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Executive Director - Partnerships & Engagement

The Foundation for Young Australians

About the role

This newly developed leadership position of Executive Director, Partnerships and Engagement will focus on positioning FYA at the heart of Australia’s social purpose and philanthropic ecosystem, and drive a major groundswell of giving to youth-led action. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer this role will lead a high impact team responsible for relationship building, proposal development and grant-writing, immersive events, storytelling, and brand communications. A key measure of success will be forging partnerships worth $10 - $25 million for FYA in the coming years.

Core responsibilities

  • Ensure effective integrated management of a department, including creating open channels for communication, synthesising information, identifying risks and opportunities, driving action and solving problems, and making decisions impacting multiple functions or involving trade-offs.
  • Leadership responsibility for building durable large scale support from diverse funding partners, including philanthropy, business, and government, in support of FYA’s mission through effective communications, and a proactive approach to partnership building.
  • Develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy to underpin FYA’s sustainability and growth, including targets, strategies, activities and the case for support associated with diverse programs and core revenue streams (FYA needs to raise more than $10m from such sources over the next 3 years, with a stretch target of $25m).

Provide direction and management for a small and highly capable Development team that will:

  • Build and maintain relationships, and secure significant multi-year support, from across the Australian philanthropic and corporate social responsibility space, including supporting CEO-level relationships.
  • Oversee research and grant applications and proposals, maintain regular communications with co-investors, and ensure required reporting and acquittal (working closely with our Director of Strategy and Evaluation).
  • Oversee funding and donor relations events and digital campaigns that engage a new large community of middle and major donors.
  • Train and mentor staff across the organisation in fundraising and partnership development
  • Regularly evaluate fundraising campaigns and expenditure for return on investment, and communicate the results.
  • Play a key thought-leadership role in the growth of systems change-focused giving in Australia including working closely with other staff across the organisation to develop philanthropy-facing content and learning (events, reports, briefings, 1:1 engagement)

Provide direction and management for a small communications team (Communication Lead, Creative Manager) that will:

  • Develop, roll-out, embed, and continuously strengthen a refreshed brand for the Foundation across all platforms, including website, digital channels, advertising and event-based communications.
  • Redevelop and maintain FYA’s digital presence, including website and social media presence. We believe our materials will be increasingly visual/video based and immersive.
  • Develop ongoing communications materials to ensure stakeholders are effectively informed and inspired about FYA’s work and impact.

About You

  • Extensive experience in Australian or global philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and/or senior brand communications within a for-purpose organisation.
  • Demonstrated success in business development, such as raising/mobilising high six and seven figure sums annually
  • Extensive experience in communications, including experience in design, storytelling, branding and digital.
  • Existing profile as a thought-leader in systems change or purpose-driven work
  • Relationships across the philanthropic sector - established personal connections to high net worth individuals, major foundations, and corporate philanthropy.
  • Demonstrated commitment to social justice, and especially to the gender, race, class, generational and other justice dimensions of philanthropy and social change, and ability to critically engage with issues of power and privilege inherent in the space.

About the Foundation for Young Australians

Today’s generation of young Australians are facing unprecedented and intersecting crises. They also have the skills, insight and ambition to address them. At FYA, our vision is that young people have the power to beat injustice and transform the future. In pursuit of this vision, our purpose is to back young people with the trust, resources, skills, and connections to make change.

FYA has an incredible history, new CEO, focused strategy, dynamic team and board, and unique resource base. We are now shaping a future-focused organisation committed to the highest standards of professionalism, culture and conditions, diversity, and impact - all centred around our key constituents: young people.

Our work is guided by a commitment to beating injustice. We strongly encourage applications from people with successful track records advocating for justice as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, people of colour, women, people with disability, LGBTIQ+ communities and migrants to Australia. We acknowledge our sector has systematically excluded these communities and are committed to changing this.

Sound exactly like the role for you? Click Apply Now or head to the ‘work with us’ section of our website and follow the application process.

  • Please include a detailed resume (no more than 3 pages)
  • A Cover Letter up to 1000 words speaking to why you want the role, and how your experience aligns with the desired candidate profile.

How to apply

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