About MacKillop Family Services

On 1 July 1997, MacKillop Family Services was formed as a new organisation by re-founding seven agencies operated by the Sisters of Mercy, the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in Victoria. However, our legacy and inspiration is much older. From the 1850s, these three congregations, respectively founded by Catherine McAuley, Edmund Rice and Mary MacKillop, worked in Victoria to establish homes for children who were orphaned, destitute or neglected, and for families who were in need of care and support. Throughout the years, the original model of institutional care evolved into different forms of residential care, foster care, education, family support and disability services.

The purpose and character of MacKillop Family Services as a Catholic organisation, continues to draw from the lives, works and inspiration of the three founders who provide a living model for the way our staff and volunteers approach their work. Woven through this ethos is the acknowledgement and recognition of the inherent Aboriginal spirituality of this country and respect for the cultures that have lived here for thousands of generations.

About the role

The Area Manager Wimmera South West is responsible for leading staff in the delivery of the day to day operations of MacKillop’s Wimmera South West programs; therapeutic residential care, home based care, targeted care packages, Animal Assisted Therapy, Mentoring program and case management support for children and young people with high and complex needs.

The Area Manager is a member of the MacKillop Management Leadership Team and reports to the Director Child, Youth & Families. The Wimmera South West program operates throughout the South West area of Victoria. The Manager is based in Warrnambool with an expectation to travel within the area and to Geelong/Horsham/Melbourne on occasion.

Key selection criteria include:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications and evidence of senior level experience in social work, public policy, child protection, out of home care or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated sound knowledge and understanding of overarching quality and policy frameworks underpinning Out of Home Care in Victoria.
• Demonstrated understanding of the provision of contemporary practice and therapeutic models of Out of Home Care.
• Evidence of high level organisational and management skills to develop and improve programs to meet and/or exceed targets and deliver effective and successful outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate and develop high functioning client outcome focused teams.
• Demonstrated experience as a member of a leadership team with the ability to work cross functionally at senior levels to deliver outcomes; proven networking, engagement and relationship building skills and the ability to represent the organisation in various forums.
• Demonstrated experience in project design and implementation.
• Well-developed skills in assessing risks, needs and the safety for children and young people residing in residential facilities and home based care, as well as leaving care.
• Demonstrated analytical problem solving skills, the ability to assess options and identify and implement creative, innovative and flexible solutions.
• Demonstrated experience of effective budget preparation, forecasting and management.

For a full listing, please view the position description.

MacKillop is committed to being a child safe organisation. Applicants will be required to undergo a criminal records checks and hold a valid employment working with children check to be successful.

We welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

For more information, please contact Candice Kisielis, Executive Assistant on 0429 261 912.

If you think you have the knowledge and skills to make a positive contribution to the lives of young people and our team, then we want to hear from you.

How to Apply

Click Apply where you will be redirected to sign in to our recruitment portal. If this is your first time applying for a job with MacKillop, you will need to register for an account. For a step-by-step guide, please download the guide here: https://www.mackillop.org.au/uploads/Careers/Recruitment-Portal-How-to-Guide.pdf.

Please address the key selection criteria (as outlined in the Position Description) within your cover letter, as part of your application.

Download the position description HERE.