Senior Social Innovator

We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, mature-age people and people with disability, regardless of sex, sexuality or gender identity.

Who we are

The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) is a future-forward-thinking, not-for-profit organisation helping to navigate big social challenges in Australia.

For over a decade, our multidisciplinary team has partnered with organisations, government and communities navigating Australia’s biggest social challenges. We work together to co-design policy, services, capabilities, initiatives and strategies that make a real difference and help to shift the needle in a measurable way.

Our work traverses the systems and policies that all Australians encounter in their lifetime. We believe that the people at the heart of these systems have unique perspectives and answers, and that by harnessing the skills, tools and mindsets of social innovation, we can design better responses to our biggest challenges – together.

About the role

Based within the Consulting Team, in this role, you will participate in and lead the design, management and delivery of social innovation projects and initiatives (including research, strategy, organisational change, services, policy and programs) that create positive outcomes for citizens, families, communities and partners.

You will contribute to the development of new relationships, networks, ideas and business that enable us to realise our purpose and strategy.

TACSI is a fast-paced environment and you’ll come together with diverse disciplines, ages and experiences to tackle complex social issues and build the conditions for social innovation – all whilst helping each other learn and grow. The role requires working on multiple projects and task switching between deep relational work and practical tasks.

Your key responsibilities

Design and deliver projects and initiatives:

• Design high impact projects that focus on creating better outcomes for people in Australia.
• Support and contribute to shaping large and high impact proposal responses and funding applications that align with TACSI’s mission.
• Manage and deliver projects to time and budget, including a strong focus on client/partner relationships and experience.
• Ensure our approach to monitoring and evaluation is incorporated in all projects where possible.
• Monitor and maintain your workload to deliver 70% billed work.

Model social innovation excellence:

• Design, lead, and deliver work across the different stages of the innovation journey.
• Write compelling proposals and funding applications that align with our mission and strategy.
• Proactively seek to grow your knowledge in trauma informed practice and other core content areas aligned with TACSI’s strategy.
• Initiate and maintain working knowledge of emerging trends in social innovation and social impact nationally and internationally.
• Communicate the outcomes of our work in a purposeful and compelling way
• Maintain working knowledge of emerging trends in social innovation and social impact.
• Grow and maintain awareness of State and National policy agendas.

Grow and maintain customers:

• Build and nurture relationships with potential clients and partners ensuring alignment with TACSI’s purpose and strategy.
• Engage in customer growth and retention activities.
• Secure further investment/buy-in to move solutions from idea to implementation.
• Be a strong ambassador for TACSI’s brand, purpose, work and learning.
• Maintain formal and informal networks that support learning, sector connections and offer business development potential to the business.

Lead self and others:

• Be a role model from business and cultural perspectives and champion TACSI’s ‘Words to Live By’.
• Engage in core TACSI routines and learning experiences.
• Deepen your cultural competency through working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and leaders, ensuring that our practices are inclusive, respectful, and aligned with cultural protocols.
• Invest in your self-awareness and personal development, including understanding leadership from diverse perspectives.
• Ensure the promotion and implementation of a safe, productive and healthy work environment.

What you’ll bring to the role and TACSI

You have a genuine energy, passion and commitment to working in the social sector and on society’s most important challenges. You demonstrate empathy to both those you serve and also your colleagues and peers. You have excellent interpersonal skills, high levels of emotional intelligence, and an ability to create a positive experience for clients and partners.

You have a practical and outcomes-oriented approach and you can put ideas into practice. You set challenging and realistic goals with clear measures of success.

You are a reflective and active learner, deepening your own and others’ knowledge in creating better social outcomes by participating in our unique learning program as part of what you do day-to-day.

You can handle uncertainty and change and can lead others through it, getting your head around complex and uncertain situations, seeing associations and explaining them to others. All of this, you do with humility and an ability to inspire and influence.

Your capabilities

• Strong innovation practice skills.
• Ability to lead and deliver projects and initiatives focussed on outcomes for people and delivered on time and on budget.
• Ability to proactively assess and minimise multiple forms of risk across a diversity of working contexts
• Strong written and interpersonal skills across diverse groups.
• Group facilitation.
• Adaptable style and approach based on context.
• Customer service and account management.
• Systemic and strategic thinking.
• Qualitative and desktop research.
• Self-care and self-management.
• Experience of generating and applying quantitative data is desirable

Your experience

• At least 5 years’ relevant experience of working in at least one of the following: the public-sector, third-sector, social innovation and/ or design.
• Working in or with multidisciplinary teams.
• Working with multiple and diverse stakeholders.
• Project design and management including budgeting and financial management.
• Writing proposal responses and funding applications.
• Experience of working in a consulting environment is highly desirable, especially with a design for social outcomes focus.

Your knowledge

• Social innovation practices.
• Understanding of influencing change across organisations and communities..
• Methods to create compelling and publishable project outputs.
• Passion and knowledge in working in the social sector and on society’s most important challenges.
• Broad understanding of social policy and Australian politics.

Your education

• Degree level qualifications in relevant field(s) of social sciences or design or equivalent experience.

Shaping your role at TACSI

We’re proud to have staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences working together at TACSI. While role narratives provide a structure for work expectations, we also encourage you to bring your own unique experience and work style to our team. We believe this helps TACSI strengthen our approach to innovation and problem solving, because true innovation comes from many sources, not just one.

Your relationships at TACSI

TACSI is a “networked” organisation, with a non-traditional structure that aims to enable transparency, adaptivity, creativity, connectivity and leadership across the entire organisation. This role will have no direct reports, instead you will leverage the strengths and knowledge of the entire ‘network’. You will be a part of project teams that form and dissolve around the work, some for a number of weeks, others extending to years.

To ensure you are adequately supported and growing your capability, you will be matched with some peers as part of TACSI’s Circle of Support Program. In addition, you will receive direct support and coaching from Principals and Directors as requested. Other key relationships include the Chief Innovation Officer and Platform Operations team.

Working with The Australian Centre for Social Innovation

Working with TACSI offers a unique opportunity to deepen and broaden your skills, create a positive impact in people’s lives, and learn from the rich knowledge and experience of our network.

We also offer:

• Salary packaging benefits (up to $15,899 tax-free benefit per FBT year)
• Extra meal and entertainment benefits (up to $2,650 tax-free per FBT year)
• Flexible work practices including ability to work from home.
• Dedicated time and allowance for professional development and learning.
• A bright and spacious workplace in the centre of Adelaide with free parking.
• Recognition program for positive feedback.
• A welcoming team with a sense of fun!

You can apply via the “Apply Now” button by either:

• Answering the questions in the Google Application Form and uploading your CV
• Uploading a video response to the questions (max 5 minutes) via the Google Application Form (max file size 100MB) with a copy of your CV

If you identify as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, part of the the LGBTIQA+ community or live with a disability and would like a confidential conversation about these roles, please email [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Social Innovator enquiry via EthicalJobs.