Join Australian Progress as our Chief Operating Officer

Australian Progress is looking for a Chief Operating Officer to hold our operations, help manage our budget, liaise with our Board and help build the systems that let a small, ambitious team do its best work. Strong operations are an integral part of how we have impact. This is the role that makes that possible.

It will suit someone who finds real satisfaction in bringing order to a busy organisation, who is at home with both the detail and the bigger picture, and who wants work that backs movements for justice and equality. You will work closely with the CEO, the Deputy CEO and the Board, and lead a small finance and operations team.

Key details

• Fixed term, 24 months
• 0.8-1.0 FTE
• $145,000 to $160,000 plus 12% superannuation (Australian Progress Enterprise Agreement Level 8, Executive)
• Australia-wide remote, or Level 4/454 Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000, with working from home
• We may review applications as they arrive, so we encourage you to apply early.

About you

You are someone with senior operational experience who wants to help a values-led organisation do more. You are a strong people and process leader, you have the financial judgement to ask the right questions, and an approach that holds a Board's confidence.

You do not need to tick every box. What matters most is that you can read and question the numbers, lead good systems, and get the best from a team. If you are strong and comfortable in some areas, and ready to grow into the rest, we would definitely like to hear from you.

Why join Australian Progress

Australian Progress builds the skills, relationships and confidence non-profit and civil society organisations need to advocate for reform and achieve change. We strengthen the capacity of social change organisations and movements so they can advocate, collaborate and improve things for people and the planet.

In our 12 years, we have:

• Equipped more than 4,000 community leaders with the advocacy and leadership skills to secure transformative change.
• Brought together over 18,000 advocates to share ideas and build courage.
• Helped incubate 23 new organisations filling critical gaps in the sector.

We work alongside movements for First Nations justice, climate action, disability rights, economic fairness, refugee rights, LGBTQI+ justice, environmental protection and more.

Our culture is collaborative and guided by our values. We are committed to equity and inclusion, and we make space for the lived expertise of people who have experienced systemic injustice to shape our work.

What we offer

We back our team with strong pay and conditions, set in our Enterprise Agreement and shaped by our values.

• Work from anywhere in Australia, with genuine flexibility over your hours and where you work, including the ability to work from home.
• 16 weeks paid parental leave, equal for primary and secondary carers and for parents of any gender.
• A three-week paid shutdown over summer, accrued days off through the year, and the option to buy up to four extra weeks of annual leave.
• Leave that reflects what we stand for: 20 days gender affirmation leave, 20 days family and domestic violence leave, 10 days cultural leave for First Nations staff, paid leave to volunteer on campaigns and attend rallies, the choice to attend First Nations-led events on Invasion Day during work hours, and paid leave during natural disasters and climate impacts.
• Personal leave you can use for your mental health, for menstruation or menopause, for medical appointments, or for pet bereavement.
• A yearly professional development budget and dedicated time, plus a place in one of our own trainings each year.
• Wellbeing support through an Employee Assistance Program, or reimbursement to see your own practitioner.

The opportunity

As Chief Operating Officer, you are Australian Progress' senior steward of operations, finance, governance and risk. You make sure the organisation runs well, meets its obligations, and has the information and systems it needs to make sound, timely decisions.

You will manage organisational budgeting and reporting (with external accountant/financial support), lead finance policy and process, and bring rigour to governance and risk. You will oversee our technology, data and internal systems, and improve them over time. You will manage the Operations Manager, hold the relationship with our external accountant, and manage impact measurement and reporting alongside the Partnerships Manager.

The point of the role is to make Australian Progress' mission achievable. Sound finances, clear systems and good governance are what let a lean team reach more advocates and take on bigger work.

What success looks like

• Australian Progress can plan and take on new work with confidence, because its finances, systems and governance are sound.
• The CEO and Board have accurate information and clear options for strategic decisions.
• Budgets, monthly reports and quarterly Board reports are accurate, clear and on time, with risks surfaced early.
• Technology, data and internal systems are reliable, secure and improving over time.
• The team is well supported by reliable systems and a safe, inclusive workplace.

skills and experience

Essential

• An experienced people manager who develops staff, supports other managers, and helps build a positive, inclusive culture.
• A track record of improving systems, processes and ways of working in a busy organisation.
• Sound financial judgement: able to own a budget, read and question financial reports, and give senior leaders and a Board clear options, working with internal staff and an external accountant on the detail.
• A strong grasp of governance, risk and compliance, and confidence preparing or overseeing Board papers.
• Sound judgement, with the ability to set direction and make decisions at an organisation-wide level.

Desirable

• Experience as a senior operations leader in a non-profit organisation.
• Experience with grant acquittal reporting.
• Experience acting as, or supporting, a Company Secretary.
• Lived expertise and relationships in the movements we work with, including First Nations justice, racial justice, disability justice, economic fairness, climate and LGBTQI+ rights.
• Relevant qualifications, for example AICD, MBA, CPA, or CA. The Enterprise Agreement recognises postgraduate qualifications or equivalent experience at this level, so formal qualifications are welcome but not required.

Values alignment

You will demonstrate a commitment to Australian Progress' values:

• Equity and justice: centre lived expertise and prioritise accessible, inclusive ways of working.
• Courage: bring bold ideas and challenge structural injustice.
• Generosity: share knowledge and treat others with respect.
• Collective power: collaborate widely and amplify diverse voices.

We encourage you to apply

We strongly encourage First Nations people, people of colour, disabled people, refugees and asylum seekers, people from low-socio economic backgrounds and LGBTQIA+ people to apply. We make space for the lived expertise of people who have experienced systemic injustice, and we are happy to discuss adjustments and flexible arrangements at any stage of the process.

How to Apply

To submit your application please click 'Apply Now' by the closing date.

For further information, or a confidential conversation about the role, contact the Deputy CEO, Adam Knobel, at [email protected] using the subject line: Chief Operating Officer - Melbourne / Remote enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.