About YWCA Australia

YWCA Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation that has specialised in supporting women for over 140 years. With over 200 employees across 17 locations, YWCA provides housing, support services and leadership pathways that enable women and gender diverse people and their families to find stability and feel safe and secure, so they can build the future they want. We also operate Song Hotel, a profit-for-purpose business where proceeds are reinvested and contribute to the work of YWCA Australia.

The Role

YWCA Australia is seeking to appoint two Directors whose skills align with the organisation’s strategic direction and complement the existing skills and experience of the Board.

The Board is comprised of 9 Directors, 60% are elected by Members and the balance appointed by the Board. At least 1/3 of the Board must be Young Women. Directors of YWCA Australia are also appointed as Directors of the subsidiaries, YWCA National Housing and YWCA Housing. The Board has adopted a Board Charter which sets out the roles, responsibilities and principles within which it operates. The Charter reflects the requirements of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission and can be accessed here.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive the formulation of YWCA's strategic plan, approve its adoption and provide leadership and strategic guidance in its implementation.
• Monitor company performance, including strategy implementation and the allocation of resources to achieve strategies, objectives and budgets.
• Ensure proper governance processes are followed with integrity, including financial reporting and disclosures, internal controls and compliance with the law.
• Oversee the financial performance of the company, including approving budgets, annual financial statements and major capital expenditure decisions.
• Appointment and removal of CEO, including performance evaluation and remuneration.
• Establish and maintain a healthy risk culture, approve target risk levels and monitor organisational risk.
• Participate in a Board-established committee if required. More detail on the Committees can be found on our website here.

About You

YWCA is seeking candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we strongly encourage gender-diverse individuals and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people to apply for these positions. Candidates with financial or commercial expertise, or experience managing or leading a not-for-profit are strongly encouraged to apply.

Not sure if this is you? Examples of what experience in these fields could look like is detailed below:

Financial expertise:

• Experience managing and/or overseeing the financial performance and reporting of an organisation
• The ability to understand and apply accounting and financial principles
• Experience in overseeing and understanding debt financing

Commercial expertise:

• Knowledge and understanding of the commercial drivers which ensure the sustainability and impact of an organisation
• The ability to evaluate the financial impact of decisions
• The ability to think strategically, critically and analytically about business decisions and proposals

Experience managing or leading a not-for-profit:

• Leadership experience at a senior manager level or higher
• Experience on the Board of a medium- to large-sized not-for-profit organisation.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be appointed, candidates must:

• Be eligible to be appointed as a Director within the requirements of the Constitution, the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and the ACNC Act.
• Be a member of YWCA Australia. Not a member yet? Join here.
• Be an independent candidate, as per the YWCA Board Charter.

When considering your suitability, please reflect on your professional, volunteer and life experience as well as your education, which may be ongoing. If you believe you could bring your passion or experience to this role, you are encouraged to outline this in your cover letter. We consider a broad array of candidates across various experiences, backgrounds and workplaces, both formal and informal. Successfully elected candidates will also be required to have a valid Director Identification Number before appointment. Pre-appointment checks including a National Police Check and confirmation of volunteer-level Working with Children check (or State/Territory equivalent) will also be undertaken prior to appointment

How to Apply

Click 'Apply Now'. Interested candidates are asked to submit a cover letter that outlines their experience and interest in the role, and a resume.

Applications will be reviewed by the YWCA Nominations Committee and shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in September. Successful candidates will be placed on the election ballot, to be voted on by YWCA Members and announced at the YWCA Australia AGM in November.