- Employer: House of Welcome/House of Welcome Catering
- Responsible to: CEO, St Francis Social Services
- Responsible for: Operations
- Location: South Granville, NSW
- Conditions: 1 year contract in the first instance (likely to be renewed)
- 4 days per week
THE HOUSE OF WELCOME/ HOUSE OF WELCOME CATERING
The House of Welcome (HoW) supports people seeking asylum and refugees in Australia, providing shelter and empowerment regardless of age, gender, sexuality, nationality, or religion. We offer holistic, client-centered services that nurture hope, advocate for justice, and promote self-reliance while respecting each individual's dignity and rights.As a service of St Francis Social Services (SFSS), HoW envisions a society that recognizes the human rights and dignity of all. We understand the unique challenges faced by people seeking asylum, often displaced by conflict and persecution, and we aim to assist them in their transition to Australian life.
HoW currently provides short to medium-term accommodation for around 95 individuals across 18 properties. Our services include casework, financial aid, foodbank access, referrals, advocacy, and employment programs. House of Welcome Catering (HW Catering) offers traineeships to reduce employment barriers for refugees and people seeking asylum, combining impactful support with culinary training.HoW's goals are to:
- Provide a welcoming and empowering environment for people seeking asylum.
- Assist in their transition and capacity-building in Australian society.
- Advocate for their rights and support their recognition status.
- Enable them to become independent members of the community.
Operations Manager
An opportunity exists for an experienced, dynamic, and creative leader to join a diverse and dedicated team. The Operations Manager is a new key leadership role that oversees the strategic, innovative, and operational day-to-day aspects of ensuring the smooth functioning of House of Welcome (HoW) and House of Welcome Catering (HWCatering).
Your Role
The Operations Manager is responsible for coordinating and streamlining processes, optimising resources to maximise the team’s potential to deliver on outcomes for clients and communicate and grow our impact. The Operations Manager plays a crucial role in budgeting and resource allocation to support the organisation’s mission, values, and goals. They will work closely with the CEO and St Francis Social Services Leadership Team to develop strategies and make data-driven decisions to improve operational efficiency and support continuous learning and quality improvement. The Operations Manager will be dynamic, creative, curious, and driven and will play a key role in supporting team wellbeing.
In this exciting role you will have the opportunity to:
Lead:
- Lead, empower, motivate, support and nurture high-functioning, effective and empowered clinical and social enterprise teams, supporting team wellbeing
- Lead budgeting, financial management and grow sustainability, robustness, and scale for HoW and HW Catering, supported by SFSS Leadership Team
- Analyse costs and expenditure for each program, coordinate budget allocation to programs and support planning and forecasting
- Grow and nurture relationships and partnerships, promoting understanding, respect, and trust within the organisation and with partners and stakeholders
- Develop a clear understanding of SFSS values, purpose, and our point of difference, and convey a professional image and communicate a compelling case to fund HoW and HW Catering
- Work closely with the CEO and Leadership Team to implement operational strategies, goals, and objectives aligned with the overall strategy
- Lead evaluation, learning, outcome and impact metrics and reporting for House of Welcome and House of Welcome Catering
- Contribute to growing a culture of passion for impact
- Support governance, compliance, risk mitigation and risk management
- Perform other duties as directed by the CEO
Plan and support SFSS strategy:
- Lead organisational change management
- Work closely with and support the Client Services Manager to grow internal capabilities to deliver efficient and effective solutions that meet the changing needs of clients
- Work closely with and support the Head Chef and Business Development Officer at House of Welcome Catering to support, grow and scale a thriving social enterprise
- Coordinate team members to provide outcomes data for grants, contribute to project reporting and grants acquittal to meet donor and funding body requirements
- Be responsible for setting and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and making data-driven decisions to drive continuous improvement and quality assurance
- Contribute to generating outcomes data for sharing and informing the team, newsletters, Annual Reports, and external comms
- Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures
- Manage and improve operational processes to ensure smooth and efficient workflows
- Implement quality control measures
- Provide practical day-to-day support to the Client Services Manager and HW Catering team as required.
Manage resources:
- Allocate resources, including equipment and materials to support operational needs
- Support tech integration and systems changes
- Maintain a commitment to best practice and continuous quality improvement in accordance with SFSS Code of Conduct, policies and procedures, aligning team culture with SFSS values and vision
- Comply with legal obligations and mitigate risk. Maintain appropriate professional and ethical standards, operational transparency, and communication pathways to enhance service delivery and empower clients
- Protect the confidentiality and privacy of clients, clients’ records, and all records
- Inform the CEO of any concerns, issues, or difficulties as they arise
- Take care of self and others in the team, prioritising team wellbeing and psychosocial safety.
Key knowledge, experience, and style
- Leadership style that fosters a positive solution-focused and empowered ‘can do’ culture
- Strong financial budgeting, planning and program management skills
- Creative, innovative, and curious thinking- ability to design and deliver novel solutions
- Best practice evaluation and social impact reporting skills (underpinned by excellent analytical, research and evaluation knowledge)
- Highly collaborative in a team-based environment
- A passion for social justice and social impact
- Self-awareness and the ability to role model the values and behaviours that fit with SFSS values
Selection Criteria
Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience related to operations management, program management, community development, social impact measurement, systems and organisational change, and/or financial control and planning.
- Demonstrated success in a team leadership role and strong interpersonal skills, including a proven ability to lead a cohesive, positive, and collaborative team
- Strong financial/budgeting/program management skills and strong attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the capacity to represent HoW and HW Catering and advocate compellingly for both services both on the page and in person
- Highly developed governance capabilities, and capacity for robust oversight of risk management
- Values-driven approach to life and work, a commitment to social justice, a willingness to support the values and purpose of SFSS and a genuine desire to work in the not-for-profit sector.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience working within the not-for-profit sector as an employee or volunteer, and/or experience working in support of people seeking asylum or refugees
- A demonstrated ability to work sensitively in a culturally and linguistically diverse environment with a strong commitment to strengths-based and trauma-informed practices
- Demonstrated high ethical standards, integrity, and professionalism in managing interactions with funders and supporters
- Experience with using and managing donor databases/CRM systems and grant management software and relevant technology to streamline grant processes and reporting
- Business development/sales experience- proven track record in developing and implementing sales strategy and maintaining/scaling operations. This includes end-to-end processes
- Attention to detail, ability to ensure compliance with grant guidelines, tracking expenditures and providing accurate and timely reporting
- Capacity to analyse data and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and make data-driven decisions for future initiatives
- Prior contacts/existing relationships with corporate partners, governments, trusts and foundations
- Driver’s licence.
- Occasional out of hours work will be required, with time in lieu arrangements in place
- Working with Children Check and other security checks will be required.
- You must be residing in Australia to apply.
Why Work With Us?
- Work within a passionate, dynamic, and engaged team in an organisation that has enabled clients to reach their goals and potential for forty-six years
- Extend your capacity to contribute to growing social justice and a more compassionate, welcoming, respectful, and empowering community
- Enjoy flexible working arrangements
- Benefit from generous salary packaging options
- $500 professional development allowance and 1 week of professional development leave each year (part time pro rata)
- Additional wellbeing day
- Access to the Employee Assistance Program.
- SCHADS level 6 $106,400 to $111, 000 per annum (pro rata), plus super.
SFSS respects, values, and encourages diversity. We believe that diversity in our people enriches our organisation and the impact that we generate. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please apply now, we will begin interviews and may choose to appoint the successful candidate before the closing date.
For additional information, please contact Dr Angela Argent, CEO St Francis Social Services
Email a.argent@stfrancis.org.au using the subject line: Operations Manager enquiry via LinkedIn or call 0403 981 144.
