Who are we?

Tenants Victoria is the peak body for Victorian renters, who number almost two million people. Our vision is for a safe, secure and affordable home in a fair housing system. For many, renting is a permanent situation rather than a transition from the family home to home ownership. We believe all renters should be able to afford a home that allows them to live full lives and contribute to their communities.

Founded in the 1970s by renters, we aim to empower all renters and make sure their voices are heard in our advocacy. We work in partnership with other community legal centres and housing sector organisations, and strategically with government to inform policy development and enhance service delivery.

Our services include information, legal representation and advice, financial counselling, and outreach. We aim to make the housing system fairer in several ways. We advocate for practices and attitudes, policies and laws that ensure renting is a respected means of having a safe and secure home, and that support the rights of renters. We increase the skills of the community workers who assist renters. We provide information that encourages rental providers and real estate agents to act responsibly.

Read more about our work at: www.tenantsvic.org.au

The Role

The Board guides the strategy of Tenants Victoria towards achievement of its vision through the provision of effective, high quality and innovative work supporting, advocating for, and representing, residential tenants. Its good governance practices ensure the organisation’s sustainability.

We are looking to appoint up to three (3) additional directors to our current Board to strengthen our capabilities to support Tenants Victoria management and staff as they drive innovation in services.

Key Selection Criteria

The Board identifies the following as core areas. All directors expected to demonstrate some experience and knowledge in these areas with further individual expertise so that these skills are held to a high level collectively by the Board.

• Governance and legal: An understanding of the relevant legal and regulatory principles and frameworks and of good governance NFP practices
• Finance and Risk: Understanding and ability in financial and risk management
• Strategy and organisational planning 

In addition we are looking for directors with one or more of the following sets of skills and experiences:

• A good understanding of the social enterprise sector and experience in introducing and realising innovative business models and funding sources, for purpose-driven community sector and NFP organisations

• A strategic understanding of government and philanthropic relations and successful practical engagement with these sectors for the benefit of for-purpose community organisations
• Experience in guiding NFP and SME organisations to engage with clients, community and stakeholders more effectively and enhance delivery of services, enabled by technology

You have a long-standing personal commitment to social justice and want to apply your professional experience in making a tangible difference to the safety and security of Victorians renters. You are a strategic and innovative thinker and enjoy working collaboratively to support development and reform. You understand and desirably have experience in sound NFP governance and financial practices.  You also have excellent interpersonal communication skills.

The board aims to represent the interests of renters with a diversity of backgrounds and lived experiences. We encourage applications from directors with expertise and perspectives that help us do so.

About the Board

• The current Tenants Victoria Board is a group of six highly skilled and engaged members driving forward our work guided by our strategic plan
• Note this is a volunteer role.
• The Board meets monthly at 5.30pm on the 4th Monday of each month. Meetings are held either remotely or in person at Tenants Victoria’s Melbourne CBD offices. Directors are expected to prepare by reading board papers that are circulated the previous week
• Additional meetings and planning sessions take place as required
• There are two standing Board sub-committees: Audit Finance and Risk sub-committee and Governance sub-committee. Willingness to join a sub-committee is expected.

If you would like further details or information about the role including a copy of the Position Description, please contact:

Judith Dickson (Chairperson) on 0429001044 or by email at [email protected] using the subject line: Board Directors (Voluntary) enquiry via EthicalJobs.