Chief Executive Officer - Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment - Melbourne / Sydney / Brisbane

• National role, based in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane
• Attractive Package
• Two-year contract, with scope for a longer term for the right candidate

Lead a genuine global first.

There aren't many roles where you get to build something the world hasn't seen before. This is one of them.

Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment (PLACE) is the first organisation of its kind: government and philanthropy investing together, at scale, to back community-led change. $38.6 million in matched funding over five years — half from the Australian Government, half from five of the country's most respected philanthropic foundations — with no strings attached to a service-delivery agenda. PLACE does not run programs. It backs the people already doing the work, and turns what they learn into policy that actually holds.

In under two years, it has gone from a design concept to a national organisation of around 29 people, working directly with more than 40 communities in every state and territory. The foundations are built. The Board, the funding, the team and the credibility are already in place. What PLACE needs now is an experienced Chief Executive Officer who can build on that foundation and deliver lasting national impact.

The opportunity

• Step into an organisation that is genuinely built, not broken — governance, funding and team already assembled, so you can lead from day one instead of firefighting.
• Sit at a rare intersection: equally credible in a community meeting and in a departmental boardroom, briefing ministers one day and sitting with community leaders the next.
• Shape national policy and funding settings, using evidence drawn directly from the communities PLACE works alongside.
• Partner with a highly credentialed, skills-based Board and an engaged Community Council that puts community voice at the centre of every decision.
• Lead a capable, values-driven, nationally distributed team through the defining transition from early traction to deep, sustained delivery.

What you bring

• Senior executive or CEO-level leadership in a complex, multi-stakeholder or system-facing environment.
• A track record of turning strategy into delivered, measurable results, not just plans.
• Genuine ease operating across government, philanthropy and community, with the gravitas to hold your own in high-stakes funding conversations and the humility to let community leadership stay front and centre.
• Sound financial and risk stewardship, with demonstrated experience negotiating and managing significant funding relationships.
• A relatable, grounded leadership style. PLACE's Board is looking for someone who builds shared ownership of outcomes, not a singular figurehead who leads from the front alone.

The package

• An attractive package commensurate with desired capability is on offer
• A two-year fixed-term contract, with the Board open to up to three years for an outstanding candidate.
• Flexible, hybrid working, with a national travel rhythm that suits a leader who is energised by being in communities, not stuck behind a desk.
• Relocation support and executive coaching, including transition coaching on appointment.

How to find out more

This search is now live. Brooker Consulting is managing the process on behalf of the PLACE Board, and all approaches are handled in strict confidence.

For a detailed candidate information pack, please visit our position descriptions page at brookerconsulting.com.au/position-description.

A confidential conversation before you apply?

If you would like a confidential conversation before deciding whether to apply formally, you are warmly invited to reach out. TEXT Rebecca Perrone on 0429 381 277 or Elizabeth Miller on 0493 827 145, and they will send you a link to book a private call at a time that suits you. All conversations are held in strict confidence.