Melbourne CBD | Full-time | 6-month contract

High outbound activity. Plenty of rejection. No big sales floor buzzing around you. Still interested? Keep reading…

Tradewind Australia is looking for an experienced Appointment Setter / Business Development professional to join our Social Services division on an initial six-month contract.

Your job is simple to explain, but not always easy to do:

Create conversations. Find opportunities. Book quality client meetings.

You’ll spend a significant part of your day on the phone speaking with prospective and existing clients, navigating gatekeepers, finding decision-makers, handling objections and creating enough interest for someone to agree to a meeting with one of our Recruitment Consultants.

- Some people will say no.
- Some won’t answer.
- Some will tell you they’re happy with their current agencies.
- And you’ll still need to make the next call with the same confidence and energy as the first.

Let’s start with what this role isn’t

This isn’t a role where you’ll spend weeks learning how to pick up the phone.

It isn’t a job where success comes from sending a few emails, updating the CRM and waiting for someone to respond.

And it isn’t a traditional sales floor with 20 other appointment setters around you creating the momentum to make the next call.

This is a role for someone who already understands outbound sales and can create their own momentum.

You’ll have support from the wider Tradewind team, but you won’t have someone constantly telling you who to call, what to say or what to do next.

We need someone who can understand the objective, get moving quickly and take ownership of their results.

What you’ll actually be doing

Your core focus is generating qualified client meetings and opportunities for our Social Services recruitment team.

You’ll be responsible for:

- Making high-volume outbound calls to prospective and existing clients
- Re-engaging inactive Tradewind clients and uncovering new opportunities
- Identifying and reaching the right decision-makers
- Introducing Tradewind and creating a genuine reason for clients to meet with us
- Asking the right questions to understand recruitment needs
- Handling objections confidently rather than automatically accepting the first “no”




- Booking qualified meetings directly into Recruitment Consultants’ calendars
- Following up prospects consistently across phone and email
- Working through targeted prospect lists while identifying opportunities yourself
- Building enough knowledge of the Social Services recruitment market to have credible client conversations
- Keeping prospect information, activity, follow-ups and outcomes accurate in our CRM
- Working closely with Recruitment Consultants to turn meetings into genuine opportunities
- Taking ownership of your activity and results

There may also be opportunities to support candidate sourcing and recruitment activity when required, giving you broader exposure to the recruitment industry.

The challenging bit

Tradewind operates in a hybrid setting and this is currently a standalone appointment-setting role:

- That matters.
- You won’t necessarily have another appointment setter sitting beside you making calls all day.
- There won’t always be the noise and momentum of a traditional outbound sales floor.
- You’ll need to generate that energy yourself.
- We’re looking for someone who can work independently without becoming isolated, stay productive without being micromanaged and recognise when an approach isn’t working and change it.
- There will be support.
- There will be collaboration.
- But there won’t be someone standing over your shoulder reminding you to make the next call.

You’ll enjoy this role if…

You’ve previously worked in appointment setting, telesales, outbound sales, lead generation, business development or another high-volume phone environment.

You’re comfortable being measured on both activity and outcomes.

You have an excellent phone manner — confident, engaging and commercially curious without sounding scripted or pushy.

And when someone tells you:

“We’re not recruiting.”

“We already use other agencies.”

“Just send me an email.”

“We’re on a panel.”





“I’m too busy.”

…you know the conversation doesn’t necessarily have to end there.

You’ll also bring:

- Proven experience with cold outbound business development
- Confidence speaking with senior stakeholders and decision-makers
- Strong objection-handling skills
- Resilience when conversations don’t go your way
- Excellent follow-up and organisation
- Strong written communication
- Initiative and the ability to think on your feet
- Confidence working independently
- Comfort working towards KPIs, call activity and appointment targets
- Good CRM discipline and attention to detail

Most importantly, you’re self-motivated.

You don’t need a manager sitting beside you to make the next call.

This probably isn’t the role for you if…

We’d rather be upfront now than waste your time.

If you need a highly structured onboarding program before you’re comfortable making outbound calls, this probably isn’t the right role.

If high outbound numbers make you uncomfortable, it won’t be the right fit.

If you rely heavily on the energy of a traditional sales floor to remain productive, this environment may frustrate you.

And if hearing “no” repeatedly ruins your afternoon, appointment setting probably isn’t going to be much fun.

Why Tradewind?

Tradewind Australia is a specialist recruitment agency working across Social Services, Education and Healthcare.

Our Social Services team partners with organisations doing important work across Australian communities, and your conversations will help us develop the relationships that allow those organisations to access great people.

We’re clear about expectations, but we’re also a relaxed and supportive workplace when people take ownership of what they do.

You’ll join an established recruitment business with experienced consultants around you, regular learning and development and the opportunity to develop your knowledge of recruitment and business development.

Think you can do it?

We’re not looking for someone who simply likes the idea of business development.

We’re looking for someone who has made the calls, heard the objections, dealt with the rejection and kept going.

If that’s you, we’d like to hear from you.

Apply now.

📌 Appointment Setter (CBD)
🏢 Tradewind Australia Pty
📍 CBD