Community Capacity Officer

 

Application Close Date: 11:59pm on 06 September 2026

At Penrith City Council, it's not about having to choose.

Life with us is the best of both worlds.

                       

 

We are looking for a Community Capacity Officer to join the team. If you care deeply about the power of robust social structures to improve community outcomes, are proactive and driven, can do the work on the ground and contribute to planning and vision, and are curious and deeply relational, this is the role for you. 

 

What we offer you 

 

• Generous Annual Salary:  $111,341 -  $128,882 + Super
• Flexible Working Arrangements 
• Working Location: Penrith Civic Centre  
• The best of both worlds – click here to learn more
• Opportunities to contribute to projects that create lasting impact across our City  
• Exposure to diverse portfolios and broad stakeholder networks  
• Ongoing learning and professional development opportunities  
   

Here’s what you’ll be up to…

This professional role is diverse and can have multiple, changing portfolios over time. Capacity building includes, but is not limited to, working with community services sectors and government to deliver outcomes for children, young people, senior residents; support culturally diverse communities and people living with disabilities, as well as other residents experiencing disadvantage. We coordinate training and grant delivery opportunities across all sectors.

In this role you can expect to:

 

• Coordinate networks and sector interagencies
• Coordinate community events, sector activities and capacity-building programs
• Oversee the implementation of key Council strategies and action plans 
• Deliver community engagement and develop reports, strategic documents, submissions, advocacy positions and recommendations that inform decision-making. 
• Coordinate strategic projects and partnerships.
• Deliver community grant funding programs and initiatives 
• Build strong relationships with the community services sector, community members, government agencies and other stakeholders.

 

Who we are (And why you’ll love us)

The Community Capacity Team strengthens the social infrastructure of Penrith by building trusted relationships, strengthening the capability of the community sector, investing in community-led initiatives and raising the collective voice of the community services sector through strategic advocacy.

Through strategic coordination, we enable communities and organisations to respond to emerging challenges while building a more connected, inclusive and resilient city.

The work of the Community Capacity Team is centred around five key priorities: 

 

• Connection and collaboration 
• Strategic planning 
• Capacity building 
• Social Investment  
• Advocacy and advice

Our aspiration is to be the most connected, interactive, and coordinated sector in the West. This is not just a good intention statement but rather an intentional approach to resilience grounded in the Social Capital framework.

 

About the culture of the team 

We are a supportive, high-performing team that values curiosity, collaboration, trust, relationships, diversity, humility and continuous learning. We encourage people to bring fresh ideas, ask questions and contribute to solutions that make a difference. Whether we are coordinating community initiatives, drafting strategies, developing advocacy positions or delivering sector events, we celebrate shared successes and support one another along the way.

 

• We want to be highly effective and be remembered as a team that really cared about social justice.
• When you join our team, you join a team that is committed to the work and to each other. We work hard and have fun. We celebrate and learn together. We encourage robust conversations.

 

 

 Check out our Position Description to learn more about this role.  

 

What are we looking for?

We're looking for someone who enjoys working across a diverse range of projects and stakeholders, is highly relational, can work independently but thrives in collective projects, can move from vision to action and is deeply committed to social justice.

We want our next team member to be:

 

• Proactive and driven– actively contributes to discussions, develops proposals, looks for and finds answers, asks questions. Keen to continuously improve the way we work and keeping up to date with trends and research.
• Strategic– able to do the work on the ground and contribute to planning and vision for the team. Able to identify strategic synergies across the organisation but also more broadly.
• Curious – interested to keep on learning and exploring different ways of doing things.
• Relational – interested and able to build meaningful, intentional and purposeful relationships across the sector and within Council.

 

The must-know bits

 

You will be required to undertake employment checks, which may include a Criminal History Check, Qualification Check, Working with Children Check, Medical Declaration and/or a Functional Test, as relevant to the position for which you have applied.

 

Where a Criminal History Check is required and has returned a result that indicates disclosable court outcomes, you will be required to provide a copy of the report to Penrith City Council, for review, to progress through the recruitment process.

 

Ready to make work feel less like… work?

 

If you’re nodding along and already picturing your first day, submit your application by hitting ‘Apply Now’.

 

Before applying for this role, please read the detailed Position Description attached - it provides more information about the organisation, the role, and who we're looking for.

Applications must be submitted by the close date with the following:

•    A copy of your CV (no more than 2 pages)
•    A cover letter addressing the selection criteria (1-2 pages)

Applicants who do not meet the essential criteria will not be considered.

 

We’ve got an opportunity, you’ve got talent… Let’s talk.

For more information, contact Marcela Hart, Community Capacity Lead, on 4732 8564. 

 

Council is a Child Safe Organisation. For more information about this, please see our website.

 

At Penrith City Council, we believe the best of both worlds means embracing the unique perspectives, backgrounds and experiences that make our City and our organisation vibrant. We are committed to building a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and supported and welcome applicants from people of all backgrounds, abilities and identities.