CAPACITY BUILDING OFFICER

SydWest Multicultural Services is a leading organisation for cultural diversity issues responding to community needs and opportunities throughout Greater Western Sydney and more recently parts of the Inner West and City of Sydney. We help people of all ages and backgrounds live a better life through services including settlement; aged care; disability support; housing assistance; and programs for youth, women and families.

We are proud to have an inclusive, ethnically diverse and bilingual workforce sensitive to the needs of the communities we service and support.

Role Overview:

The Capacity Building Officer is funded through the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program. They will conduct a number of activities that build the capacity SydWest Multicultural Services to work effectively with permanent residents from participating countries across the Pacific and Timor-Leste who come under the Pacific Engagement Visa(PEV) programme. To achieve these goals, this position will actively participate in activities and initiatives that are recognised by SydWest MS and participate and contribute to external activities.

This will be a full time (35 hours per week) on a contract until 28 June 2024.

Key Accountabilities: 

• Comply with Activity Work Plan requirements.
• Coordinate needs assessment activities targeting Pacific communities in Blacktown and Penrith LGAs and communicate finding.
• Facilitate consultations with communities, service providers and stakeholders.
• Work with the Settlement and Community Programs Manager to identify and propose priority training to SydWest staff to build their knowledge and skills on how to deliver culturally appropriate supports to individuals and families from the Pacific and Timor-Leste communities.
• Coordinate the and implement leadership development activities targeting community leaders and influencers, religious leaders.
• Build and maintain working relationship and partnerships with community representatives, internal and external stakeholder to support the delivery of community engagement activities and identify employment/training opportunities. Service providers/stakeholder includes Services Australia, Blacktown City Council, Penrith City Council, Work Force Australia or equivalent, TAFE, AMEP providers, RTOs and Community Colleges, housing/accommodation provider, real estate etc.
• Effectively manage all budget items related to trainings and CAPACITY BUILDING to ensure spending is timely and in accordance with the funding body requirements.
• Maintain clear records and data on trainings, CAPACITY BUILDING initiatives and in collaboration with the Settlement Services Team Leaders.
• Support ad hoc projects that emerge from dynamic ongoing community engagement work as required by the SCEM.
• Actively participate in forums and interagency (PIMDAN,BMI, PMI, Refugee Health Coalition) focused on settlement.
• Support and assist SydWest MS students and volunteers if required.
• Comply with all regulatory, funding standards and SydWest MS policies and procedures, including Covid safe plan.
• Comply with all reporting requirements as directed by Team Leader.
• Participate in consultation, needs analysis, program development and evaluation as part of the Community Engagement Division as necessary.

Essential Criteria:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications including Social Work, Social Sciences or related experience.
• Two years' experience in CAPACITY BUILDING, settlement services,
• Demonstrated knowledge of challenges faced newly arrived refugees, humanitarian entrants and migrants in Australia with a specific focus on the Greater Western Sydney.
• Demonstrated experience in group and community engagement.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Pacific communities as  well as initiatives in Sydney Greater Western region.
• High level of interpersonal and communication skills with particular emphasis in the areas of advocacy, liaison, consultation, building effective relationships and teams, negotiation, conflict resolution and assertiveness to resolve issues and meet changing organisational needs.
• Proven ability to build rapport and maintain effective relationships with clients, peers and relevant agencies/key stakeholders towards gaining and maintaining sustainable employment opportunities
• Flexibility and readiness to lead new/multiple task that helps to achieve project’s goal
• Demonstrated ability to collectively work with people from a Culturally and linguistically Diverse Background to advocate on their behalf.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• High level time-management and organisational skills, decision making and capacity to identify, initiate and successfully manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality products within agreed timeframes, with attention to detail.
• High degree of analytical, written and strong negotiation skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of emerging community’s issues, ideally including those pertaining to newly arrived migrants, integration into local communities including employment issues.
• Demonstrated project planning, management and event experience, including budget management and the management of volunteers.

Desirable

• Prior experience in Sydney Greater Western region.
• Knowledge of the Western Sydney’s community trends.
• Knowledge of Pacific Communities.
• Experience in delivering and facilitating programs.
• Experience in project management.