Country Education Foundation of Australia – Orange NSW

Are you passionate about community engagement, volunteer support and creating opportunities for regional Australians?

The Community Development Specialist role is responsible for nurturing and providing ongoing support to the volunteers of our nearly 50 CEF local foundations. It also involves supporting our students and alumni, including communications and delivery of programs, and CEF Extra Scholarships.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in community development, engagement, marketing or communications. They will confidently nurture cooperative relationships, and work cross-functionally to identify opportunities for improvement. They will be passionate about delivering meaningful programs that uplift regional communities and enhance CEF’s reputation nationally.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Development & Communities, you will play a key role in strengthening and growing CEF's volunteer network, supporting student and alumni engagement initiatives, and coordinating programs that enhance educational access and outcomes for regional Australians.

You will be a natural relationship builder who enjoys working collaboratively, managing multiple projects, and delivering meaningful outcomes for communities.

Key Responsibilities

Committees

- Supporting, nurturing and sustainably growing the CEF network of volunteers and their committees (CEF local foundations) including some interstate travel.

- Devising and implementing a committee/volunteer engagement and communication strategy, online tools and resources for the mutual benefit of CEF and our local foundations.

- Supporting and liaising with volunteers by managing the delivery of resources assisting with operations, marketing and fundraising, facilitating collaboration within the volunteer network and developing best practice processes and procedures.





- Overseeing the annual granting cycle including liaising with local foundations and various CEF stakeholders.

- Interpreting grant reporting information for annual reports and marketing collateral.

- Contributing to the preparation of committee-specific documents – grant reports, application forms, checklists, policies and procedures, media releases, for reference by our volunteer committees.

- Coordinating and attending events and meetings involving committees including CEF state and/or national conferences.

- Advising and supporting the Head of Development & Communities in establishing new committees and assisting with their onboarding.

Students and Alumni

- Developing CEF Connect, our student/alumni support and development program including mentoring, peer-to-peer connection and networking opportunities.

- Contributing to communication plans in conjunction with other team members, with insight about grant recipients, particularly when in relation to impact communication.

- Managing assessment and calculations of additional student support and funding.

- Managing CEF Extra Scholarship program assessment and recipient reporting in line with specific agreements.

- Liaising with other team members to generate and distribute CEF student stories for the promotion of the CEF purpose and brand.

General

- Evaluating effectiveness through gathering, recording and maintaining quantitative and qualitative data to improve our programs and platforms.

- Preparing copy and design briefs for the production of engaging and persuasive marketing collateral including e-newsletters, leaflets, brochures and information packs for alumni.

- Representing CEF’s position to stakeholders and broader community in issues of education and rural and regional development where appropriate.

- Preparing reports for executive committee and board meetings.

- Assisting with events, campaigns and projects as required.

Applications close 4th August 2026.

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📌 Community Development Specialist (Orange)
🏢 Country Education Foundation of Australia
📍 Orange