About The Cardoner Network

Begun in 2010, The Cardoner Project was a response to the desire of young adults for Catholic faith formation, engagement in service to those in need and the building of community in the Ignatian tradition. In 2022 the ministry was renamed The Cardoner Network and missioned as the sole specialist young adult ministry of the Australian Jesuits.

The Cardoner Network has several core programs along with delegated responsibility for coordinating and collaborating on the engagement in young adult ministry of Jesuits and Jesuit ministries in Australia. Its centre is in Chippendale, Sydney, in the middle of the University precinct.

The current operations of The Cardoner Network comprise: an intentional residential community for university students, Bellarmine House; a program of service placements, including immersions, overseas through Two Wolves: Abroad, and locally through Two Wolves: Community Volunteers; a program of faith and leadership formation for young adults including retreats, and a school program led by those young adults, Two Wolves: Formation. Jesuit House in Chippendale, Sydney provides a space for young people to gather in connection with these programs and in furtherance of The Cardoner Network’s vision and mission.

About the Role

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is primarily responsible for efficient and effective management of the ministry including the administration, governance, programs, and the strategic operation of the organisation. Other key duties include fundraising, marketing, stakeholder management and community outreach. The position reports directly to the Board of Directors

About You

Possessing superior qualifications, you are a successful leader, with a proven capacity to lead and motivate teams. Your combination of commercial acumen, with an alignment to a faith-based culture and a willingness to engage directly in the delivery of our various programs will ensure ongoing sustainability of this unique mission to young adults.

You will be able to tell the story of The Cardoner Network, with its Catholic and Jesuit context, and engage young people and other stakeholders through clear and engaging communications. You will be willing and able to work energetically across all the programs of the organisation and engage with new and existing stakeholders to generate independent income to support the strategic direction of the organisation. 

You will have a passion for encouraging and mentoring young people combined with experience in innovative and entrepreneurial endeavours. You will actively seek innovation and creative solutions to complex, multi-stakeholder settings.

Key Selection criteria

• Excellent financial and demonstrated commercial acumen

• Solid understanding of what constitutes good budget management
• Strong organisational abilities including planning, delegating, program development and task facilitation
• Strong entrepreneurial capacity and a passion for creative thinking
• Experience in delivering successful business development strategies
• Possess effective strategic planning capabilities
• Possess change management capabilities
• Understanding and openness to understanding the Jesuit way of proceeding and Ignatian spirituality
• Demonstrated capacity to implement systems and procedures for the identification of funding opportunities
• An understanding of the not for profit sector and unique funding challenges and opportunities  
• Demonstrated skills and experience forming and building stakeholder relationships

• Demonstrated transparent and high integrity leadership
• Ability to convey a vision of the organisation’s strategic future to stakeholders
• Ability to relate to, and inspire, young people
• Skills to collaborate with and motivate stakeholders
• Pragmatic decision maker
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to interface and engage diverse volunteer and donor groups
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff
• Strong public speaking ability