About the Organisation
Every day, Life Without Barriers provides support and care to children and young people, as we work collaboratively with families, carers, and communities, to ensure they have the environment they deserve to grow. With a focus on ensuring safety and respect, this is an opportunity to make a positive and meaningful difference in these young lives and help pave a brighter future.
Life Without Barriers is a leading social purpose organisation of 8,000 employees working in more than 500 communities across Australia. We support children, young people and families, people with disability, older people and people with mental illness. We work with people who are homeless and refugees and asylum seekers. Join a community of people dedicated to breaking down barriers.
We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Program Manager – Child, Youth & Family to lead and inspire teams delivering high-quality services across Family Based Care, Residential Care, and Supported Independent Living Services (SILS).
In this role, you will provide operational leadership and practice oversight to ensure children, young people, carers, and families receive safe, therapeutic, culturally responsive, and outcomes-focused support. You will be responsible for driving service excellence, workforce capability, compliance, and continuous improvement across multiple program areas.
As a key leader within the Child, Youth & Family team, you will provide subject matter expertise and strategic guidance, ensuring services meet contractual, legislative, and organisational requirements while fostering reflective practice and embedding trauma-informed approaches across your teams.
This position is Permanent Full-Time, based in our Mackay office.
Key Responsibilities
Lead, supervise, and motivate the House Manager(s) and Youth Workers.
Drive therapeutic practice that provides stability and ongoing support to children and young people.
Ensure programs comply with legislation, accreditation standards, contractual obligations, and internal policies.
Manage budgets and resources effectively, balancing client needs with business requirements.
Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders including carers, community organisations, and funding bodies.
Champion client voice and cultural safety, embedding the CARE model and trauma-informed practice.
Promote a positive team culture through coaching, reflective practice, and professional development.
Skills & Experience
Degree qualification in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences, or related field.
Proven leadership/management experience in human services, preferably within out-of-home care.
Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to manage sensitive and complex matters.
Demonstrated knowledge of trauma, attachment, and the needs of children and young people in care.
Experience managing budgets, competing priorities, and delivering outcomes in a high-volume environment.
Commitment to working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Highly developed communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
Current driver’s licence.
Additional Requirements
Successful candidates will be required to clear probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check and Working with Children Check (where relevant to the role).
Some travel between sites may be required — a fully insured vehicle is essential.
Benefits
- An attractive remuneration package, including mobile phone and laptop.
- Supportive team environment.
- Salary packaging tax benefits, meal entertainment benefit, novated leasing and more.
- Growing organisation with great career opportunities.
- Monthly RDO.
How to Apply
Include your resume and covering letter in one document, click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts. For any enquiries including persons with disability that require adjustments, contact Joelene at [email protected] with the subject heading ‘PM Mackay’.
Candidates with disabilities who require adjustments to the recruitment process or the application form in an alternate format can visit https://www.lwb.org.au/careers/ for information on our access and inclusion work and how to contact us directly.
Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as applications are continuously reviewed prior to the closing date; and as such the closing date is subject to change without notice. Current application closing date is midnight Thursday 9th July.
