Position Overview

Community Power Agency (CPA) is seeking an accomplished Organisation Development Coordinator to lead strategic initiatives and projects, streamline processes, and oversee business development and financial operations.

This multifaceted role requires strong leadership skills, expertise in project management, and a strategic mindset to drive CPA's mission forward.

The successful candidate must be highly versatile and able to facilitate high-level organisational growth and change within a small organisation, whilst also possessing practical delivery skills relating to one of CPA’s core business streams of project implementation.

About Community Power Agency

Established in 2011, Community Power Agency is a leading organisation supporting communities to engage in and benefit from the transition to renewable energy. We are a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to drive a faster and fairer transition to clean energy. We believe all Australians, regardless of where they live or what they earn, should have the right and the opportunity to participate in the clean energy transition, and by involving them we build the strong groundswell of support needed to facilitate a rapid transition to a clean energy future. CPA is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient status.

Our small dynamic team delivers advocacy, innovation, advice and capacity building to achieve our mission. We are a radically different organisation as a workers co-operative with both advocacy and fee-for-service work streams. We specialise in supporting communities to navigate the complex process of developing their own clean energy projects and focus on building capacity within communities, industry and government while fostering collaboration. We also work to address the systemic barriers facing the sector as a whole and play an active role in bringing socially-responsible, community beneficial business models into the Australian renewable energy market.

The role

Position: Organisation Development Coordinator

Salary (FTE): $91,650 per annum pro-rata plus 11% superannuation.

Location: Strong preference for proximity to Sydney or Melbourne, however Community Power Agency has a flexible approach to working, with all staff working remotely and for the right candidate we will consider outside of this area if able to travel to major cities when required.

Time commitment: 3-5 days/week upon negotiation (22.5-37.5hrs/week). Must be able to work Tuesdays and ideally Fridays.

Contract period: 12-month position, with view to extend pending funding.

Travel: National travel required occasionally, primarily within NSW and Vic.

Role responsibilities

• Drive organisational development initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, including systems optimisation in our small organisation, such as developing processes for workload planning and resource allocation.
• Develop and implement strategic plans to align CPA's activities with organisational goals and drive growth and impact in the renewable energy sector.
• Oversee financial operations in partnership with our accountant, including budgeting, financial planning, and reporting, to ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency.
• Manage day-to-day operations, including reporting, compliance, and governance, to uphold CPA's standards of excellence.
• Lead and manage projects, ensuring timely execution, resource allocation, and achievement of project objectives.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including industry experts, government agencies, and community groups, to gather insights, build partnerships, and inform strategic decision-making and project implementation.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to team members, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Key attributes

• Proven experience in organisational development and strategic planning, preferably in the nonprofit, social enterprise or renewable energy sector.
• Strong financial acumen, with experience in budgeting, financial analysis, governance and reporting within a small-medium sized organisation.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate team members and stakeholders.
• Possess exceptional project management skills, demonstrated through a track record of successfully coordinating projects with diverse stakeholders.
• Strategic mindset, with the ability to analyse complex issues, identify opportunities, and develop actionable plans.
• Proficiency in process improvement, systems optimisation, and change management.
• Commitment to CPA's mission and values, with a passion for driving positive change in the renewable energy sector.

Our values and how we work

Community Power Agency is a workers cooperative – a business entity that is owned and controlled by the workers. Employees of the cooperative actively contribute to the direction the business takes. The work we choose to do and why, is directed by the employees – their shared values, hopes and visions – as well as by a mutual responsibility and care for the cooperative.

We strive for egalitarianism and share leadership within the organisation. As such, we all take responsibility for holding ourselves and each other to account. A key part of this commitment is our policy of pay equity. We believe that people are inherently of equal value, so instead of paying some people more, we have sought to share/redistribute responsibility, power and knowledge. Instead of a typical line of management we build people’s capacity, skills and confidence through mentoring, working collaboratively, and opening up opportunities for passionate people to ‘give it a go’.

CPA recognises that the way we make change is as important as the outcomes. We are supportive, honest and transparent in the way we work internally and externally. We offer flexible and remote working options, and pro-rata public holiday leave (so regardless of whether your normal work day falls on a public holiday you receive the pro-rata additional leave). As a nimble, dynamic and dispersed team, we put energy into remaining connected. We invest in getting together face-to-face twice a year to evaluate, strategise and connect as a team. We are continuously improving our way of operating to remain adaptable in a rapidly evolving sector.

People that will thrive in CPA are

• Motivated by values & mission for positive change
• Highly self motivated
• Enjoy diversity of tasks and projects in their work
• Enjoy collaboration both within our organisation and externally
• Community-focused
• Task orientated and organised
• Interested in modelling more democratic ways of working
• Reliable and can be counted on to deliver

Selection criteria

The following criteria will be used to assess applicants that make it to the interview stage of our recruitment process.

1. Alignment with CPA's mission, vision, and values.
2. Demonstrated experience in project management, organisational development, and strategic planning, especially in a nonprofit, social enterprise or renewable energy context.
3. Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, resourcing and financial analysis in alignment with cooperative values and financial sustainability.
4. Outstanding leadership and communication abilities, adept at motivating team members and fostering a transparent and collaborative work environment.
5. Proficiency in process improvement and systems optimisation, with a proven track record of enhancing organisational workflows and maximising efficiency, including adept use of digital programs/applications, such as Google Suite, Monday.com, Canva and social media platforms.
6. Ability to engage project stakeholders effectively, fostering partnerships and advocating for community renewable energy initiatives.
7. Demonstrated proactive, can-do attitude with a strong ability to work independently, remotely and responsively.

Desirable

1. Knowledge of climate and energy justice and experience of community energy and/or community engagement in the renewables sector.
2. Experience facilitating workshops, meetings, and training sessions to engage external stakeholders.

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t have 100% of the selection criteria characteristics. A passion for the work and an eagerness to learn are the most important things.

How to apply

Please complete the form by clicking Apply Now.

Note: We are also recruiting for an Advocacy and Fundraising Coordinator and a Project Manager, please check out our other ads.

We strive to be an equal opportunity employer; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and LGBTIQ people are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for this position, applicants should have current working rights for Australia.

We respectfully request that recruitment agencies do not submit applications for this position.

Want to have a chat before you click submit? You can contact Elizabeth Noble, Director on [email protected] using the subject line: Organisation Development Co-ordinator enquiry via EthicalJobs or 0426 887 415 with any questions you might have.