Head of Professional Development and Capability

Lifeline Direct (LLD) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lifeline Australia. LLD focuses on supporting the development and ongoing implementation of suicide prevention and community wellbeing programs in the regions which we operate while looking for opportunities to grow Lifeline's services in geographical areas where they do not currently exist.

LLD encompasses Lifeline Centres in Hunter region, Central Coast, Eastern Suburbs-Bondi, New England North West, Northern NSW, Geelong and South West Victoria, Northern and Western Melbourne and Central Australia. Our specialised and targeted services operate nationally via a telehealth model.

About the Position

Lifeline Direct is seeking an experienced and inspiring leader to take on the role of Head of Professional Development & Capability. This is a brand new senior leadership position within our Service Delivery team, part of the Network & Shared Services portfolio, reporting to the General Manager. You will work alongside our diverse service streams to ensure our workforce is skilled, supported, and delivering exceptional crisis support and counselling services to the community.

In this pivotal role, you will lead the strategic design, delivery, and continuous improvement of professional development, CPD, and capability uplift initiatives across Service Delivery. You will ensure training is evidence-based, responsive to service needs, aligned with organisational goals, and integrated with quality assurance and risk priorities. You will also champion cultural safety, inclusion, and lived experience-informed approaches to ensure our workforce reflects and responds to the diverse communities we serve.

What You'll Do

• Lead the design, delivery, and evaluation of professional development, CPD, and capability uplift initiatives.
• Align learning and development initiatives with organisational strategy, workforce needs, and emerging sector trends.
• Develop tailored, evidence-based learning for specific roles and streams, integrating simulation and ongoing training beyond induction.
• Introduce and maintain accredited and ongoing CPD and ensure programs are engaging, practical, and inclusive.
• Collaborate with Quality, Clinical, and Workforce teams to link training with QA, governance, and risk priorities.
• Track and evaluate program participation and impact, driving continuous improvement.
• Analyse training data to evaluate effectiveness and implement continuous improvement strategies.
• Pilot innovative learning approaches for our largely remote workforce, including onboarding refreshers and technology-enabled training.

What You'll Bring

• Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g., health sciences, mental health, psychology, counselling, social work, allied health) with postgraduate or formal training in education, learning and development, or training design and delivery.
• Proven leadership in professional development, including large-scale program design, delivery, and evaluation.
• Strong understanding of cultural safety, trauma informed inclusive practice, and lived experience-informed approaches.
• Experience leading remote or distributed teams with strong people leadership, coaching, and mentoring skills.
• Skilled in driving service innovation, change initiatives, and project management.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence with the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity while leading with confidence, empathy, and alignment to organisational purpose.
• Committed to equity, inclusion, person-centred care, and Lifeline's mission to ensure no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.

Desirable

• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122 or equivalent).
• Experience in crisis support, mental health, or community services.
• Knowledge of telephone counselling, multi-channel crisis support, and telehealth models.
• Familiarity with simulation-based training, accredited CPD, and innovative learning technologies.
• Experience driving service innovation, change initiatives, or workforce capability planning.