About the Organisation

UnitingCare Community (“UCC”) is a large non-government service provider of disability, child and family services and crisis support services. With an annual turnover of $180M, UCC employs 2,800 staff and 5,500 volunteers across a number of service locations in Queensland (over 40) and over 250 service outlets.

Three major government agendas and associated changes will have an impact on the organisation, and the need to respond accordingly will be crucial to future success. These are:

• The NDIS and the lead up to launching DisabilityCare Australia from July this year means that the Australian government has secured a funding stream to support the rollout of a national scheme that will provide people with a disability, (and their families and carers) with certainty. UCC currently provides support to approximately 630 people with a disability in Queensland;
• The Queensland Child Protection Commission of enquiry will affect children and family services and the “Out of Home Care” business, which currently supports 78 children and young people in residential placements, and approximately 460 Foster and Kinship Care Placements in Queensland; and
• The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

To respond to the changing environment and expected service reform requirements, UCC has realigned its structure by creating a number of new Executive roles including Director, Strategy & Innovation.

About the Role

Reporting to the Executive Director, this is an integral Executive Team member with responsibility for a number of duties focussed on strategy and innovation.

Key responsibilities include

• Leading and coordinating the analysis and advice on current and emerging direction and trends within the social policy and human service arenas;
• Researching the organisation’s external environment in order to identify challenges and opportunities aligned to social, political and economic agendas;
• Leading and championing strategic initiatives including searching for/or investigating new business opportunities and new fields of endeavor in order to support additional revenue streams;
• Identifying new business opportunities or service streams that enable the organisation to provide value added services;
• Establishing and coordinating a targeted research and evaluation program which is aligned with UCC’s business priorities;
• Engaging with government, community services and business sectors to increase UCC’s profile, build alliances and influence in regards to potential joint ventures;
• Work collaboratively with UCC Queensland, its Executives as well as affiliated organisations.

About You

This role has a clear focus on innovation, social policy, research and business development however so many other variables are involved too. A driven motivated professional who is inspired by the key duties and possesses the following is required: -

• Tertiary qualifications are essential. As a guide these could include Human Services, Marketing, Finance, Business or Commerce.
• Demonstrated achievements in providing strategic leadership and management within a complex service delivery-based environment;
• Strong strategic and business development skills with well-developed conceptual, analytical and problem solving skills;
• You think laterally and initiate “out of the box” ideas and solutions:
• Clear and demonstrable experience developing strategic initiatives with a strong focus on innovation, branding, customer experience and improvement; and
• Contemporary knowledge of trends and reforms within the human and community service sector.

The Benefits

This is an exceptional opportunity to significantly contribute to the progress of an organisation that aims to improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable individuals.