The organisation

Family Spirit is a specialist foster care, guardianship and adoption agency supporting children, young people and families across greater Sydney and regional New South Wales. Formed through a partnership between CatholicCare Sydney and Marist180, Family Spirit brings together a strong history of delivering community services with a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and young people.

Family Spirit provides a range of services spanning family support, foster and kinship care, guardianship, adoption and leaving and after care support for young people aged 15 to 25. Its approach is trauma informed, child led and family focused, with the voice of children and young people central to decisions about their care.

Based in Bankstown, Family Spirit has circa 50 FTE employees and receives approximately $11 million annually through the Out of Home Care Permanency Support Program.

The opportunity

Family Spirit is seeking an experienced Interim Chief Executive Officer to provide leadership, stability and direction through its next period. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Interim CEO will oversee the organisation’s operations and ensure continued delivery against its mission, vision and strategic objectives.

Leading eight direct reports across program and corporate functions, the Interim CEO will provide leadership across service delivery, people, finance, operations and governance, while working closely with the Executive Leadership Team to develop strategic priorities for Board approval.

A key focus will be ensuring the Board has clear visibility of Family Spirit’s strategic progress, financial position, service delivery outcomes,



performance and key organisational risks. The Interim CEO will oversee risk identification, mitigation and reporting across operational, financial, clinical and reputational domains, while maintaining effective organisational policies, systems and controls.

The role will also ensure Family Spirit continues to meet its regulatory, accreditation, funding and service obligations, including requirements of the Office of the Children’s Guardian. Alongside this, the Interim CEO will maintain strong relationships across government, carers, clients, service providers and sector stakeholders, representing and advocating for Family Spirit externally as required.

Importantly, the Interim CEO will provide visible and values-led leadership to Family Spirit’s people, supporting a positive and collaborative culture and ensuring the organisation’s values are reflected in leadership, culture and decision-making.

About you

You will be an experienced senior executive with strong knowledge of the social services sector and the leadership maturity to step into an organisation during a period of change and quickly establish trust, stability and direction. You will bring relevant experience within out-of-home care, adoption, child protection or a closely related environment,



alongside a strong understanding of the governance and regulatory requirements associated with supporting vulnerable children and young people.

Importantly, you will be comfortable operating across both strategic and operational priorities. You will have experience partnering effectively with Boards, leading senior teams, overseeing organisational risk and managing financial and operational performance, while remaining connected to the quality and safety of frontline services.

You will be a values-driven and culturally sensitive leader with a deep commitment to the safety, wellbeing and dignity of children and young people. Your leadership style will be team-oriented, pragmatic and considered, with the ability to build trusted relationships across employees, carers, government and sector stakeholders.

Relevant tertiary qualifications and demonstrated senior leadership experience within a related field are required. Candidates will also require a current Working with Children Check and willingness to undertake a National Police Check.

How to Apply For a confidential discussion or role related questions, please contact Lily Moger of The Orchard Talent Group on [email protected]. To apply please submit your current CV and a brief cover letter via the link. Please note applicants must have a legal right to work in Australia.

Applications close 30th October 2026

The Orchard Talent Group acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

📌 Interim CEO (Sydney)
🏢 Orchard Talent Group
📍 Sydney