• Maternity Leave Cover: July to December 2025
• Award grade: Level 5.1-6.1, SCHADS

About the Role

Are you passionate about centring young people in the decisions that shape their lives – and strengthening the sector that supports them?

Youth Action is looking for a Youth Participation and Sector Development Officer to lead our work engaging young people and the youth sector across NSW. You’ll co-design inclusive engagement strategies, support youth-led leadership, and build trusted relationships across the youth sector to elevate both voice and impact. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on collaboration, cares deeply about equity and inclusion, and understands what it takes to create real change through partnership and participation.

This is your chance to:

• Strengthen youth voice and leadership across policy, advocacy, and programs
• Support meaningful, safe, and inclusive participation for diverse young people
• Connect with and mobilise youth sector networks across NSW
• Work in a small, purpose-driven team committed to justice, inclusion, and impact

You’ll work closely with the CEO, General Manager, and Policy Officer to shape engagement strategies, coordinate consultations, facilitate networks, and support the delivery of strategic projects. With a focus on both community connection and systems change, this role is a great fit for someone ready to champion youth voice and sector collaboration across NSW.

Accountabilities

Youth Engagement & Participation

• Initiate and lead the development of a Youth Participation Framework that embeds meaningful, safe, and inclusive youth engagement across Youth Action’s programs, policy, and advocacy work.
• Ensure the framework is co-designed with young people, reflects best practice, and includes clear mechanisms for feedback, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Plan and deliver inclusive engagement activities with young people across NSW, with prioritising the voices of Aboriginal, CALD, LGBTIQA+, regional/rural, young people with disability, and other under-represented communities.
• Coordinate and facilitate youth consultations, forums, and workshops that inform Youth Action’s policy positions, advocacy campaigns, communication initiatives, and organisational priorities.
• Manage and support Youth Action’s youth participation structures, including onboarding, training, facilitation, and providing ongoing support and pastoral care for youth leaders and advisors.
• Support the delivery of co-designed and youth-led initiatives that elevate young people’s leadership, input, and influence within Youth Action and the broader youth sector.
• Develop resources, training, and tools that support the implementation of high-quality youth engagement practices, both internally and externally.

Sector Engagement & Network Development

• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with Youth Action’s members, youth workers, service providers, partners, sector stakeholders, and funding bodies.
• Coordinate and facilitate engagement opportunities for the youth sector, including in-person and online events, training, Communities of Practice, and strategic roundtables or forums.
• Lead the coordination and ongoing support of Youth Action’s sector networks, including the Forum of Youth Development Officers (FYDO) and the Local Government Youth Development Network (LGYDN).
• Provide tailored support to youth sector organisations, including guidance on recommissioning, procurement processes, workforce development, and identifying professional development needs.
• Contribute to the development of sector resources such as tools, templates, and practice guides that strengthen organisational effectiveness and outcomes for young people.
• Monitor sector trends and feedback to help inform Youth Action’s policy and advocacy work and support member-led initiatives.

Project Management & Organisational Contribution

• Scope, develop, and deliver youth participation and sector development projects aligned with Youth Action’s strategic goals and member priorities, as needed.
• Track and report on project outcomes, sector engagement metrics, and youth participation impacts to the General Manager, CEO and other stakeholders.
• Draft proposals, progress reports, and documentation for funding or partnership opportunities.
• Collaborate with colleagues to ensure youth participation and sector engagement are embedded across all of Youth Action’s activities, campaigns and initiatives.

What You’ll Bring to the Role

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in youth work, community development, social sciences, or a related field – or equivalent real-world experience.
• Demonstrated experience engaging collaboratively with young people, including co-designing or facilitating inclusive participation activities.
• Knowledge of youth participation principles, youth issues, rights-based approaches, safeguarding, and inclusive engagement practices.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse stakeholders and collaborate across the sector.
• Experience designing and delivering consultations, training, forums, or sector events (in-person and/or online).
• Confident and effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write and tailor accessible content, presentations, or tools for young people and the sector.
• Solid organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work to deadlines.
• Understanding of the NSW youth sector, including commissioning and grant management processes, service delivery challenges, and policy context.
• A proven ability to work independently, responsively and collaboratively in a fast-paced, purpose-driven team, meeting deadlines, and hitting project goals, as well as experience using real-time collaboration and project tools (e.g. SharePoint, Teams, Monday, etc) to manage shared work.
• A values-driven mindset grounded in social justice, youth rights, equity, and inclusion.
• A current Working with Children Check and National Police Check, or willingness to obtain both.

Working at Youth Action

Youth Action is the peak organisation representing young people and the services that support them in NSW. We have represented young people and the Youth Sector for over 30 years and are supported by over 150 Member organisations.

We have a safe, progressive, and equitable culture. We encourage all to apply, including LGBTIQA+, First Nations people, people with disability, and those from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

Working at Youth Action is a great opportunity to grow in your chosen profession, build new skills, and gain experience that will support your career long into the future. We’re committed to supporting your professional development and progression, and you’ll be part of a team that values learning, collaboration, and purpose-driven work. You'll also enjoy time-in-lieu for any occasional after-hours or weekend work, 4 weeks of annual leave, and additional end-of-year leave.

Contact

Please send any queries to our General Manager [email protected] using the subject line: Youth Participation and Sector Development Officer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.