POSITION DESCRIPTION
Position Title
Senior Specialist – Governance, Compliance & Policy Analyst
Reports To
Executive Director
Position Purpose
The Senior Specialist – Governance, Compliance & Policy Analyst operates as the organization's primary technical expert on regulatory frameworks. The position exists to research, analyze, develop, and audit the governance systems, organizational policies, and compliance frameworks that enable the organization to fulfill its legal, regulatory, charitable, and cross-border responsibilities.
Working under the strategic direction of the Executive Director, the position provides specialist analytical expertise in regulatory alignment across the organization. The position supports the Board of Directors by researching evolving regulatory demands and designing the compliance reporting mechanisms, staff training frameworks, and internal assurance processes required for structural accountability. The position exercises significant professional autonomy in the day-to-day analysis, drafting, and auditing of compliance activities, promoting a culture of institutional integrity, risk mitigation, and continuous regulatory improvement.
Position Objectives
The Senior Specialist – Governance, Compliance & Policy Analyst will:
- Research and evaluate regulatory changes to design internal compliance frameworks that support effective organizational oversight.
- Formulate, draft, and update institutional policies to ensure the organization maintains strict compliance with ACNC, ATO, and safeguarding obligations.
- Develop and implement comprehensive training programs to ensure governance expectations are structurally understood by Directors, staff, and international ministry partners.
- Conduct regular audits and risk assessments of overseas funding structures to safeguard charitable assets and ensure compliance with external regulatory bodies.
- Provide formal policy briefs, compliance reports, and analytical data to the Executive Director and the Board of Directors.
Reporting Relationships
- Reports to: Executive Director
- Works closely with: Board of Directors, Executive Leadership Team, Department Leaders, Staff, Volunteers, International Parent Organisation, Overseas Ministry Partners
- Provides Specialized Policy Guidance to: Executive Director, Board of Directors, Ministry Leaders, Staff, Overseas Partners
- Note: This position functions as an advanced individual contributor and technical specialist; it does not have direct operational staff reports.
Position Dimensions
The Senior Specialist has sole analytical and functional responsibility for:
- Regulatory research and risk analysis [1]
- Governance policy drafting and structural framework design [1]
- Compliance monitoring and cross-border financial auditing [1]
- National and international governance education programs [1]
- ACNC and statutory reporting framework maintenance [1]
- Evaluation and continuous refinement of institutional policy manuals [1]
Key Accountabilities
1. Policy Analysis and Framework Design (35%)
- Conduct systematic research into Australian legislative changes, ACNC Governance Standards, and international compliance developments affecting not-for-profit entities.
- Draft, formulate, and structurally review all organizational policy manuals, ensuring rigorous alignment with international parent organization standards and Australian laws.
- Analyze operational risks across departments and translate complex legal obligations into practical, step-by-step institutional policy frameworks.
- Provide written policy recommendations and strategic options to the Executive Director and Board to proactively address emerging regulatory requirements.
2. Regulatory Compliance Auditing & Risk Management (25%)
- Design, implement, and maintain the internal compliance registers and verification systems required to meet ACNC, ATO, ASIC, and Missions Interlink standards.
- Perform detailed internal audits and compliance reviews across all domestic departments to ensure adherence to child safety, privacy, and safeguarding obligations.
- Analyze and verify that the organization’s structural mechanisms remain strictly aligned with its designated charitable and religious purposes.
3. International Governance and Partner Auditing (20%)
- Monitor and evaluate the governance capabilities of overseas ministry partners receiving organizational funds.
- Analyze cross-border funding flows to ensure international compliance, mitigating risks related to external distribution frameworks.
- Develop customized, culturally informed compliance guidelines to ensure international partners understand and adhere to the Australian entity’s strict reporting obligations.
- Act as the primary technical liaison for governance alignment between the Australian branch and the global parent organization in the USA.
4. Educational Frameworks & Capacity Building (15%)
- Design, script, and deliver specialized governance training modules, manuals, and resources for the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers.
- Formulate educational frameworks to ensure all 15 part-time staff members thoroughly comprehend their individual compliance responsibilities, particularly regarding vulnerable people.
- Lead internal workshops and onboarding briefings to translate dense policy frameworks into clear, practical workplace behaviors.
5. Systems, Documentation & Continuous Improvement (5%)
- Maintain and continuously optimize the central governance and policy registers.
- Develop robust record-management architectures to ensure all evidence of compliance is secure, accessible, and audit-ready.
- Coordinate the technical documentation required for formal external audits and statutory regulatory filings.
Delegated Authority
The Executive Director delegates functional responsibility for the organization’s policy and compliance analysis to the Senior Specialist. Within approved organizational guidelines, the position is authorized to:
- Formulate and recommend internal policies and operational procedures.
- Conduct independent compliance reviews and internal risk audits across all departments and international partnerships.
- Design and execute regulatory education modules for staff and directors.
- Identify institutional vulnerabilities and directly request corrective action plans from department leads.
- The Executive Director retains final sign-off on executive priorities, and the Board of Directors retains ultimate structural approval of governance policies.
Selection Criteria
Essential
- Tertiary qualification in Social Sciences, Sociology, Public Policy, Governance, Law, International Relations, Business, or a related field, OR an equivalent combination of formal qualification and significant high-level professional experience (e.g., minimum 5 years in a specialized policy/compliance role).
- Deep understanding of One Mission Society Global’s global operations, structural alignment, and international ministry frameworks
- Demonstrated professional experience researching, drafting, and evaluating organizational policy manuals, risk matrixes, or compliance frameworks.
- Advanced analytical skills with a proven ability to interpret complex legislation, statutory frameworks, and ACNC governance standards.
- Strong written communication skills, specifically in drafting formal policy briefs, governance reports, and structural operational manuals.
- Proven capability to design and deliver educational training materials, translating complex regulations for diverse stakeholders and cross-cultural partners.
- High level of professional integrity, utilizing sound independent judgment and discretion when auditing financial and safeguarding practices.
- Full agreement with our organization’s Statement of Faith and core religious values is a mandatory requirement for this position. A copy of our Statement of Faith will be provided to shortlisted candidates upon request during the application process."
Desirable
- Prior experience analyzing compliance within an international parent-subsidiary organizational structure.
- Deep operational knowledge of ACNC Governance Standards and child safety/safeguarding frameworks.
- Experience working inside or supporting a charitable, faith-based, or not-for-profit entity.
Key Competencies
- Policy research & framework formulation [1]
- Regulatory risk analysis & compliance auditing [1]
- Cross-border governance oversight [1]
- Structural training curriculum design & facilitation [1]
- Strategic analytical thinking [1]
- Intercultural communication & relationship management [1]
Success Measures
- Institutional alignment with all current Australian non-profit legislation and ACNC governance metrics.
- Seamless integration and compliance tracking of overseas ministry partner distributions.
- Comprehensive delivery of policy training, resulting in measurable governance capability across all part-time staff.
- Timely, highly detailed risk reports and policy recommendations provided to executive leadership.
Pay: $80,006.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
