Disability Project Officer

Are you passionate about improving the lives of people with disability, have personal experience and understand barriers people with a disability face? Do you see the good of the Catholic church and want to enable people with disability to experience all the church has to offer? Are you a team player who will take direction from the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service to take every opportunity to reduce barriers? Do you enjoy networking and collaborating with the vision and energy to drive outcomes?

We seek a part time Disability Projects Officer working 15 hours per week to take ownership of this valuable work.

The Disability Projects Officer undertakes projects as approved by the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service that promote the full participation of people with disability in the life of the Church, through collaboration with national and diocesan networks. The Office provides resources for people with disabilities to support their sacramental life, formation and education and advocates for people with disabilities within the Church.

The role

• Manage and deliver projects approved by the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service that deal with the promotion of the full participation of people with disability in the life of the Church.
• Provide advice to the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service, and other commissions and agencies as requested, on disability issues in the Church and society that relate to the full participation of people with disability.
• Provide a central point of contact for dioceses, parishes and other Church organisations to obtain resources and references to assist in the full participation of people with disability.
• Promote and administer the national networks of the Office as forums in Australia for people with disability, their families, and individuals and organisations, in raising awareness of their needs in participating in Church life.
• Promote the full participation of people with disability in the life of the Church through liaison with and advice to agencies of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, as well as provincial and diocesan-based Catholic agencies and ecumenical community-based groups.

To be successful

• A strong commitment to Catholic social teaching and the ethos of the Catholic Church as it relates to the participation of people with disability
• A sound knowledge and demonstrated experience of the issues that people with disability face in participating in Church life and broader society
• A demonstrated experience in working collaboratively with organisations in promoting the full participation of people with disability
• Excellent electronic, oral, and written communications skills, both in general terms and specifically with people with disability
• Experience in managing and delivering projects as part of a small team without direct supervision
• Experience of policy development.
• Sound relationship building and stakeholder engagement to build strong networks
• A sound knowledge in the use of personal computers, Microsoft 365 operating systems and Microsoft Office applications and web-based and social media platforms for promotional work.
• A tertiary qualification in a disability, teaching, theological or related discipline is desirable

For a copy of the position description or any other enquiries regarding this role please contact ******@catholic.org.au.

About Us

The Catholic Church in Australia is served by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (the Conference), the permanent collegial assembly of the Bishops of Australia. 

The General Secretariat exists to support the work of the Bishops Conference, which meets twice each year but is a permanent institution that operates between plenary meetings through the Permanent Committee and bishop’s commissions.

The Mission and Values of the Catholic Church of Australia are that work is for people, not people for work. Our Vision is that through work, individuals contribute to the common good and achieve fulfilment as human beings. The Church teaches that employees and employers are regarded as partners in their place of work and their respective roles. Mutual respect, esteem, and goodwill underpin the relationship between the employer and the employee. Employees are encouraged and enabled to see their work not merely as a source of income but as providing a service and a benefit to others in society.

Benefits

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is an equal employment opportunity employer and promotes and supports a family-friendly workplace, including flexible work options such as:

• Free onsite parking in Braddon
• Hybrid work-from-home options along with other flexibility provisions are available through our flexible work policy 
• Generous leave provisions including: 
• additional Christmas leave
• 14 weeks of paid parental leave
• study support and leave 
• paid retreat and formation leave

How to apply

Please submit a current resume along with a cover letter demonstrating your knowledge, skills and experience as aligned to the dot points in the “About You” section above.

Applications close at Midnight Sunday 14 April 2024.

Additional Information for Applicants

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is an equal employment opportunity employer and promotes and supports a family friendly workplace. The successful applicant must be eligible to work in Australia and may be required to provide a Working with Children Check or a suitable Police Check as part of the recruitment process.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference respects your privacy. In applying for this position, you will be providing the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference with personal including sensitive information. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance. Our privacy collection notice and Policy and Safeguarding Policy can be obtained by visiting www.catholic.au.