Community Development Manager

West Kempsey, New South Wales

Full-time

Description
About Us:
Kempsey Shire Council (KSC) is located on the Mid North Coast of NSW, known for its genuine hospitality, pristine beaches, sub-tropical rainforests, mountain ranges, rock river gorges, sprawling farmland and peaceful villages.

We are a progressive, proactive and dynamic organisation, and we pride ourselves on the respectful and supportive workplace we have cultivated. With 360+ dedicated staff managing $1.5 billion worth of assets across many sites throughout the Shire, KSC work closely with our community to build an inspired, connected Macleay Valley.

Your New Role
We are seeking an experienced Community Development Manager to lead our dedicated and energetic Community Development team. If you are passionate about community capacity building and empowering change, we encourage you to apply.

Reporting to the Group Manager, Community Partnerships, the Community Development Manager will lead the Community Development team by creating the conditions for effective and responsive community development initiatives that reflect community and Council priorities.

Key Accountabilities Include

• Apply asset-based community development strategies to work in partnership with community groups and government organisations to support events, activities, and capacity building within the Shire.
• Establishing relevant and trusted partnerships with other Government and non-government organisations to support their own community development programs.
• Establishing and maintaining programs and services to meet the identified needs, including opportunities for community led placemaking, supporting disaster preparedness, response and recovery, events and capacity building.
• Seeking grant funding opportunities and comply with funding requirements to increase the range of services delivered to the community.
• Leading the development and implementation of Council's Arts and Culture Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and Disability Inclusion Action Plan, ensuring they are considered in all of Council's operations.

For a full list of the Key Accountabilities of the role, please refer to the Position Description.

About You
To be successful in this role, you should possess:

• Experience in asset-based community development.
• Experience in project and event management.
• Experience in disaster preparedness and recovery (preferred but not essential).
• Highly developed spoken, written and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively develop and deliver programs that positively impact a culturally diverse community.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead, manage, supervise, and influence staff.
• Tertiary qualification/s in Community Services, Social Sciences or a related discipline are desirable.

Benefits Of Working For Kempsey Shire Council
As the successful candidate, you'll enjoy:

• A permanent full-time position, 35 hour work week
• Monthly RDOs
• Weekly salary of $2,068.86 to $2, plus superannuation).
• Generous leave entitlements, including access to Long Service Leave after five years
• A working environment focussed on wellbeing, including flexible work arrangements, rostered days off, EAP access, social club, and health and wellbeing programs.
• Fitness Passports for discounted access to a range of gym and pool facilities.
• Career development and learning opportunities, access to study leave if required.
• A supportive, collaborative working environment designed to help you grow
• A fantastic lifestyle and work life balance, on the beautiful Mid-North Coast.

Interested?
Please apply via Council's website Note that you will be required to prepare and submit:

• A short statement (maximum 2 pages) outlining how your experience, abilities, knowledge and personal qualities will enable you to achieve the key accountabilities of the role (as listed in the Position Description); and
• Your current resume.

Applications Close: COB Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Please note that Council reserves the right to close this job advertisement before the stated closing date if a suitable candidate is found. Therefore, we encourage all interested applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Have questions? Please contact, Liesa Davies – Group Manager Community Partnerships for a confidential discussion on Ph:

Please Note:
Our recruitment notification process is primarily via system generated emails. Please ensure your email is correct before submitting your application to avoid missing crucial updates.

If you experience any difficulties applying online, please contact the Recruitment team on or email

Thank you and good luck with your application.

Kempsey Shire Council is an equal opportunity employer and we celebrate our diverse, inclusive and values-led workforce. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with diverse culture and linguistic backgrounds and people with a disability. In addition, Kempsey Shire Council will provide reasonable adjustments for suitably qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require additional assistance to participate in the recruitment process, please discuss with the advertised
contact person. You can ask for reasonable adjustments to be made at any time during the recruitment process.
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