▷ [Only 24h Left] Director: Thriving Families in the Thriving Families SA Initiative

Director: Thriving Families in the Thriving Families SA Initiative

Job no: 517373
Work type: Fixed term - Full-time
Campus: Adelaide
Categories: Management

We are seeking a Director to provide strategic leadership and operational oversight, with a competitive and commensurate package to match the experience brought plus an employer contribution of 17% superannuation.

3 Years Fixed Term - Full-Time opportunity with a possible extension.

The BetterStart Group at Adelaide University’s School of Public Health is seeking a dynamic Director to lead the Thriving Families SA Initiative. A leader passionate about collaboration, innovation, and social justice—someone who can guide multi-sector partnerships and champion a culture of learning and adaptation. If you are ready to make a meaningful impact by supporting system reform to enable families and communities to thrive, join us in driving lasting change for South Australia’s future.

Overview of Thriving Families SA Initiative

Thriving Families brings together nearly 60 non-government organisations committed to transforming how South Australia supports the wellbeing of children, young people, families, and communities. The Director will provide strategic leadership to support system change focused on prevention and early support. You will work closely with the Thriving Families Director of Aboriginal Leadership to embed Aboriginal leadership and shared decision making, affirming the cultural authority of Aboriginal communities in shaping solutions for their children and families.

The BetterStart team is an interdisciplinary group based in the School of Public Health at Adelaide University, with expertise spanning epidemiology, psychology, social work, and public health. Our focus is on improving wellbeing across the first 1000 days of life, early childhood education, child protection, mental health, and social equity, generating evidence to inform policy and practice that benefits children, young people, families, and communities.

To be successful you will need

To be a bold, strategic leader with the vision, courage, and credibility to drive long-term change in the systems that support children, young people, families and communities. You will bring:

- Proven ability to steward and lead system change – designing, planning, and delivering cross-sector reforms that shift the system toward prevention and early support. You will champion cultural safety, trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches, and establish robust governance and accountability to support adaptive delivery.

- Strong collaboration and partnership skills – able to build trust and work authentically across government, NGOs, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, philanthropy, academia, and with people with lived experience. You know how to navigate complexity, balance diverse perspectives, and guide co-design and place-based innovation.

- A track record of driving innovation – fostering a culture of experimentation, learning, and adaptation across programs, policy, and practice. You can draw on evidence and practice wisdom to test and refine new approaches that improve outcomes for children, young people, families, and communities.

- The ability to influence and advocate – representing Thriving Families at the highest levels, aligning policy, funding, service delivery, and community activation to achieve systemic change at scale.

- Experience in securing and growing resources – with the skills to identify and pursue funding opportunities, develop compelling proposals, and build sustainable partnerships to strengthen Thriving Families’ impact.

The path to Adelaide University

We are on an exciting path to Adelaide University as we prepare to open our doors in January 2026. Adelaide University will combine the strengths of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, and we are dedicated to creating an accessible and future-focused educational powerhouse that fosters economic and social wellbeing through ground-breaking research and innovative teaching.

Enjoy an outstanding career environment

We offer a uniquely rewarding workplace with extensive collaborations across industry, government and community. Our culture emphasises diversity and inclusive staff values. We support flexible work arrangements and provide a comprehensive range of staff benefits including salary packaging, professional development programs, on-campus health facilities, and fitness amenities.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds. If you have support or access requirements, please advise us at time of application.

Application and closing details

Advertised: 17 Sep 2025 12:00 AM
Applications close: 07 Oct 2025 11:55 PM

The University reserves the right to close this advertisement before the closing date if a suitable candidate is identified.

Equality and Inclusion We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Female applicants, people with a disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who meet the requirements of this position are strongly encouraged to apply.

For a confidential discussion regarding this position, contact the recruitment team.

#J-18808-Ljbffr