The CEO is responsible for delivering the organisation’s mission and goals. The CEO reports to a board of up to 8 members and provides strategic leadership, direction and guidance for the organisation’s activities and programs.

The CEO provides national leadership to address Australia’s biodiversity and extinction crisis with a focus on invasive species. The desired candidate will have a delivery mindset and a proven capacity to engage a diverse set of partners and stakeholders, to grow influence and to lead change. They will oversee a dynamic suite of impactful science-based campaigns. The CEO will inspire and cultivate a new wave of recognition of the invasive species threat.

As the public face of the organisation, the CEO will be an exceptional communicator and an effective advocate against the threat to Australian biodiversity from invasive species. They will require a good understanding of the environmental and philanthropic sectors, have strong management and financial capabilities and an ability to develop and inspire teams.

The CEO leads a team of over 20 staff, working from locations throughout Australia, a small office in Katoomba and office-share arrangements in some capital cities. The full team meets in person twice a year.

Job description

Provide strategic leadership

1. Provide strategic leadership. Develop and deliver a strategic plan that aligns with the organisation’s vision, mission and goals.
2. Demonstrate and reinforce values and behaviours that inspire commitment, innovation and action.

Grow our power and influence

1. Generate programs to inspire and mobilise the community.
2. Develop strong evidence-based arguments to fearlessly advocate.
3. Maintain effective media relations as a spokesperson for the Invasive Species Council.
4. Build the social licence to support strong biosecurity measures and enable effective invasive species control.

Maintain strategic partnerships and stakeholder engagement

1. Initiate, develop and maintain effective relationships with key partners including conservation leaders, decision-makers, government, scientists, Indigenous communities, land managers, thought leaders and industry representatives.
2. Build and foster effective collaborations and alliances with strategic partners to educate, build power and achieve objectives.

Ensure effective organisational management and governance

1. Translate the strategic plan into yearly plans that ensure key objectives are monitored and met.
2. Oversee the organisational budget and ensure financial viability.
3. Ensure operational policies are in place and implemented ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, policies and guidelines.
4. Advise and keep the board informed on all governance, HR, performance, risk and other related matters. Participate in board deliberations.
5. Report performance, activities and issues in a systematic and timely fashion and implement the decisions of the board.

Manage people and culture

1. Lead and maintain an organisational culture that fosters the values of being advocates for nature, collaborative with First Australians, committed to science, fearless and persistent.
2. Ensure the recruitment, development and retention of talented staff; create a safe, positive, productive and inclusive work environment and ensure staff behaviour reflects the organisation’s values.
3. Maintain a performance culture with strong cross-organisational collaboration and active contribution of ideas.
4. Respect First Nations peoples and their cultures.

Drive effective fundraising

1. Provide leadership for effective fundraising and sustainable fundraising growth.
2. Build and maintain productive relationships with philanthropic trusts, major donors and individuals to generate donations, grants, bequests and attract supporters.

Selection Criteria

Essential

• Proven executive-level experience in a senior leadership role, preferably in for-purpose organisations.
• Proven ability to develop, refine, and execute organisational strategy that delivers impactful outcomes and drives sustainable growth.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate an organisational culture that fosters excellence, innovation and collaboration.
• Demonstrated financial literacy with a proven ability to provide strategic oversight of an organisation’s financial health, fundraising and funding sustainability.
• Deep understanding of the political and policy landscape in Australia and proven track-record in campaigning for change.
• Proven ability to engage with peers, government, industry, Indigenous communities and civil society to build alliances, influence decision-makers and achieve change.

Desirable

• Extensive knowledge of and direct experience working on environmental, invasive species and biosecurity issues.

About the organisation

The Invasive Species Council is a non-government donor-funded organisation formed in 2002 that seeks better laws and policies to protect the Australian environment from invasive plants, animals and diseases. It was founded when a small group of dedicated individuals were inspired to action by Tim Low’s seminal work ‘Feral Future’.

Invasive species have been the main driver of environmental loss of Australia’s native animals since colonisation and remain one of the main threats to the future survival of all our unique wildlife on land and sea. Unless we take action on invasive species, work with others and speak out, Australia’s biodiversity crisis will only worsen.

The organisation values being committed to science, fearless and persistent and collaborative with first Australians.

Today, the Invasive Species Council is a highly influential voice across Australia, having achieved greater recognition of both the damage and danger of invasive species to the country’s unique biodiversity and natural ecosystems. After a period of rapid growth upon securing a major grant from the Ian Potter Foundation, we now aspire to further grow our capacity and impact to address the immense scale of the invasive species challenge.

This year, the Invasive Species Council is developing a new three-year strategic plan to further consolidate and growth its efforts. This process will be led by the incoming CEO.

The Invasive Species Council has a strong track-record of successfully interventions to address the environmental impacts from invasive species including:

• Played a major role in the establishment of the national Office of Environmental Biosecurity.
• Raised the alarm about the imminent threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
• Secured over $1 billion for the national red fire ant eradication program.
• Secured over $40 million to eradicate yellow crazy ants from Cairns and Townsville.
• Led efforts to recognise the national threat from expanding feral deer populations.
• Jointly conducted ground-breaking research to identify harmful invasive insects that could establish in Australia.
• Co-hosted the Australian Biosecurity Symposium since 2019.
• Led the establishment of the Decade of Biosecurity initiative.
• Drove the Reclaim Kosci campaign that has seen reductions in feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park.

Our 2022-2030 Strategic Plan can be found at invasives.org.au/about-us/strategic-plan and details about our work can be found at invasives.org.au.

For a confidential discussion, please arrange this with president David Rickards on [email protected], using the subject line: Chief Executive Officer enquiry via EthicalJobs. Do not send your application to this address.

A position description is attached.

ISC is an equal opportunity employer. People from diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be able to work permanently in Australia, travel extensively and at times work after hours and on weekends.