OzHarvest is best known for rescuing good food and delivering it to charities across the country. Alongside that work we have also built a small portfolio of community services that are unlike anything else in Australia. At our rescued food markets in Sydney and Adelaide, people shop for groceries free of charge, without a referral and without being asked to prove their need. At Refettorio OzHarvest, guests are served an elevated three-course meal prepared by a chef. In addition to providing food, both services give warmth and dignity, build relationships over time, and connect people with support that helps break the cycle of food insecurity. These services have grown quickly and need strong foundations beneath them. We are seeking a Head of Community Programs to help us build those foundations, and to guide what we design next.

About the role

The Head of Community Programs leads OzHarvest’s community-facing services and will become our internal authority on community practice. This is a new role, and the person appointed will have scope to determine what good practice looks like at OzHarvest and to establish the framework that supports it – spanning trauma-informed practice, de-escalation, debriefing, incident response, referral pathways, and the standards that keep our people safe.

You will lead two experienced managers who lead the services day to day, a team of approximately 20 staff, and the 400 volunteers who make these services possible. You will prepare and own the budget, measure whether our services are achieving outcomes. You will advise on how to care for our people doing demanding frontline work. You will contribute to organisational strategy as a member of our Senior Leadership Team and represent OzHarvest in sector networks and forums. You will also spend regular time in the services themselves, at the OzHarvest Market in Waterloo and at Refettorio OzHarvest in Surry Hills.





About you

We are looking for an experienced practitioner and leader who brings depth in community practice that we do not currently hold in-house. You will know the right questions to ask, and when the answer is not obvious, you will know how to find it.

You will be comfortable examining how things currently work and be willing to change them. Our services are well regarded and well loved, but they have outgrown the systems that support them. We are looking for someone who is energised rather than daunted by that prospect.

Above all, we are looking for someone who believes that services of this kind can be life-changing, and who has the expertise and personal drive to make this happen.

Hours and location

The role is offered at 0.8 FTE (four days a week), supported by two capable managers who lead the services day-to-day. We are open to discuss alternative arrangements with the successful candidate. The position is based in inner Sydney, with regular time at our Waterloo and Surry Hills sites. There may be occasional interstate travel (1-2x/ year).

Why join OzHarvest

- A national organisation that is a household name but small enough for agility and innovation, and not dependent on government contracts.
- A unique opportunity – be our first Head of Community Programs, with a mandate to set and lead recent practice standards.
- A unique program – working at the intersection of food rescue and food relief.
- One-of-a-kind community services, including Refettorio OzHarvest, which is part of Massimo Bottura’s international Food for Soul network.
- We’re serious about flexible work.
- We attract great people – we like each other, back each other and celebrate wins together.
- We REALLY love food.

We are looking to move quickly and will shortlist as applications come in. Applications close on Monday 19 October… unless we find a great candidate before that!

📌 Head of Community Programs (Alexandria)
🏢 Oz Harvest
📍 Alexandria