Chief Executive Officer

CEO

Refugee and Immigration Legal Service

About RAILS

RAILS is a community legal centre based in South Brisbane. For over 45 years, RAILS has provided free legal assistance, advice and education in immigration and refugee law to people in Queensland.

RAILS assists some of the most vulnerable people in the community - asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants in most need, including people who have experienced family violence. RAILS strives to help them find and remain in safety. RAILS employs over forty staff members and is registered as a Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for Profit Commission

About the role

The RAILS CEO provides leadership, strategic positioning, and management of RAILS, consistent with directions of the Management Committee, funding agreements, legislative and professional requirements.

The RAILS CEO provides Centre leadership and is responsible for ensuring delivery of RAILS' strategic plan. They ensure operational excellence, financial sustainability, and an inclusive, high-performing culture that reflects our values and commitment to meeting the legal needs of the most vulnerable migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Queensland.

This role is a CEO role, however the Management Committee is open applications for a combined CEO and Principal Solicitor role.

About you

You are a dedicated, flexible and positive professional and enjoy working in the community legal sector and with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Essential requirements for the role:

• Proven experience in a senior management role in a legal or community legal service setting
• Knowledge and understanding of the community legal assistance sector
• Financial management skills, including in budget forecasting and development
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proven experience in building and maintaining a strong team and stakeholder relationships

About the role

Desirable requirements for the role

• Current unrestricted practising certificate or previous legal experience
• Knowledge and understanding of social and political factors relevant to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers
• Experience or understanding of immigration and refugee legal service delivery

Further details about the role - including the full selection criteria - are available on
Ethical Jobs

Key responsibilities of the role

• Delivery of the RAILS strategic plan
• Ensuring the high performance of RAILS' legal practice, integrated and community services and across all operational areas
• Building and maintaining close stakeholder relationships
• Effective governance of the Centre, including through support for, and reporting to, the Management Committee.
• Oversee strategic risk management under the Community Legal Centres Australia Risk Management Guide
• Risk management in relation to legal and contractual compliance and organisational sustainability

Centre and Team Leadership

• Leading and maintaining a value based organisational culture
• Leading the RAILS Leadership Team
• Direct supervision of six direct reports (an Operations Director, 3 Legal Practice Directors, an Executive Assistant, and a Philanthropy Co-ordinator)

Financial, Funding and Fundraising

• Strategic leadership to maintain or grow the financial position of the organisation
• Oversight of development of annual budget and of financial reporting
• Briefing of finance sub-committee of Management Committee (supported by RAILS' finance team)
• Management of funding arrangements
• Responsibility for the National Access to Justice Partnership (NAJP) relationship

Pro bono

• Management of nominated key pro bono relationships

Law Reform

• Strategic supervision of RAILS' advocacy and law reform work

We welcome queries about the role. Please email any queries to

using the subject line: CEO enquiry via Ethical Jobs.