Team Leader - Regional Queensland

Do you lead with heart, and does your passion light up when people and rescue animals come together to change lives? If you're ready to bring your energy, empathy and genuine leadership to a team doing extraordinary work, this could be your paw-fect match! 

About Happy Paws Happy Hearts 

Happy Paws Happy Hearts (HPHH) exists to bring people out of social isolation through the magic of human-animal connection. 

With programs stretching from the ears to the tail of Australia, we bring vulnerable people together in small groups to build confidence, independence, social skills and vocational pathways — by caring for and training rescue animals in need. 

Through special partnerships with rescue organisations such as RSPCA Queensland, our participants connect with, train and socialise rescue animals who need them just as much as they need the animals. It's a program that changes lives - both two-legged and four-legged. 

About You 

We're looking for a leader with a heart as big as their vision for their team! Passion and purpose drive everything we do, so if you love bringing out the best in people, building a workplace culture your team is proud to belong to, and rolling up your sleeves alongside them, you'll feel right at home. 

Our ideal Team Leader is: 

• A natural people-leader who builds trust, confidence and connection within their team 

• Solution-focused, calm under pressure, and comfortable juggling competing priorities 

• Empathetic, compassionate and professional, with a genuine love for people and animals alike 

• A strong coach who enjoys helping others reach their potential 

• A confident communicator who can build relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders 

• A team player who thrives in a dynamic, ever-changing environment — no two days will be the same! 

• Resilient and steady, able to stay grounded and supportive when challenges arise 

• Highly organised, with the planning and time-management skills to keep rostering, admin and multiple sites running smoothly 

• Ready to hop on a plane when needed - travel to our regional Queensland sites is a core part of this role 

At HPHH, our leaders come from all walks of life. Your background, experience and individuality will add richness to our team, and we can't wait to see the impact you'll make. 

Why Join Us? 

We're building something special, and we want kind, capable leaders like you to help us do it. 

• A role where your leadership genuinely changes lives for people and animals alike 

• A fun, fast-paced and supportive work culture 

• Ongoing learning and development opportunities 

• Employee Assistance Program and wellness initiatives 

• Attractive not-for-profit salary sacrificing benefits 

• A rewarding career with flexible work arrangements 

• Daily tail wags, proud team moments, and the kind of job satisfaction that's hard to find elsewhere 

What Motivates You? 

If you're looking for a role with real purpose, a team that sees and values you, the autonomy to lead in your own way, and the chance to spend your working life on something that actually matters, helping people and animals thrive together - then we're the paw-fect fit. 

About the Role 

Based at the RSPCA Brisbane Animal Care Campus in Dakabin, The role is FTE 0.8, four days per week, and we can be flexible on which days. 

The Team Leader is responsible for leading a team of Program Trainers and ensuring delivery of our programs across our Queensland regional locations. The role involves coordinating staff, volunteers, facilities and shelter animals to ensure HPHH programs are delivered to a consistently high standard. 

This is a hands-on role, requiring facilitation of our suite of programs alongside managing day-to-day operations at our regional Queensland sites. You'll build and maintain close relationships with the RSPCA team and volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the HPHH sites. 

Some administration and reporting will also be required to support the effective management of participants and operations. You'll work closely with other onsite teams and be supported by an enthusiastic team of Program Trainers, set up to help you succeed. 

Our team has a passion for pets of all shapes and sizes, and through the training and rehabilitation of animals, your role is to be the glue that brings participants and animals together — providing the information, support and skills they need to succeed. We call this the 'magic'! 

Qualifications & Experience 

To be successful in this role, you will: 

• Be a dedicated and passionate leader who is solution-focused and can manage multiple priorities 

• Be empathetic, compassionate and professional 

• Demonstrate strong coaching skills that encourage people to reach their potential 

• Work well within a team, thrive on a challenge, and enjoy working in an ever-changing, fast-paced, dynamic environment 

• Possess exceptional people skills and the ability to build strong relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders 

• Be willing and able to travel regularly to regional Queensland locations, including flying to Mackay, as an ongoing requirement of the role 

• Have strong experience in the disability sector (essential) 

• Proven experience working with animals, gained within an animal shelter, rescue, or similar animal welfare environment, with a sound understanding of animal handling and welfare practices. 

• Have a minimum of 3 years' experience leading a team 

• Have experience with rostering, coordinating operations and leading passionate people 

• Hold, or have the ability to obtain, a Working with Children Check and NDIS Worker Screening Check 

People of all abilities are encouraged to apply, including those living with a disability. 

We're committed to diversity along all dimensions and believe the unique perspectives and contributions of all our team members drive our success. We welcome applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with a disability, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.