This position is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants only, under Section 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

- Location: Fully remote, ideally based in Wollongong, Sydney or Newcastle, with other locations in Australia considered for the right candidate
- Employment: Permanent
- FTE: 0.8 - 1.0
- Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
- Lead the work of connecting the social enterprise ecosystem to plan, act and learn together
- Facilitate and strengthen First Nations leadership, authority and self-determination across Australia’s Social Enterprise Strategy
- Work as part of the Executive Team of an ambitious, values-led peak body

Social Enterprise Australia

Social Enterprise Australia is the national peak body for social enterprise. We're for an economy that puts people and the planet first, and for unlocking the power of social enterprise to help get us there. We connect, build and advocate for the sector, and coordinate its national strategy. Our direction is set by the sector, and we provide a way for it to partner with the Australian Government and others to grow impact.

Social Enterprise Australia develops paths and partnerships to:

- Connect the ecosystem to plan, act and learn together
- Build and share sector data, insights and practical supports
- Advocate for the customers, capital, policy and investment the sector needs

We are an impact and values-led national team, working remotely with high autonomy and trust. We are a four-year-old organisation that has grown fast and built solid foundations. The sector has just launched a co-owned national strategy, and Social Enterprise Australia has built relationships and paths to connect, advocate for and build the sector.





We're now taking a conscious step from start-up into more structured ways of working. This is a reimagined Executive role at the heart of that next chapter.

The opportunity

As Head of Collaboration, you will lead our work to connect the social enterprise ecosystem to plan, act and learn together. You'll engage diverse sector actors, hold the tensions of complex, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and find pragmatic paths through challenge to build shared direction and collective action.

At the heart of the role is facilitating First Nations leadership, authority, influence and decision-making within our Connect function and the National Strategy, including its First Nations roadmap and self-determination impact area. First Nations ways of knowing, being, doing and valuing inform how the whole role is practised, from collaboration design and decision-making to relationship development, learning and system stewardship, while recognising the diversity of First Nations communities and adapting to local cultural contexts.

The role’s core focus is on broad sector engagement: convening the sector, holding collaborative practice, and building sector voice and influence across the whole social enterprise ecosystem. First Nations leadership is woven through that work. You'll also contribute to organisational strategy, planning and culture, and evaluation and learning.





This is a hands-on Executive role. The Connect team doesn't have other members yet, so you'll be responsible for driving the work yourself to begin with. You'll work as a member of our Leadership Team, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer.

What you'll lead

Strategy, culture & learning: Help develop our strategy and Connect plan, leveraging the sector's First Nations commitment as a strategic asset and articulating how it can contribute to Indigenous affairs and Closing the Gap. Apply relationality, fostering accountable relationships between people, communities, organisations, Country and systems, and model accountability to community, Country and cultural obligation. Work as a collaborative member of the Executive Team, and participate in learning and reporting in ways appropriate to community and cultural context.

Connect the ecosystem: Lead engagement and participation of diverse actors, including marginalised voices, in the National Strategy. Lead and grow engagement with First Nations peoples and organisations, including convenings that shape the strategy's First Nations roadmap, ensuring the process is driven and owned by them. Head our events, consultations, codesigns and other pathways for people to engage and co-create around sector priorities.

Hold collaborative practice: Hold the tensions of complex, multi-stakeholder collaboration, finding pragmatic paths through challenge and building shared motivation for collective action. Oversee the collaborations we coordinate and our connection with Labs and Networks run by others. Draw on Indigenous governance principles and Indigenous Knowledge Systems as a core evidence base for co

📌 Head of Collaboration (Sydney)
🏢 Social Enterprise Australia
📍 Sydney