Help create current beginnings. Build pathways to belonging, stability and opportunity.

Position Snapshot

Salary range - $124,744 to $129,961 Level 7 SCHADS Award 2010 + Superannuation (pay point dependent on qualifications and experience)

Full-time, Ongoing 1.0 FTE,

Position is based in Melbourne CBD, with State-wide travel, with access to a fleet vehicle

Generous not-for-profit salary packaging and above-Award leave arrangements

About Arc

For people leaving prison, coming home is about much more than the day they walk through the gate.

It is about rebuilding relationships, finding a safe place to live, reconnecting with community, developing a sense of purpose and belonging, and creating a future that feels both possible and worth working towards.

Arc is Vacro’s intensive reintegration program for people leaving prison. Over two years, participants receive intensive, individualised case management, with access to housing for up to two years. Arc is designed to support people through the critical transition from prison to community and to create the conditions in which lasting change can take root.

Funded through a Victorian Government-backed social impact bond and underpinned by Vacro’s innovative Reintegration Practice Framework, Arc brings together intensive support, housing, relationships, opportunity and evidence-informed practice to create a new benchmark for reintegration services in Australia.

We are looking for an Arc Program Manager who can lead this work with purpose, curiosity and conviction.

About the role

As Arc Program Manager, you will lead the delivery, development and continuous improvement of a complex, innovative reintegration program.

You will provide strategic and operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team, ensuring participants receive high-quality, consistent and purposeful support. You will help create the conditions for practitioners to do their best work—combining clarity and accountability with reflective practice, trust and empowerment.

You will also play a critical role in ensuring that Arc continues to learn and evolve. You will use participant experience, practice knowledge, data and evaluation findings to understand what is working, identify where change is needed and translate those insights into better practice.

This is a role for someone who can hold both the person and the system in view: someone who understands that successful reintegration is shaped by relationships, housing, identity, health, community, opportunity and the broader systems in which people live.

You will build strong partnerships across justice, housing and community services, represent Arc with government and funding partners, and advocate for the needs and aspirations of people leaving prison.

What you’ll be doing

Lead high-quality reintegration practice

Lead the delivery of Arc in accordance with its program model, contracts and practice frameworks.

Support a team of experienced practitioners to provide strengths-based, trauma-informed and culturally responsive support.

Embed a practice approach that recognises participants as people with strengths, aspirations, relationships and capacity—not simply as people with risks or needs.

Build staff capability in applying reintegration principles to everyday practice.

Foster reflective practice,



learning and continuous improvement across the team.

Ensure participant voice and lived experience inform service delivery and program development.

Lead a program that learns and evolves

Monitor program performance, participant outcomes and service quality.

Use data, evaluation findings, practitioner insights and participant experiences to identify patterns, opportunities and challenges.

Work closely with the Development team to translate evidence into program improvements.

Lead the development and review of program manuals, processes and practice resources.

Support external research and evaluation activity.

Contribute to program design, theory of change, logic models and other strategic initiatives.

Build strong relationships and pathways

Develop and maintain effective relationships with government, funding, housing and community partners.

Work collaboratively across the justice, housing, health and community sectors.

Represent Arc and Vacro in relevant networks, forums and stakeholder meetings.

Advocate for the needs of Arc participants and for approaches that support sustainable reintegration.

Help build shared understanding among partner organisations of what effective reintegration requires.

Lead people with purpose

Lead, support and develop Senior Reintegration Coordinators and the Housing Coordinator.

Provide effective operational supervision, feedback and performance support.

Create a team culture characterised by trust, clarity, accountability, curiosity and psychological safety.

Encourage staff to think critically about practice, learn from experience and remain open to new possibilities.

Lead with self‑awareness and empathy, recognising the influence leaders have on the people and culture around them.

Strengthen accountability and impact

Ensure contractual KPIs, outcome measures and enrolment targets are achieved.

Monitor data quality, timeliness and completeness.

Analyse program performance and identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities.

Prepare high‑quality quarterly and annual reports.

Ensure Arc meets contractual, organisational and quality requirements while maintaining a solid focus on meaningful participant outcomes.

About you

You are an experienced human services leader who understands that reintegration is not a single intervention or an event—it is a process of rebuilding a life in the community.

You bring strong program management capability, alongside a genuine belief in people's capacity to change and grow when they have the relationships, stability, opportunities and support they need.

You will bring:

A tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology, Criminology, Human Services or a related discipline.

Significant experience leading programs and teams supporting people with complex and intersecting needs, particularly people involved with the criminal justice system and/or experiencing homelessness.

Strong knowledge of strengths‑based,



trauma‑informed and culturally responsive practice.

An understanding of housing‑first approaches, homelessness and tenancy sustainment.

Experience leading teams through reflective supervision, professional development and practice improvement.

Demonstrated ability to design and implement new processes and approaches collaboratively.

Strong cross‑sector relationship‑building skills, particularly across justice, housing, health and community services.

Experience using data, evaluation and evidence to understand outcomes and improve practice.

Highly developed written, interpersonal and communication skills.

Strong organisational, planning, documentation and problem‑solving skills.

Confidence working with data, databases, Microsoft Office and virtual collaboration platforms.

Most importantly, you will bring curiosity, humility, empathy and a commitment to meaningful change.

You will be comfortable holding complexity without losing sight of possibility. You will understand that people's pathways are rarely linear, and that sustainable change is strengthened when people have genuine agency in shaping their own futures.

About Vacro

Vacro is an independent non‑profit organisation working with people caught in the criminal justice system and their families. Founded in 1872, we are Victoria’s oldest and only specialised criminal justice reintegration service. We provide reintegration, family, and employment support that enables people to create new beginnings for themselves and their families.

We value the expertise of people from a wide range of backgrounds. Because of the work we do, we especially value the expertise of First Nations people, people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, and people of diverse cultural backgrounds and identities. We also welcome applications from people with a criminal record. (We do not discriminate based on a person’s criminal record, however in some circumstances, contractual or legislative obligations may limit a person’s eligibility for certain roles. We are happy to have a confidential discussion about how these requirements may affect a candidate).

Many members of our workforce bring invaluable lived experience that enriches our teams with authenticity and diverse insights. These individuals not only possess professional skills, but also a profound understanding of the challenges and complexities that arise from their personal journeys. Their unique perspectives cultivate empathy and spark innovation, enabling us to develop solutions that are not only practical but also meaningful. At Vacro, you’ll be part of a culture that champions inclusivity and values every voice, empowering you to make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

What we offer

Vacro is dedicated to staff wellbeing. We provide extensive on‑boarding training and ongoing professional development for staff, amongst other benefits.

Vacro is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We celebrate and welcome all people regardless of ethnicity, cultural background, age, gender, sexuality, disability or religious affiliation.

Some roles at Vacro require applicants to undergo an extensive screening process prior to appointment.

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📌 Program Manager - Arc program (Melbourne)
🏢 VACRO
📍 Melbourne