ABOUT SHARC

Established in 1995, SHARC is a community of people impacted by alcohol, drugs and gambling, including family, friends and supporters. Together, we work towards an Australian society where our communities' lived expertise is at the heart of inclusive communities, services, and systems.

Our Vision: Lived expertise is at the heart of inclusive communities and services, where people proudly share their experiences and support each other in a society free of stigma and discrimination.

Our Purpose: We transform lives, services and society through our community's lived experience of alcohol and other drugs, gambling and related harms. We create change by being ourselves, supporting one another, telling our stories, sharing our knowledge, advocating and building allyships.

SHARC places a priority on a positive, supportive, and productive work environment. Our services operate within an empowerment framework which maximises clients’ and volunteers’ opportunities for self-responsibility, mutual support and participation.

SHARC currently has two Director vacancies on its Board, and we are looking for candidates whose thinking about community, harm, and recovery shapes the governance they bring. The Board seeks to be representative of the communities SHARC serves, and welcomes candidates whose backgrounds, identities, and lived experience connect them to First Nations, LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically marginalised (CALM), and disability communities. The thinking, experience, and perspective that make for a strong Director can be built in many different ways.

ABOUT THE ROLE

SHARC is an organisation in which people with lived experience lead at every level, and the Board holds the organisation to that purpose. Directors share collective responsibility for SHARC's governance and strategic direction, and as one of two new appointments to the Board you will contribute to setting and overseeing strategy, supporting the CEO and executive in delivering it, and ensuring financial sustainability and regulatory compliance.

All Directors bring lived experience of alcohol and other drug harm or recovery, lived experience of gambling harm and recovery, or experience as a family member or supporter of someone with lived or living experience of AOD use. Within this requirement, the Board gives particular priority to lived experience and knowledge that continues to be under-represented in mainstream governance, including First Nations lived experience and Indigenous knowledge, LGBTIQ+ lived experience, lived experience from CALM communities, and lived experience of disability.

We are looking for candidates who bring creativity, systems and design thinking, and the analytical perspective grounded in understanding harm and recovery from outside a dominant clinical or institutional frame. Professional skills in legal practice, accounting and financial management, marketing and communications, fundraising and philanthropy, or IT and cybersecurity are useful additions, though they are not the primary basis on which we are recruiting. Where the Board needs deeper technical expertise in a specific area, the Board draws on it through its committees rather than allowing it to shape Director composition.

ABOUT THE BOARD

The Board comprises Non-Executive Directors and is supported by two committees: Finance and Risk and Governance. The Board meets at least six times per year, holds an annual strategy day, and Directors serve on at least one committee.

The time commitment is approximately 6 to 8 hours per month, including preparation time.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for Directors who bring:

• Lived experience of AOD harm, addiction or recovery; lived experience of gambling harm and recovery; or experience as a family member or supporter of someone with lived or living experience of AOD use
• Commitment to SHARC's purpose, and to the principle that lived expertise sits at the centre of how SHARC is governed and how its services are designed
• The capacity to think beyond established sector frames around addiction, harm reduction and recovery, and to hold strategic complexity with curiosity rather than reduction
• The openness to engage across different worldviews, respectfully participate in hard conversations that come up around the Board, and challenge SHARC when needed.
• The capacity to act with integrity, independence and sound judgement in a governance role, and to commit the time the role requires.

You will also need to meet the standard governance and legal requirements that apply to all Directors, including company director eligibility, SHARC membership, and a National Police Check.

Previous board experience is welcome but not required.

A $5,000 pa honorarium is payable, with an additional $3,000 pa per committee membership and $1,000 pa for convening a committee.

For a confidential conversation about the role, contact Ari Siggins at the Curiosity Company via [email protected] using the subject line: Non-Executive Directors x2 - SHARC enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Please see the attached Position Description for full detail on the role requirements.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process or support to apply for this role, please get in touch. We are committed to an inclusive and accessible application experience.