About us

Being is the NSW peak representative organisation for people living with mental health issues and emotional distress. We have a strong focus on human rights, and as such advocate for the rights of people with mental health issues to live and participate in the communities they choose, free of stigma and discrimination.

Our guiding principles are:

• Creating space for people with lived/living experience of mental health issues to have their voices heard;
• Ensuring that recovery-oriented and trauma-informed practice underpins all aspects of Being’s operation;
• The belief that a life free of stigma and discrimination are human rights for every person;
• Providing capacity-building opportunities for all people with lived/living experience to grow;
• Ensuring that everything Being does is consumer led.

Our operational and governance structures have a majority of people living with mental health issues, including our staff and Board, who draw on their unique skills and experiences as consumers and survivors of services. Our membership base is made up predominantly of people who identify as personally living with mental health issues.

About Your New Role

The Being Learning Academy Manager will manage the successful establishment and operations of the Being Learning Academy.

A key responsibility will be in building the organisational infrastructure to deliver an innovative and sustainable operation which provides education, mentoring and traineeship programs to people living with mental health issues, their family and carers, and the broader community.

This position requires some travel.

Your key responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team in the establishment, implementation and evaluation of the Being Learning Academy in line with Being’s values and principles of inclusion, rights and social justice.
• Oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of the Academy, including development of business, marketing and community engagement plans and strategies.
• Manage budgets and financials for the program.
• Ensure all aspects of the business are co-produced with people living with mental health issues, their family and carers.
• Coordination of community consultations to inform the establishment and ongoing operations of the Academy.
• Oversee the development of the curriculum, term prospectus and courses in line with co-production methodologies.
• Maintain and manage reporting requirements to both the CEO and the funding body in line with funding KPI’s.
• Demonstrate a commitment to principles and practices of co-design, recovery and trauma informed practices for all staff, volunteers, and students of the Academy.
• Establish and Chair the Being Learning Academy Steering Committee and other committees required by the academy.
• Seek opportunities for future and ongoing funding to ensure sustainability of the program.
• Lead and influence continuous improvement mechanisms.
• Staying up to date with adult education methods, recovery college models and other aspects pertinent to adult education.
• Establish processes for student representation in the Academy.
• Other operational duties and responsibilities as required.

Essential Criteria:

1. Personal experience of living with mental health issues and demonstrated ability to utilise your own recovery to support and inspire hope and recovery for others.
2. Experience in managing the development and implementation of innovative and new service programs.
3. Demonstrated experience of managing a team from establishment through to evaluation of new service programs.
4. Previous experience in managing financials and budgets.
5. Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering training and education packages.
6. Thorough understanding of co-production and co-design, and experience in working from these frameworks.
7. Previous experience in working with funding bodies and maintaining reporting requirements and timelines.
8. Demonstrated high level project management skills.
9. Excellent Interpersonal and personal skills.
10. Ability to travel throughout NSW.

Desirable Criteria

1. Strong knowledge of the mental health sector in NSW.
2. Experience with state or national level Peer Workforce initiatives.
3. Previous work experience as a consumer worker or consumer peer worker in public mental health services or community managed organisations.
4. Certificate IV Mental Health Peer Work (consumer) or working towards.
5. Ability to commence immediately.

BEING is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. This means we apply affirmative action strategies to the employment of people with personal lived/living experience of mental health issues.

A Position Description is attached below.