Head of Corporate Services – Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga (NSW)

Located within Wiradjuri country in the Riverina and Yorta Yorta country in the southwestern district of New South Wales, the diocese of Wagga Wagga stretches from Khancoban in the east to Griffith and Yenda in the west.

Bishop Mark Edwards OMI PhD was appointed Bishop of Wagga Wagga and installed on 22 July 2020.

Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga (CEDWW) serves twenty-five primary schools and five secondary colleges. There are two Boarding facilities for students. This System of schools has around 8,500 students and employs about 1600 staff. CEDWW is seeking a dynamic, relational and skilled Head of Corporate Services to lead and manage the financial and business functions of the Catholic Education Office.

Working across this diocesan system of schools and supporting over 8,600 children, this position is critical in ensuring that our schools and staff receive the support and advice, resources and funding they need to deliver excellence in learning.

The Head of Corporate Services reports to the Director of Catholic Education and has a key role working closely with the Leadership Management Team to set the Strategic direction for Catholic Education.

As a member of the Leadership Management Team (LMT), and Executive Officer of the Catholic Education Council Finance, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, the Head of Corporate Services has responsibility for the financial, information technology, governance and capital works/facilities management functions of CEDWW.

The successful candidate will have experience in leading teams, projects and initiatives, and will have exceptional communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally.

As CEDWW continues to strive towards a system of excellence, a capacity for problem-solving, strategic thinking and responsiveness in an ever-changing environment are essential. The primary purpose of the role is to provide strategic and operational financial leadership by:

• providing strategic and operational support to the Director of Catholic Education to assist with the management of CEDWW.
• ensuring that CEDWW complies with government legislation and regulations
• keeping within the financial budgets and adhering to best practice, policies, processes
• providing leadership in financial administration to schools so that the practices of sound stewardship of resources are embedded throughout the diocese of Wagga Wagga
• ensuring systems are in place to effectively manage and maintain current building assets and future capital projects under the control of CEDWW.

The successful candidate will have the ability and proven experience to:

• play an active role in the development and implementation of the current and future strategies and objectives, ensuring that CEDWW makes the best use of its resources including consideration of financial implications of initiatives
• work with the Director or Catholic Education and Leadership Management Team to provide strong and sustainable long-term financial management of CEDWW, including development of financial strategies and goals
• lead and manage all business operations of CEDWW, ensuring that legislative and regulatory requirements are met
• promote a strong working relationship between CEDWW and the diocesan system of schools to deliver strong outcomes for the stakeholders
• encourage and maintain a climate of quality and excellence within CEDWW and the diocesan system of schools, and develop collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• model a positive approach to change.

Essential requirements:

• Tertiary qualification in Finance, Commerce or Accounting, preferably at a post-graduate level
• Chartered Accountant (CA) or CPA or equivalent
• Current Drivers Licence
• Current Working With Children Check
• Current National Criminal History Check
• A commitment to supporting and upholding the Catholic values and ethos

Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga has a zero tolerance of all forms of child abuse and actively works to listen to and empower students. CEDWW has policies and processes in place to protect students from abuse and takes all allegations and concerns seriously and responds in accordance with its policies and procedures.

The successful candidate will enter into an executive contract for a period of five years with an option to renew based on mutual agreement and subject to satisfactory performance appraisals.

To Enquire and Apply:

Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga has engaged Hutton Consulting Australia to assist with the search and selection process for this position.

Do not apply online for this role. Only suitably qualified candidates will be contacted.

For a confidential discussion regarding the application process and to obtain a candidate information pack, please contact Darren Roylett on 0488 001 064 or email darren.roylett@hutton.education or Rob Sieben on 0408 083 083 or email rob.sieben@hutton.education.

Applications must include a full cover letter (1 page), supporting documentation addressing the Selection Criteria outlined in the candidate information pack (maximum 2 pages), a detailed curriculum vitae and the contact details of three professional referees.

Closing date for applications is Monday 23 August, 2021 at 5:00pm.