National Projects Lead

**Part-Time (3 days a week)**:

- **Hybrid working model with office in Sydney's vibrant Barangaroo**:

- **Opportunity to impact every child, their family and community across Australia**

**About the Company**

Playgroup NSW supports and delivers a range of strengths-based programs and playgroup related engagements to its 55,000 member families, including but not limited to: Universal community volunteer led programs; Targeted early intervention and preventative programs specifically for children and families experiencing vulnerabilities, and for children with a disability and their carers; Programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse families; Perinatal mental and parent/child mental health programs, and Intergenerational programs including older Australians.

For 50 years, playgroups have been a fundamental community building block, creating vital social networks in which children, parents, grandparents, and carers play together, share knowledge and experiences, connect, and grow stronger as a community. There are Playgroup organisations in all states and territories.

**Playgroup NSW respects and honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together.**

**Our Vision **at Playgroup NSW is to positively impact every NSW child, their family and community in the first 2,000 days of life.

**Our Purpose **is to lead play-based programs and services for NSW families with children birth to school age, offering development, shared experiences, and family support, that results in active citizens and inclusive communities.

**Our Values** are to:

- Be child centric_: Children are at the heart of our work.
- Lead change_: Seek and encourage learning, innovation, and greater positive impact.
- Act with integrity:_ Be honest, accountable and show respect.
- Work smart, play often:_ Be goal focused, mindful of people's wellbeing and enjoy work.

**About this Role**

In this newly created role, you will be required to identify and manage projects (contracts, relationships and deliverables) on a national level with multiple evaluation partners and working groups. The role acts as intermediary between the organisation and service delivery and other partners and the key project outcome will include:

- improve understanding of the needs of playgroup volunteers/parents;
- respond with innovative supports and engagement strategies;
- and improve access to venues for playgroups to meet.

Focusing on these primary drivers of playgroup sustainability you will successfully strengthen and grow the playgroup network to benefit families and children, leading to equal opportunity for education, health and mental wellbeing, and pathways to early learning.

**Key Responsibilities**

**Project Management, Development and Procurement**
- Lead and manage research projects, analysis, and review of industry trends, challenges and opportunities for innovation.
- Coordinate stakeholder input through problem identification, refinement and develop new projects by preparing and developing governance framework and contracts and obtaining relevant approvals.
- Organise, Chair and manage relationships within project, meeting with relevant stakeholders including Steering Committees and Working Groups.
- Influence key decision-makers and policy debates.
- Lead and manage projects and ensure the delivery of projects by monitoring timelines, budgets, milestones and project governance.
- Manage relationships with university partners and other stakeholders as required, reviewing contracts and evaluation structures for feedback.
- Identify and recommend remediation actions and plans for projects that are delayed or not achieving the planned outcomes.
- Project manage communications and contribute to the development of outputs from research including translating, interpreting and distillation of project information into outputs for stakeholder consumption.

**Communications and Reporting**
- Establish strong relationships with all stakeholders and be an effective key liaison point between the organisation and partners.
- Provide regular written and oral reports to the steering committee, working group and leadership teams on progress and completion of project plan.
- Collecting and completing all reporting requirements as directed by funding bodies within specified timeframes.
- Collaborate with all stakeholders to convert research into functional outcomes that can be communicated and extended for stakeholder’s benefit.
- Manage the process for stakeholder and external engagement for research and innovation activities.
- Manage group dynamics and maintain accountabilities.

**Selection Criteria Includes**
- Tertiary qualifications in Business Administration, Project Management & Research and/or significant relevant ex