The Emergency Relief Hub Team Lead is responsible for the effective leadership, coordination and delivery of SECL’s Emergency Relief hubs across multiple local government areas (LGAs). The role ensures hubs operate as safe, inclusive, culturally responsive and welcoming environments where individuals and families experiencing financial hardship can access immediate support, referrals, and pathways to longer‑term assistance.
The Emergency Relief Hub Lead provides:
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Leadership and professional support to Emergency Relief hub staff and volunteers, promoting best practice, wellbeing, and capability development
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Oversight of Emergency Relief service delivery, ensuring consistency, quality, and compliance across all hubs
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Place‑based, trauma‑informed service coordination that responds to local community needs and emerging demand
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Partnership development with councils,community organisations, service providers, and government stakeholders to strengthen referral pathways and integrated support
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Operational management, reporting and compliance, ensuring funding requirements, data collection, and organisational policies are met
The role champions SECL’s commitment to financial well-being, housing stability, multicultural inclusion, and social justice, ensuring Emergency Relief hubs serve as a critical entry point for community members seeking immediate assistance and ongoing support.
Key Responsibilities
A. Leadership & Hub Management
- Provide professional leadership, mentoring, and day‑to‑day support to facilitators, volunteers, and placement students.
- Ensure all Emergency Relief hubs operate with consistent standards, policies, safety protocols, and high‑quality, trauma‑informed service delivery.
- Lead team meetings, reflective practice sessions, and continuous improvement activities focused on client safety, dignity, and service effectiveness.
- Build staff capability through coaching, training, and identification of professional development needs, including emergency relief, financial hardship, and crisis response.
- Foster a positive, collaborative, and culturally safe team environment that upholds SECL values and supports staff wellbeing.
B. Emergency Relief Service Delivery & Program Oversight
- Oversee coordinated Emergency Relief service delivery across multiple hubs, ensuring services are responsive to local community needs and demand trends.
- Lead the planning and implementation of Emergency Relief programs, outreach activities, and
community-based support initiatives.
- Ensure hubs deliver effective intake, assessment, eligibility checking, information provision, referrals, and soft‑entry pathways into SECL services (including financial counselling, housing, settlement, employment, and family support).
- Implement and maintain systems for data collection, reporting, evaluation and impact measurement in line with funding requirements.
- Maintain a strong, evidence‑based understanding of community needs, emerging hardship trends, and service gaps across all LGAs.
C.Community Engagement & Partnership Development
- Build and sustain strong partnerships with councils, Emergency Relief networks, neighbourhood houses, community organisations, multicultural groups, and local service providers.
- Engage community members, stakeholders, and service partners to co‑design and co‑deliver responsive Emergency Relief initiatives.
- Represent SECL at Emergency Relief networks, inter‑agency forums and local partnership meetings.
- Identify and develop referral pathways and service partnerships that enhance Emergency Relief access, coordination, and client outcomes.
D.Volunteer & Student Coordination
- Recruit, induct, train, supervise, and support volunteers and student placements supporting Emergency Relief service delivery.
- Ensure safe, ethical, respectful, and values‑aligned volunteer practices consistent with Emergency Relief standards.
- Provide clear role expectations, appropriate training, and ongoing support to volunteers working with clients experiencing hardship or crisis.
E.Operational & Compliance Responsibilities
- Ensure Emergency Relief hubs operate in accordance with funding agreements (e.g. ER, community grants), organisational policies, and service standards.
- Maintain strong administrative and operational systems, including rostering, reporting, resource management, stock control, and budget oversight.
- Uphold and model best practice in child safety, privacy, risk management, financial controls, and WHS compliance.
- Contribute to funding applications, program evaluations, audits, tender responses and strategic planning as required.
‘Does this sound like you?’, if ‘yes’, answer the Key Selection Criteria question below:
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in community services, social work, community development,
social sciences, multicultural services, or equivalent experience.
- Experience coordinating or leading community‑based services, including Emergency Relief, community hubs, or multi‑site programs.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise and support staff, volunteers, and/or students, and contribute to a positive, collaborative team culture.
- Experience working with people experiencing financial hardship, crisis, or vulnerability, including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
- Strong partnership‑building and stakeholder engagement skills across the community
organisations, government, and service providers.
- Well‑developed communication and interpersonal skills, including de‑escalation, conflict resolution, and community engagement.
- Strong organisational skills, with experience managing competing priorities, multi‑site service delivery, and service coordination.
- Capability to collect, analyse, and report data, meet compliance and funding requirements, and contribute to service evaluation and improvement.
- High level of digital literacy, including confidence using CRMs, data systems, and Microsoft applications.
- Values‑driven, culturally responsive and trauma‑informed, with a strong commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice.
- Flexible and able to work across multiple locations, with availability for occasional evening or weekend work.
- Current Working with Children Check, National Police Check, and a valid driver’s licence.
What is in it for you
- Be part of an organisation actively working for social justice
- Use your skills to influence systems.
- Hybrid working arrangements
- Paid parental leave
- Additional leave during Christmas and Easter
- Salary packaging and leave loading
- Have fun with a passionate workforce that is diverse and inclusive
Special Requirements
- Ability to travel regularly across Waverley, Monash, Greater Dandenong, and Cardinia Emergency Relief hubs.
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends to support community events, outreach, or service demand.
As part of our commitment to child safety and to supporting vulnerable individuals, all
successful candidates will be required to complete Safety Screening checks
before commencing employment. This includes a national police record check
and a valid Working with Children Check.
For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Desiree Kisnorbo, Head of People and
Partnership, at dkisnorbo@secl.org.au or 0423 309 967.
SECL embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We know that getting this right underpins our organisation’s values of inclusion, equality, compassion, dignity, and choice. Our team
represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, which reflect the multicultural communities where we work. We strive to be a place-based service that welcomes people of all ethnicities to work, volunteer, or seek help.
