Director of Operations – Sisters of the Good Samaritan, Glebe, Sydney

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of Saint Benedict is the first Australian ‘home grown’ congregation of Catholic religious women. Archbishop John Bede Polding, an English Benedictine monk and Australia’s first bishop, founded the congregation in Sydney in 1857.

For over 160 years the Sisters of the Good Samaritan have been inspired by a simple yet powerful story, the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37.) They take as a living instruction Jesus’ command to go and show compassion, go and ‘be neighbour’ to those most in need.

Our neighbour might be an impoverished child from a squatter village in the Philippines, a prisoner in Melbourne, a child at school, a refugee family, a single mum at risk of homelessness or a woman escaping a home afflicted by family violence.  The sisters reach out to help wherever they can.

Known affectionately as the Good Sams, the congregation and the wider Good Samaritan family continue to draw inspiration from two key sources:

• the rich wisdom of Benedictine spirituality
• the much-loved parable of the Good Samaritan.

With these deep underpinnings, the spirituality of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan is one that is Gospel-based, offers practical compassion for those in need, and is imbued with a wisdom for the real and complex issues of today.

Further Information

Additional information can be viewed on the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict website located at http://www.goodsams.org.au/

Position Overview

Position Title: Director of Operations

Reports to:       Congregational Leader

Introduction

The Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict (the Congregation) is a group of Catholic Religious women. There are 207 members and, with associated entities, about 90 employees.

The work of the Sisters includes education, parish pastoral work and support for women and children escaping domestic violence. The Congregation has sisters and commitments in Australia, Japan, The Philippines and Kiribati.  However, the membership now in Australia and Japan is ageing and more than half the Sisters are retired or semi-retired from full-time work.

In this context and as a result of a recent strategic review, the Congregation has created this new position.

Role Purpose

The Good Samaritan Director of Operations (GSDO) is a newly created role. It is a mission-focused position which has been established to assist Congregational leadership in stewarding the Congregation’s life and mission.

The aims of the role are to:

• Work collaboratively with Congregational Leadership in enhancing the mission of the Congregation.
• Assist and strategically advise the Congregational Leadership in the oversight of all the operations of the Congregation.
• Integrate and co-ordinate the Congregation’s operations and administration in alignment with the Statement of Directions, Strategic Plan and recently conducted Organisational Review.
• Lead an efficient and effective administration which is able to adapt to changing times and the changing needs of the Congregation. This will involve structural integration and performance, policy and process improvement.

Key Accountabilities

• Mission – the Congregational Leadership will be supported by the GSDO and Congregation administration in establishing, implementing and monitoring mission related activities.
• Leadership and management of the Congregational administration – oversight the Congregational administration so that it is an efficient and effective organisation able to adapt to the changing needs of the Congregation.
• Strategic advice and strategic projects – with an understanding of Congregational issues, priorities and directions, provide high level advice, with agility and creativity, to ensure the effective implementation of strategic or complex projects.
• Quality and risk management – the Congregational Leadership will be supported by the GSDO and Congregation’s administration in ensuring good practice, and that quality and risk management processes are established, operating and comply with all relevant regulations.
• Finance, IT and Business Administration – The GSDO, in collaboration with the Finance and Business Manager, will efficiently and effectively manage Congregational finance, business and ICT operations
• Office co-ordination – the day to day operations of St Scholastica’s Congregational Offices will run smoothly and will utilise staff and resources in an efficient, coordinated, cost-effective way.

A full position description will be provided at a later stage in this process.

Future Role Development

• The GSDO is an evolving role and, as such, will be regularly reviewed and revised. Reasonable changes may be made by the Congregation Leader in consultation with the GSDO.
• Likely changes in the future include expanding the GSDO responsibility to review and assess the Victoria and Queensland Congregational offices as well as the Health and Wellbeing functions as the future needs of the Congregation changes.

Key Challenges

• Achieving a balance between a positive Congregational commitment to its life and mission, including new and developing initiatives, while attending to an aging and diminishing membership.
• With creativity and agility, maintaining operations and administration to assist and support the life and mission of the Congregation while adhering to the constraints of human resources and finances.

Key Relationships

• Congregational Leadership – work collaboratively to ensure that the Congregation wisely administers all its operations and resources in the best interest of Good Samaritan life and mission.
• Finance & Business Manager – work collaboratively to provide strategic advice on the financial and resource management of the Congregation.
• Congregational Staff – work collaboratively to ensure a harmonious and effective team to support the life and mission of the Congregation.
• The Good Samaritan GSDO reports directly to the Congregational Leader.
• The Good Samaritan Finance and Business Manager, St Scholastica’s Congregational Centre Co-ordinator and the Congregational Archivist report directly to the GSDO.

Location and Travel

The GSDO will work from the Congregational Offices located at 2 Avenue Road, Glebe, NSW.

While regular travel is not required, given the geographic spread of the Sisters’ work, some interstate and overseas travel should be anticipated.

Conditions of Employment

• The salary will be negotiated with the successful person
• Superannuation is 9 ½%
• Salary packaging is available
• Some flexibility of working arrangements can be negotiated
• Appraisals occur annually
• The initial contract term is 4 years and renewable subject to the outcome of a major performance appraisal prior in the 4^th year
• The usual 6-month probationary period applies
• Portability of LSL could exist for people currently working with a Catholic employer
• As the Sisters of the Good Samaritan create safe environments for the care and protection of children and vulnerable adults, all people who reach the interview stage must demonstrate that they hold a current working with children screening check for the state in which they reside.
• The successful applicant will need to undertake a police check before being accepted for the position.

Selection Criteria

We anticipate that people interested in this role will be able to demonstrate:

• The capacity to fit in a Catholic employer setting and the desire to develop an appreciation for the mission, spirituality and ethos of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
• Senior leadership experience in a mission-based organisation, with a proven track record of leading organisational change.
• The flexibility and agility to evolve in an ever-changing environment; combined with creativity to find ways of adapting the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition for changing times.
• Capable of balancing commercial decision-making with the mission of the organisation.
• High level communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Relevant degree qualifications and a record of continuing professional development.

 Are You Interested in this Opportunity?

If you are interested in this role, then simply complete the ‘Express Your Interest’ panel on this page; or email us at jobs@traksearch.com stating your interest and nominating ref number TS1391. Whichever you choose, please provide a brief resume and contact telephone number.

At this stage we do NOT ask you to address the selection criteria or provide an application document – just complete the panel on this page or send a brief email to Trak Search to indicate your interest in ‘Director of Operations, TS1391’; and providing your brief resume and contact telephone number.

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Any questions can be directed to either (a) our Director John Chesher by telephone (0417 068 220) or (b) email our office via jobs@traksearch.com. The timeline and details for this project are outlined below. All emails and applications are acknowledged within 48 hours.

The Selection Process

Key dates are as follows:

Trak Search has been instructed to provide a process that is welcoming for people interested in this role. Significant aspects include:

• Throughout the process, Trak Search is available for confidential discussions and to provide information to allow you to explore this opportunity and determine your interest in the role.
• A range of additional information will be provided to you as we progress through this process.
• At the outset you will not be required to: complete an application form; provide a lengthy document to address the selection criteria; or supply referee details. However, you will be invited to supply us with additional information (verbally and in writing) as you progress through the process.
• A late application could be accepted, providing it does not adversely impact other applications or the schedule. Please be aware however that any application received after close of business on the date noted above is more likely to be returned to you.
• At the appropriate time we will seek written consent to speak with referees – listing referees on your resume does not signify consent to do so.
• We expect to contact one work-related referee prior to shortlisting, with additional references completed later in the process.  You should always expect that before reaching the final stage of the project, we will ask to speak with at least one person who has: directly managed you; recently; and for a significant period of time.
• All information provided to Trak Search will be made available prior to shortlisting, in confidence, to the Congregational Leader or nominee unless you instruct Trak Search otherwise.

You are also encouraged to view our Collection Statement which provides details on the manner in which we collect and use information obtained from you during your engagement with Trak Search.