Why join Launch Housing

Launch Housing is an independent Melbourne based community organisation passionately committed to ending homelessness. From providing high quality housing and an innovative range of support, education and employment services, we bring solutions to homelessness under one roof for thousands at risk of, or experiencing the crisis and trauma of homelessness. With over 400 staff working across 16 locations in metropolitan Melbourne, we combine direct action with advocacy, research and innovation to drive widespread change.

Our people are the backbone of our organisation and supporting their wellbeing and professional development is critical to our ability to help our clients and the community. We value lived experience and diversity in our staff, and provide high-quality training & supervision, wellbeing days, access to an Employee Assistance Program and much much more to ensure your career with us is fulfilling.

Don’t just walk past homelessness. Join the solution.

Our permanent and fixed-term employee benefits include:

• Contributing to useful and rewarding work and giving something back to the community
• Wellbeing days, ceremonial leave, carers leave and study leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Purchased leave
• 17.5% leave loading
• 8 weeks’ gender neutral paid parental leave after 12 months of service for both the primary and secondary carer
• Training and career growth opportunities across Launch Housing
• A portion of your income can be tax-free by salary packaging your personal expenses
• Additional tax-free salary packaging on dining and accommodation expenses
• Positive, supportive and progressive work environment

About the opportunity

The Service Manager – Initial Support is a leadership role within Launch Housing Homelessness Support & Impact portfolio reporting to the Group Manager – Immediate Support and contributes to Launch Housing’s aim of ending homelessness.

The experience of entering the homelessness system manifests differently for every person, and it is the role of the Initial Support Services to respond with empathy, skill and understanding, respecting the dignity of each person and ensuring they feel supported during a traumatic and highly stressful time. The Service Manager - Initial Support is responsible for supporting and integrating a range of responsive programs including Initial Assessment and Planning and Prioritisation Services.

At Launch Housing, we believe that leadership is not defined by position or title – but by the mindset you bring and the actions you take. We also believe that leadership is learnable – that there is a body of knowledge, skills and dispositions associated with leadership that can be learned.

The Launch Housing Leadership Framework outlines the key expectations and behaviours required for effective leadership at every level. This role is aligned to the Leading Others proficiency level within the framework, reflecting the responsibility to guide and support teams, foster collaboration, and create a high-performing and inclusive environment that drives positive outcomes.

This is a permanent full-time opportunity based in Collingwood, working across 3 entry points located in Collingwood, St Kilda, and Cheltenham.

What you'll be doing

• Ensuring a consistent, compliant, and best-practice approach to service delivery across all initial support services.
• Supporting the Group Manager – Immediate Support in achieving improvements in Impact Measure 1 – increase in the number of high acuity clients with secure housing.
• Supporting the Group Manager – Immediate in achieving improvements in Impact Measure 2 – Exits into housing exceed number of people sleeping rough.
• Establishing operational procedures which impact on activities undertaken and outcomes achieved by the service programs, the organisation, and the sections of the community we serve.
• Effectively supporting, maintaining, and sustaining established service level partnerships.
• Supporting improvement of client outcomes and satisfaction across all services delivered from the initial support sites.
• Report routinely against agreed and established data trends, outcomes, and impacts, ensuring that key data is available to quantify the impact and outcomes of initial support services.
• Collaborating with external contractors and Corporate Services to ensure effective and efficient operation of initial support sites.

What we're looking for (key selection criteria)

• Have a relevant tertiary qualification (desirable).
• Demonstrated experience in client facing human services, social work, or other relevant discipline, with a preference for an understanding of housing and homelessness policy, context, and systems.
• Program or service coordination/management experience within the community and/or public sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others towards effective client outcomes.
• Sound people leadership skills, experience in leading/coaching staff and striving for consistency in performance and behaviour.
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of Launch Housing and our mission to end homelessness.

Applications are on a rolling basis so please do not hesitate in submitting your application. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Lauren Crawford on [email protected] using the subject line: Service Manager - Initial Support enquiry via EthicalJobs, or Bianca Cirelli on [email protected]

How to Apply

To apply for this opportunity, please click on "Apply Now" button. Please submit a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and your CV.

Launch Housing offers a wide range of career opportunities and employs a diverse range of talent. We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons to apply! We acknowledge, respect and celebrate Aboriginal cultures, languages, connections to Country and heritage, customs and practices. We're committed to support Aboriginal peoples to obtain genuine and fulfilling career with us!

Launch Housing is a dog-friendly organisation, which allows dog owners to bring them in some of our sites, please contact the relevant Hiring Manager if you have any questions or concerns prior to your interview.

If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know at [email protected] 

Launch Housing is committed to being a child safe organisation and has zero tolerance to child abuse. Our hiring process involves rigorous screening of applicants. All of our people including students, contractors and volunteers must hold a valid Working with Children Check and satisfactory criminal history record check.

Launch Housing is an Equal Opportunity employer and supports accessible working arrangements for all. This includes people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people, young people, older people, women, and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex or queer. We acknowledge Lived Experience as a unique expertise and encourage people with a Lived Experience of Homelessness to apply. All applicants must have the right to work in Australia.

Launch Housing is working to become more trauma informed and as a leading employer in the homelessness sector, it is important to let you know that you will hear stories of distress, hardship, trauma, or violence when working with us. We encourage you to reflect on how this may impact you when considering applying for the role.

A position description is attached.