• Location: Balgowlah, NSW
• Employment Type: Full Time or Part Time 4 - 4.5 days per week
• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
• Salary: Approximately $120,000 + Super + Salary Packaging

About Lifeline Northern Beaches, Mosman to Kirribilli

Lifeline Northern Beaches, Mosman to Kirribilli has been supporting local communities for almost 60 years, delivering compassionate, life-saving services to people experiencing crisis, emotional distress, or social isolation.

As an independent not-for-profit organisation supported by over 600 volunteers and a dedicated workforce, LLNB delivers a broad range of services including the national 13 11 14 Crisis Support Line, counselling, support groups, financial counselling, community education and critical incident response.

Our Vision: An Australia free of suicide.

Our Purpose: We create connection with people in crisis, empowering individuals and communities to be safe from suicide.

Our Values: Respect | Compassion | Collaboration | Integrity | Accountability

The Opportunity

Lifeline Northern Beaches is seeking an experienced and emotionally intelligent leader to oversee the operations, workforce and continuous improvement of our Crisis Support Centre.

Reporting to the CEO and part of the leadership team, this is a significant leadership role responsible for managing a complex, highly people-focused service operating within a 24/7 crisis support environment (operational hours 6am-12am). The Centre supports the national 13 11 14 Lifeline service and has a staff of approximately 45 paid staff and 120 active volunteers.

The successful candidate will lead operational performance while fostering a psychologically safe, collaborative and values-driven culture. This role will suit someone who combines operational discipline with warmth, empathy and strong people leadership capability.

The organisation is currently undergoing significant transformation and cultural change, creating an exciting opportunity for a leader who can build trust, strengthen engagement and support a more connected way of working across the service.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the operational management and continuous improvement of the Crisis Support Centre.
• Ensure safe, high-quality crisis support delivery aligned with Lifeline Australia standards and frameworks.
• Foster a psychologically safe, trauma-informed and inclusive environment.
• Lead teams through operational and cultural change initiatives.
• Lead and support a mixed workforce of paid staff and volunteers.
• Coach and develop Team Leaders and In-Shift Supervisors.
• Oversee volunteer recruitment, onboarding and training pathways.
• Manage approximately 3–4 volunteer intake programs annually.
• Oversee rostering and workforce coverage across extended operational hours (6am-12am).
• Manage staffing levels, workforce planning and service demand.
• Monitor KPIs, workforce performance and operational reporting.
• Act as the key operational interface with Lifeline Australia.
• Participate in Communities of Practice and operational forums.
• Contribute operational insight to organisational planning and strategy.

About You

We are seeking a leader who is calm under pressure, highly relational and genuinely passionate about supporting people and communities.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Senior leadership experience in complex, people-intensive environments.
• Proven experience leading large teams, including volunteer workforces, ideally
• Strong operational leadership, workforce planning and rostering capability.
• Experience managing performance, change and complex workforce dynamics.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong emotional intelligence, resilience and sound judgement.
• Ability to balance empathy with accountability in a high-pressure environment.

Highly Regarded

• Experience in crisis support, mental health, health or community services.
• Experience in not-for-profit or volunteer-led organisations.
• Experience leading organisational or cultural change.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications.
• Lifeline Crisis Support accreditation.

Why Join Lifeline Northern Beaches?

This is an opportunity to join a purpose-driven organisation making a genuine impact in the community every day.

You will be part of an organisation that:

• Supports Australians during their most vulnerable moments
• Values compassion, collaboration and connection
• Is investing in transformation and future growth
• Offers meaningful work with strong community impact
• Provides salary packaging benefits and portable long service leave

Most importantly, you will lead a service that helps ensure no one in our community faces their darkest moments alone.

Contact Annabel Grigson on 0402 027 514 for a confidential discussion.