Chief Executive Officer

Willing & Able Foundation is seeking an experienced, values-driven Chief Executive Officer to lead its next stage of development.

For more than 60 years, Willing & Able has supported people with disability to build skills, participate in meaningful work, strengthen independence and contribute to the community.

We are a respected regional organisation with committed staff, diverse services and social enterprises, and strong Port Macquarie-Hastings community connections.

The opportunity

Reporting to the Board, the CEO will provide strategic, operational and cultural leadership across Willing & Able.

The role will be responsible for:

·         delivering the Board-approved strategy and operational priorities;

·         ensuring high-quality, safe and person-centred services;

·         strengthening supported-employment and community participation pathways;

·         leading financial sustainability, business performance and organisational improvement;

·         building a respectful, accountable and psychologically safe workplace;

·         maintaining strong governance, safeguarding, WHS and regulatory compliance; and

·         developing productive relationships with participants, families, employees, government, regulators, business partners and the wider community.

The CEO will lead with integrity, sound judgement and professional courage, managing complexity and providing the Board with clear, timely and candid advice.

About you

You will bring substantial senior leadership experience in disability, human services, not-for-profit management or a related environment.

You will demonstrate:

·         strong understanding of the NDIS, participant rights, safeguarding and person-centred practice;

·         experience working with a Board and supporting sound governance;

·         financial, commercial and service-sustainability capability;

·         leadership of people, culture, WHS and organisational change;

·         the ability to translate strategy into measurable outcomes;

·         strong stakeholder and community relationships; and

·         a commitment to inclusive, meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability.

Experience in regional service delivery, social enterprise, supported-employment transformation, culture improvement or restructuring will be highly regarded.

Our values

The CEO will actively model and promote Willing & Able’s values:

·         Friendship

·         Ability

·         Community

·         Contribution

·         Excellent Service to Customers

·         Self-Worth Self-Esteem

Why join Willing & Able?

This role directly impacts people, families, employees and the regional community.

You will have the opportunity to:

·         lead a respected, community-connected organisation;

·         work with an experienced Board;

·         shape inclusive employment and service pathways;

·         strengthen culture and sustainability; and

·         guide Willing & Able through a period of transition and opportunity.

How to apply

Please submit:

·         a current resume;

·         a cover letter outlining your interest in the role; and

·         a response addressing the essential selection criteria.

Applications should demonstrate achieved outcomes and alignment with Willing & Able’s purpose and values.

Willing & Able Foundation is committed to inclusion and welcomes applications from people with disability and people with lived experience of disability.

A comprehensive information pack, including the full role description, financial summary and latest Annual Report, is available on request.

Further enquiries can be addressed to Maria Doherty via:

Email: ••••@outlook.com
Mobile: 04•• ••• 822

Applications close on Friday 25th September 2026.

Position Purpose

The CEO provides strategic, operational and cultural leadership to ensure safe, high-quality, person-centred, financially sustainable and compliant services.

Working with the Board, the CEO implements strategy, leads the management team and workforce, strengthens employment and community participation pathways, and keeps participant and supported-employee rights, dignity, abilities and wellbeing central to decisions.

The CEO will build a respectful, accountable and psychologically safe culture, maintain key stakeholder relationships and uphold Willing & Able’s values.

The role also covers governance support, financial stewardship, risk, safeguarding, WHS, compliance, performance and continuous improvement.

Essential Criteria

1. Relevant tertiary qualifications in business, management, disability, human services, governance or a related discipline, with substantial senior executive experience in a complex service organisation.

2. Senior leadership in disability, human services and/or the not-for-profit sector, with strong knowledge of the NDIS Practice Standards, NDIS Code of Conduct, participant rights, supported decision-making, safeguarding and person-centred practice.

3. Knowledge of disability-sector reforms, including Disability Royal Commission recommendations and ongoing NDIS reforms.

4. Capacity to lead contemporary supported-employment reform, including transition pathways, customised and open employment, and social enterprise innovation.

5. Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, sound judgement and professional courage, including communicating difficult information clearly and promptly.

6. Ability to build psychologically safe and accountable workplaces, manage conflict and underperformance, clarify roles, consult workers and lead significant change.

7. Experience advising a Board, supporting governance and due-diligence obligations, working within delegated authority and reporting on risk, performance, compliance and emerging issues.

8. Ability to translate Board-approved strategy into measurable outcomes, prioritise competing demands, lead transformation and report transparently on progress and corrective action.

9. Experience in organisational budgeting, financial performance, cash flow, resource allocation and financial risk, including assessing service viability and recommending growth, restructuring, investment or closure.

10. Leadership of physical and psychosocial WHS, serious-incident response, worker consultation, risk controls and fair, evidence-based investigations.

11. Strong knowledge of obligations applying to an NDIS-registered charity and employer, including NDIS, ACNC, Corporations Act, Fair Work, WHS, privacy, employment and incident reporting.

12. Ability to build credible relationships with participants, families, workers, regulators, government, funders, businesses and community partners, with an understanding of regional service delivery.

13. Current NDIS Worker Screening Check and capacity to satisfy criminal-history, reference, probity and NDIS key-personnel suitability requirements.

14. Current NSW Driver’s licence.

Preferred Criteria

1. Regional leadership: Senior leadership in regional, rural or geographically dispersed services, including workforce attraction, stakeholder engagement and service continuity.

2. Social enterprise and commercial development: Experience developing, growing or restructuring social enterprises, supported-employment businesses or mission-aligned commercial operations.

3. Supported-employment transformation: Experience developing inclusive pathways, customised or open employment, skills development or transition-from-school programs.

4. Regulatory and audit experience: Leading NDIS audits, regulatory reviews, serious-incident responses or regulator engagement.

5. Lived-experience engagement and co-design: Working with people with disability through co-design, supported decision-making or advisory structures.

Behaviours Required

1. Integrity and transparency – Acts honestly and provides timely, accurate Board information.

2. Friendship and respectful relationships – Builds trust with participants, supported employees, families, staff and partners.

3. Ability and inclusion – Recognises each person’s strengths, choices and potential.

4. Community contribution – Promotes meaningful participation, employment and contribution within the local community.

5. Excellent service to customers – Maintains high standards of service, responsiveness, safety and continuous improvement.

6. Self-worth and self-esteem – Leads in ways that strengthen dignity, confidence, independence and a sense of belonging.

7. Psychological safety and wellbeing – Creates an environment where people feel safe to speak up, raise concerns, contribute ideas and seek support without fear of blame or retaliation.

8. Responsible leadership and governance – Uses evidence, consults affected people, manages change carefully and works within delegated authority.

9. Accountability and professional courage – Takes responsibility for decisions, addresses poor practice and gives frank advice to the Board.

Key Performance Indicators

Strategy and Board Accountability

·         Deliver at least 90% of Board-approved annual operational priorities within deadlines.

·         Provide timely Board papers and risk reporting.

·         Escalate material financial, safeguarding, WHS, workforce and regulatory issues promptly.

·         Complete an annual review of strategic and operational plans with the Board.

Financial Sustainability

·         Achieve the Board-approved annual operating result or explain and correct material variances.

·         Maintain liquidity and cash reserves within Board-approved thresholds.

·         Provide monthly business-unit profitability and contribution reporting.

·         Implement Board-approved actions for financially unsustainable services, including SIL and underperforming enterprises.

·         Ensure capital, lease and growth proposals include clear business cases and post-implementation reviews.

Participant Rights, Quality and Safeguarding

·         Achieve successful NDIS surveillance and certification audits, with non-conformities addressed within agreed timeframes.

·         Ensure reportable incidents are notified within statutory timeframes.

·         Complete incident investigations and corrective actions within agreed deadlines.

·         Maintain participant satisfaction at a Board-approved level, with action plans for negative or uncertain responses.

·         Demonstrate participant choice, supported decision-making and advocacy in service delivery.

·         Ensure Supported Independent Living services are safe, financially sustainable, rights-based and compliant with funding, safeguarding and quality requirements.

·         Demonstrate understanding of restrictive practice legislation, behaviour support governance and human-rights-based service delivery.

·         Ensure effective cyber-security, privacy and information-management systems, including data-breach response requirements.

WHS and Psychosocial Safety

·         Close SafeWork, audit and serious-incident corrective actions within agreed timeframes.

·         Consult workers regularly on physical and psychosocial risks.

·         Report monthly on incidents, hazards, workers compensation and overdue actions.

·         Implement controls following serious incidents and near misses.

·         Improve worker confidence in speaking up, management support and role clarity.

People, Culture and Leadership

·         Maintain staff satisfaction above a Board-approved target and track response rates and priority themes.

·         Complete performance and development reviews for eligible workers within the annual cycle.

·         Maintain required screening, training and onboarding compliance.

·         Reduce avoidable turnover, vacancies and unplanned absence.

·         Manage grievances, conduct and performance matters in a timely, fair and documented way.

·         Complete agreed actions arising from worker feedback and culture reviews.

Stakeholder and Community

·         Maintain effective relationships with participants, families, regulators, government, Council, employers and community partners.

·         Maintain participant consultation and co-design mechanisms so participant voices influence decisions, service design and continuous improvement.

·         Establish a Board-approved number of productive employment, training or social-procurement partnerships.

·         Respond to complaints and stakeholder concerns within agreed service standards.

·         Protect and strengthen Willing & Able’s regional reputation.

·         Provide evidence of community contribution and social impact.

Employment Outcomes and Social-Enterprise Transformation

·         Establish measurable employment and skills-development plans for supported employees.

·         Report progression in skills, responsibilities, qualifications and employment pathways.

·         Increase supported employees participating in open, customised, blended or community-based employment opportunities.

·         Review each social enterprise annually for mission impact, participant outcomes and financial sustainability.

·         Deliver the Board-approved supported-employment transformation plan.