About Philanthropy Australia

Philanthropy Australia is the national peak body for philanthropy. We are an independent, not-for-profit organisation with more than 800 trusts, foundations, families, individual donors, professional advisers, companies, intermediaries and not-for-profit organisations as our members and partners.

We provide advocacy, networking, services, and resources to the philanthropic and not-for-profit sector, as well as information and research for the Australian community.

We are a growing movement of people and organisations who believe in the importance of giving. Our members are proud to leverage their wealth and influence to create positive social change and community benefit. Our vision is for a generous and inclusive Australia. Our purpose is to inspire more and better philanthropy.

Purpose of the Role

The primary purpose of this role is to lead and drive Philanthropy Australia’s efforts to engage a larger and more diverse membership, to improve PA’s value proposition for members and the services PA delivers, to inspire a more giving and to foster more effective approaches to giving across the philanthropic sector as outlined in Philanthropy Australia’s Strategic Plan. As part of the Executive Leadership, the Executive Director Membership & Engagement will share their passion for philanthropy, linked with their understanding of membership organisations and provide the inspiring, strategic, and inclusive leadership needed to deliver on Philanthropy Australia’s purpose and vision.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead & develop a focus on Member acquisition and engagement aligned with PA’s purpose and strategy, including annual membership growth targets (recruit and retain).
• Grow the influence and impact of PA as a thought leader in philanthropy and the peak body including being visible as an influential and respected voice
• Lead the design and implementation of future membership products and services across the membership, marketing, and practice teams.
• Develop and implement a Membership and Engagement plan across the membership team to achieve PA’s strategic goals.
• Establish and respond to annual membership growth and revenue targets (recruitment, retention, and diversity).
• Ensure a high-quality organisation wide Membership Engagement Strategy, including relevant level of programs and services for members is developed
• Partner with external stakeholders and identify business opportunities including the development of an effective portfolio of prospective members and supporters
• Leverage the CEO, Board and Executive as a resource to build new funder and member relationships.
• Develop and implement a national, multi-year membership plan for new member acquisition, retention, and upgrade.
• Provide a transparent, empowering and action-oriented approach to people management.
• Create a strong membership team culture aligned with PA’s Values and Behaviours
• Provide day-to-day line management to the Directors of Engagement and support to other membership and engagement team members.
• Participate in Executive Leadership meetings providing input and advice on strategy, business development, advocacy, marketing, membership, and culture
• Maintain a current knowledge of national and international membership trends including marketing, digital and communication practices
• Represent Philanthropy Australia including attending programs and stakeholder events

Selection Criteria

The successful applicant will have demonstrable experience of:

• Inspiring and building a great team culture, contributing to the creation of a positive workplace culture through highly collaborative values-led leadership.
• Leading multi-disciplinary teams within philanthropic, not for profit, membership, or peak bodies, through strategic and results-oriented leadership.
• Building scale and delivering operational transformation (Desirable).
• Working within a membership structure (Highly Desirable)
• Developing and nurturing complex engagements with high-net-worth individuals and working in collaboration toward a mutually beneficially and ongoing relationship.

Essential Skills for this role include:

• Tertiary qualifications in Business, Economics, Social Impact or relevant field
• Technical expertise across membership, marketing, communications, and business development in a philanthropic or grant-making environment.
• Strong budgeting skills, a proven ability to manage resources and work toward financial goals.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills with experience in building relationships with a range of types of stakeholders internally and externally.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to unite diverse teams to focus on a common goal to drive significant and membership engagement outcomes for the organisation.

Here's a link to the Position Description.

Working at Philanthropy Australia

The Philanthropy Australia team is passionate, supportive and inspiring. We are driven by our purpose, and live by our values and behaviours of Respect, Trust, Humility, Impact, Celebration, and Sharing.

Our Benefits include:

• Additional week (pro-rata) of leave for self-reflection and development, Reflection Leave, after 12 months of service
• Flexible and hybrid ways of working
• Employee Assistance Program
• Generous paid parental and partner leave after 12 months of service
• A generous L&D budget with learning opportunities particularly around philanthropy, the not-for-profit sector, and specific causes.

Philanthropy Australia welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates of all backgrounds and experiences, including First Nations people, people with disabilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ people, and people of all ages.

• We strive to create a diverse, safe, and inclusive workforce for all team members.
  
• We believe in building an inclusive workforce that recognises human difference as a strength and supports our vision for a generous and inclusive Australia.
  
• We have commenced our reconciliation journey through our Reflect RAP, and with the support of our First Nations Governance Committee, are taking the next steps to further embed reconciliation initiatives into Philanthropy Australia’s business strategy.

How to Apply

• Please provide a brief cover letter outlining your interest and suitability to the role addressing the above Selection Criteria, and submitting along with your CV, directly though the job board platform.
• If you require adjustments to the recruitment process please reach out, as we are more than happy to work with you to make the necessary arrangements to ensure a fair and inclusive hiring experience for all.
• Please note there is no formal closing date for this role, so if you are interested, we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

For any questions relating to the role and/or position description, please contact the Director, People & Culture, Ingrid Gregory, on 0424 697 724