• 38 hours per week
• Location: Liverpool, Southwest Sydney
• Award: Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Industry Award 2010, Level 6
• Period of Appraisal: After 3 months and then annually
• Funded Under: Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program

Background to Sabian Mandaen Association in Australia (SMAA)

SMAA, a refugee-led charitable community organisation, was established in 1983. SMAA has played a significant role in assisting members of the Mandaean community to settle and integrate into the Australian society. SMAA’s mission is to enhance the capacity of Mandaeans to fully participate in the  social, economic and  democratic life of the Australian society. SMAA provides a platform for the Mandaean community to share their ethnocultural traditions and hence strengthening Australian multicultural society. SMAA works towards promoting strong sense of belonging, social connection across cultures, and social cohesion.

Background to position

SMAA is witnessing much needed expansion of its settlement support and community capacity building services. This expansion coincides with the unprecedented increase in the number of Mandaean humanitarian entrants arrivals in the last couple of years. This trend is like to continue. It is critical that SMAA manages this transition well to ensure that the diverse needs of the Mandaen community are met. In addition, SMAA needs to further develop its services infrastructure to ensure that the quality of it services is not compromised and its accountability mechanisms are fit for purpose to meeting organisational and funding needs. Therefore, it is expected that the SETS Community Development Service Manager will play a central role ensuring that this transition.

ORGANISATION RELATIONSHIPS

• Responsible to: The Sabian Mandaean Association in Australia Board of Directors
• Responsible for: SMAA Caseworker, volunteers, and student placements

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Qualifications in community development, management, youth work, community welfare, social work, health or the social science or significant experience in the area. 
• Demonstrated experience in team leadership, project and change management.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Australian settlement and other services relevant to refugees and humanitarian entrants including relevant State and Federal government services. 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in strength based and trauma informed community development, advocacy, partnership building and community liaison  in a multicultural context.
• Demonstrated knowledge of settlement issues affecting individuals, families and communities from Mandaean background. 
• Demonstrated skills and experience in groupwork.
• Demonstrated funding submission writing
• Good written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic; including computer literacy, and report writing. 

Desirable:

Experience in working with Mandaean  community.

PRIMARY DUTIES OF THE POSITION:

• Manage day-to-day operation of client services and programs at the Mandaean community Centre.
• Manage team (Caseworker, volunteers, placement students) Performance, program operations, program resources, Sector and Community engagement, strategic program development, and team culture. 
• Deliver programs that address various domains of settlement and integration including: Health information sessions and activities, mental health awareness, TAFE information sessions, citizenship and education, subsidised driving lessons, computer skills and basic Microsoft skills ,conversational English classes,  youth leadership camps and other identified initiatives such as pathways to education and employment Workshops, mentoring, youth leadership camps.  
• Initiate and coordinate at least two large scale social gatherings p/a for newly arrived Mandaean people to enhance social connections and reduce social isolation.
• Collaborate with NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) to deliver Families in Cultural Transition (FICT) and Purple Hearts Programs for Sabian Mandaean Association clients.
• Collaborate with other Services and members to organise Mandaean Employment and Education Expo and Women’s Safety Forum as well as 
• Actively participate in providing capacity development assistance to other smaller organisations to strengthen access to resources, governance, skills and confidence. This includes collaboration with other SETS providers for community leader trainings and skill development
• Organise regular client feedback and consultations with Mandaean community members to ensure services and programs address the identified needs and build on existing strengths.
• Attend regular meetings with other SETS providers, ethno-specific community group representatives, other grassroots charities and STARTTS. Participate in the SETS Community of Practice.
• Strengthen relationships with other settlement and mainstream services at the operational level. This may include advocating with services for improved referral pathways and developing informal or formal partnerships.
• Recruit, train and support Sabian Mandaean Association volunteers and students on placement.

Click Apply Now to submit your application. 

A position description is attached.