For Change Co. is a fast-growing social enterprise based in Melbourne that exists with the mission of creating pathways out of homelessness for young people. We established Australia’s first non-profit crepe van, Crêpes for Change, in 2015, and have since opened a range of hospitality operations across Melbourne.

Our amazing team is passionate and dynamic with big dreams of changing the world; sparked by the vision of eliminating youth homelessness. Our values of passion, transparency, collaboration, inclusivity, and agility come through every day in the work that we do and the outcomes that we deliver, with an ongoing focus of creating a diverse community committed to our mission.

For more information, check out our recent Impact Report HERE.

For Change Co. has an exciting opportunity for a CEO to join the organisation and drive the work towards its ambitious vision.

VISION 

An Australia free from youth homelessness.

MISSION

To create pathways out of homelessness for young people through a social enterprise model.

VALUES

Collaboration - We are more than the sum of all our parts. Our team, our people, are central to what we do and allow us to grow and achieve every day. We choose to collaborate with individuals and groups who share our core values and support our journey towards ending youth homelessness.

Transparency - We exist with a social purpose. We openly communicate our financials, impact data, and actions. We continuously review our processes to stay on track and achieve our mission. 

Passion - We care deeply about the social issues that we address, and believe in the power of social enterprise to affect change. Our team is driven to enact change in our community by our passion for the cause. 

Inclusivity - Our team is made up of people from different backgrounds, who collectively contribute to a strong diversity of thought across the team. We are absolute in our pursuit of inclusivity, diversity and openness to co-create amazing communities. 

Agility - We are open to learning everyday and respond to challenges as they arise. We understand that homelessness is a complex issue, and believe that continuous learning is integral to creating informed solutions. We are able to pivot from our plans when we are faced with obstacles or when new information and ideas are presented, making changes that allow us to best achieve our mission. 

IMPACT

Our goal is to measurably and sustainably change the lives of as many young people at-risk of homelessness as we can. We do this by creating pathways out of the homelessness cycle for the young people that we work with.

To date, we have supported over 125 young people to exit the homelessness cycle through our various impact programs, most notably our flagship program 'Pathways for Change'.

THE ROLE

The CEO leads and drives the vision and impact of For Change Co to create employment pathways for young people. Working closely with the Board of Directors and leading a small but mighty team across Melbourne, the CEO has the responsibility for For Change Co.’s leadership, growth, and mission-driven strategy.

This is a highly diverse and hands-on role that requires an agile and open approach to driving the ultimate impact of For Change Co.

Key Relationships

• Reports to the Board of Directors
• Leads and manages the Executive Team (3 direct reports)
• Responsible for key external relationships

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering in a manner that supports and guides For Change Co.’s mission.
• Maintain a strong balance of the business and impact elements of the organisation to achieve a sustainable drive toward For Change Co.’s mission.
• Primary fundraiser for the organisation, ensuring that the fundraising target is consistently met through a combination of philanthropic relationships, grants, donations, corporate partnerships and crowdfunders.
• Act as For Change Co.’s key external representative and initiate, maintain, and grow relationships with existing and new funders.
• Lead the development of the annual strategic plan and budget Board review and approval, ensuring For Change Co.’s financial stability and sustainability.
• Report to the Board of Directors ensuring that;
  • Strong and ongoing communications are maintained,
  • Regular comprehensive reports on progress towards For Change Co.’s strategy are completed.
  • Monitor and report risks, developing and implementing mitigation strategies.
• Create, develop, and maintain positive relationships with key partners to support both the organisation’s financial and social requirements.
• Ensure that all trading arms are consistently meeting their budget, growth and impact targets.
• Ensure that the impact programs continually meets and grows its capacity to achieve For Change Co.’s mission.
• Represent For Change Co. at networking events, media opportunities and industry events.
• Manage and motivate staff, overseeing processes such as, recruitment, staff development, performance management, compensation, and benefits.

Skills and Experience:

To be successful in this role, you will have demonstrated strengths in the following key areas:

• Stakeholder management: develop and maintain effective internal and external relationships with key stakeholders and partners.
• Fundraising nous: demonstrated skill in identifying, pursuing and obtaining fundraising revenue.
• Strategic Planning expertise: ability to set and deliver on strategy to support business objectives.
• Leadership experience: including effective people management, team motivation and ability to drive a team to achieve results.
• Change management skills: ability to identify, develop & implement organisational and business change.
• Business development experience: including the ability to identify and secure streams of revenue and funding.
• Communication skills: excellent communication skills- both written, verbal, and presentation.
• Social enterprise and/or not-for profit experience: experience in a social enterprise and/or not-for-profit including a good understanding of funding and government requirements.
• High EQ and experience in building and nurturing a strong and healthy team culture.

For Change Co. believes in providing a supportive and inclusive working environment. Therefore, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, workers of all ages, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTIQA+.

If these criteria speak to you, you could be the perfect person for the job. Formal qualifications and extensive experience matter less than excellence, initiative and drive.