Head of Community Engagement

About SCHF

Are you ready to join a team of unstoppable changemakers at one of Australia’s largest children’s charities and one of the largest children’s hospital foundations in the world? Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) is seeking people who think big, aim high and want to help bring about a groundbreaking new revolution in kids’ health. Working at SCHF goes beyond just being a job; it offers the opportunity to join a change-making and future-shaping team that is making incredible contributions and being part of something bigger. Following a year of exceptional fundraising achievements, we are experiencing growth.

🏆 Winner - Financial Review BOSS Best Place to Work 2026

🏆 Winner - Employer of Choice 2025 - HRD Awards

🏆 Winner - Australian HR Team of the Year 2025 - HRD Awards

🏆 Winner - Best Remote Work Strategy 2025 - HRD Awards

🏆 Winner - Best Workplace Flexibility Programme 2024 - HRD Awards

✔ Great Place To Work® Australia

Join us in our Movement of Many!

Our Vision is to foster a place where all children should have access to the best possible healthcare, whenever and wherever they need it. That’s why we’re on a mission to harness the power of philanthropy, bringing world-leading care to the front line and future of children’s health.

Here are a few things that we care about as a team at SCHF. Five simple Employee Value Proposition (EVP) values that guide our behaviour, inform our decisions, and help us do what we do, in a way that is authentically us.

• Care deeply
• Think big, aim high!
• Lift those around you
• Real meaning, actual change
• Be you

About the role

The Head of Community Engagement provides strategic, commercial and people leadership across SCHF’s Community Engagement portfolio, with accountability for delivering sustainable unrestricted revenue growth, growing and diversifying the supporter base, and maximising the performance and long-term value of SCHF’s community fundraising ecosystem.

The role will build an interconnected ecosystem of community supporters, fundraisers, schools, clubs, associations, peer-to-peer participants and community networks, creating multiple ways for people to enter, engage and deepen their relationship with SCHF over time.

Success extends beyond the income generated from an individual campaign or activity. The Head is accountable for increasing supporter lifetime value by improving acquisition, retention, repeat participation, cross-engagement and progression into other relevant forms of giving, advocacy and involvement with SCHF.

The Head is accountable for building and developing a high-performing Community Engagement team, strengthening capability, confidence and commercial acumen through coaching, clear priorities and development pathways. The role will proactively identify the skills, structure and resourcing needed to scale the portfolio, bringing forward evidence-led recommendations aligned to sustainable revenue growth.

Job Responsibilities:

Portfolio Leadership

• Develop and implement an overarching Community Engagement strategy aligned with SCHF’s organisational and philanthropy priorities.
• Translate the strategy into clear annual operating plans, financial targets, performance measures, and team priorities.
• Establish a clear portfolio architecture across community fundraising products, audiences and channels, balancing mature, emerging and new opportunities.
• Assess portfolio performance and recommend where SCHF should scale, optimise, test, reposition or discontinue activity.
• Provide strategic advice and clear recommendations to senior leadership, including the financial upside, resource requirement, risks, trade-offs, and opportunity cost.
• Build clear governance, decision-making, and accountability across the portfolio.

Commercial Growth, Financial Management and Portfolio Performance

• Lead the commercial and financial performance of the Community Engagement portfolio, driving revenue growth, profitability and long-term sustainability.
• Develop and deliver multi-year growth strategies, annual budgets, forecasts and revenue projections.
• Monitor portfolio performance, identifying risks, opportunities and initiatives to maximise income and supporter engagement.
• Analyse product and channel performance, including ROI, acquisition, retention and lifetime supporter value.
• Build business cases for new products, partnerships and investment opportunities to support future growth.
• Partner with Finance and Community Engagement leaders to deliver accurate reporting, forecasting and financial accountability.
• Provide strategic recommendations on performance, investment priorities and growth opportunities.

Supporter Ecosystem, Product Development and Innovation

• Build and grow an interconnected supporter ecosystem that strengthens engagement, retention and long-term value.
• Optimise the end-to-end supporter journey, creating pathways across fundraising, volunteering, advocacy and giving programs.
• Develop strategies to increase supporter lifetime value through acquisition, retention, engagement and progression.
• Lead the development and optimisation of community fundraising products to improve participation, supporter experience and financial return.
• Use data, insights and test-and-learn approaches to identify growth opportunities and scale successful initiatives.
• Collaborate with Brand, Digital, Data and Fundraising teams to deliver innovative, supporter-led products and campaigns.
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making.

Management and Leadership

• Provide inspiring, values-led leadership to build a high-performing, inclusive and supporter-focused Community Engagement team.
• Translate strategy into clear objectives, operational plans, KPIs and revenue targets, ensuring strong execution and accountability.
• Lead, coach and develop team members, strengthening capability in fundraising, relationship management, product development and supporter stewardship.
• Drive workforce planning, succession planning and talent development to support sustainable portfolio growth.
• Manage team performance, engagement, and employee lifecycle in line with SCHF policies and values.
• Contribute as a member of the Leadership Team, partnering across the organisation to deliver strategic priorities and outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with colleagues, supporters, suppliers, and external stakeholders to foster collaboration and success.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications preferred.
• At least one year line management experience with a minimum 8 years’ experience in a similar fundraising, project management or event planning role.
• Experience with executing fundraising programs, campaigns or events utilising techniques and strategies outlined in job specific responsibilities.
• Ability to work positively and effectively as part of a collaborative work team.
• Excellent written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to negotiate, be persuasive, develop trust and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders.
• High level computer skills in the Microsoft Office suite and previous experience using CRM databases (Salesforce preferred).
• Demonstrated relevant experience in program development for major fundraising events and activities with evidenced success in meeting revenue targets and deadlines.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the demonstrated capacity to develop authentic relationships through optimising key relationships across extensive networks and contacts.
• Proven professional project management skills - including leadership, negotiation, scheduling, cost identification and control, contract management, risk management.
• Proven ability to think strategically and act collaboratively to achieve results.
• High level ability to develop and implement strategic and operational plans, project plans, policies and procedures that deliver agreed outcomes.

Our Proposal to You:

We are pleased to offer a competitive full-time salary of up to $150k plus super for this position. We believe in recognising and rewarding the valuable contributions of our team members.

• Along with competitive salaries, enjoy salary packing with charity-sector tax exemptions, allowing you to enjoy more take-home pay.
• SCHF will provide 2% additional superannuation to help take care of your future.
• At SCHF, we are all about that flex with a choice of 3 office locations (CBD, Randwick, and Westmead), remote working, and flexible working hours.
• SCHF has a host of amazing leave benefits including 2 weeks of compassionate leave, public holiday swaps and 26 weeks parental leave (primary and secondary carers).
• There’s a chance to be a real-life digital nomad, working from a different location, including overseas, for up to 3 months.
• Each career journey is unique. With our Learning Program benefits you can access 5 learning leave days to attend trainings, $1,500 learning dollars per financial year to support your learning goal and access to our Online Learning Library to enrol in online courses.
• To support you in your wellness journey, our Wellness Program includes a range of benefits to fit diverse needs like access to $500 wellness dollars per financial year to spend on a wellness initiative that suits your needs or Fitness Passport to have access to a multitude of facilities to workout.
• We focus on mental health support with free training and tools, as well as relief and support resources.

At SCHF, you’ll have a richer, more meaningful job with the chance to create change at scale, knowing that what you do every day improves the lives of sick kids and shapes the front line and the future of kids’ health.

Acknowledgement of First Nations people

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognises their continuous connection to country, community, and culture. We are committed to helping to close the gap to achieve equality in health and life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As such, if you require any adjustments to submit your application, please get in touch with us at careers@schf.org.au