’s,  acquisitions; and
  • financial and analytical skills
• A commitment to:
  • the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
  • understanding the issues affecting people with disability and their families
  • diversity and inclusion
  • human rights 
• Respect for the different contribution of individuals
• Demonstrated collaborative team work skills in building consensus
• Commitment to ongoing professional development; and
• Attention to detail and excellent time management skills 

Meetings

Board meetings are held for 2.5 hours on the 3rd Friday of each month from 12.30 -3.00 pm (except January) using Microsoft Teams. This is a voluntary role, but all expenses incurred in the role are paid for or reimbursed by DJA. 

Child safety and protection of people with disability 

DJA is committed to child safety. We also have zero tolerance for violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation of people with disability of any age.

Applicants should note that we will carry out working with children, police records and reference checks at our expense for the successful Applicant. 

Need more information

Go to our website at www.dja.org.au. A Position Description is attached.

If you still have any questions, please contact Trevor Carroll, CEO preferably  by email at [email protected], using the subject line: Co-opted Voluntary Board Member enquiry via EthicalJobs due to office restrictions and the COVID-19 virus or SMS to 0418 513 304 for follow up by video conference citing your interest in this Board position in the subject line.