Position Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Location: Canberra, ACT
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Organisation: Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC)
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary: $130,000

About CRCC

The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) is dedicated to supporting victim-survivors of sexual assault and their families through crisis counselling, advocacy, and community education. We are committed to eliminating sexual violence through survivor-led practices and trauma-informed care.

Position Summary

CRCC is seeking a strategic and hands-on Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead and consolidate our corporate functions including finance, insurance, human resources, data management, IT, legal, facilities, contracts, governance, risk, and administration under a unified operational framework.

This senior leadership role is integral to driving efficiency, strategic alignment, compliance, and accountability across the organisation’s corporate services, supporting the delivery of trauma-informed programs and services.

The COO will oversee strategic planning, risk management, corporate policies and processes, reporting, and compliance and provide operational leadership across contracts, data governance, legal, and facilities management, ensuring CRCC’s infrastructure is robust, scalable, ethical, and aligned with our core values.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and Operational Oversight

Lead the design and implementation of a centralised operational and strategic planning framework, aligning all corporate functions with CRCC’s mission and long-term goals.

Oversee the development, review, and implementation of corporate policies, procedures, and risk management frameworks.

Ensure finance, HR, data, IT, legal, insurance, contracts, and facilities are coordinated and responsive to service needs.

Support the CEO and Leadership Team with organisational-wide planning and reporting.

Governance and Reporting

Provide operational leadership in supporting the CEO and Board, including preparation and oversight of governance reporting on budget, HR, risk, compliance, and operations.

Ensure effective systems for corporate reporting, data integrity, and operational transparency.

Lead initiatives to align legal, policy, and reporting processes with sector standards and statutory obligations.

Finance, Insurance, HR

Lead the development of budgets, forecasts, and financial reports in collaboration with the CEO and Finance team.

Oversee insurance management and ensure financial compliance and organisational risk mitigation.

Ensure HR systems, performance management, and policies are ethical, trauma-informed, and legally compliant.

Enhance internal financial capability and systems to ensure accountability and support high-quality service delivery.

Contracts, Legal and Outsourcing

Manage and evaluate all contracts, outsourced corporate services, and legal arrangements, ensuring value for money, security, and ethical delivery.

Maintain oversight of contract negotiation, monitoring, and compliance, including for ICT providers, bookkeepers, consultants, and facilities services.

Ensure all legal and service agreements align with CRCC’s mission and regulatory requirements.

People and Team Leadership

Lead and support the general administration and corporate team.

Foster a culture of collaboration, professionalism, ethics, and trauma-informed leadership.

Mentor and support the corporate services team to achieve high performance and sector-leading standards.

Systems, Data, Facilities and IT

Oversee IT strategy, cybersecurity, information governance, and facilities management to ensure secure and scalable infrastructure.

Lead improvements in data quality, integration, and reporting to support funding, evaluation, and operational planning.

Ensure CRCC’s physical and digital environments support safe, confidential, and accessible service delivery.

Key Selection Criteria

Essential

Significant senior leadership experience in operations, governance, or corporate services, preferably within the not-for-profit, community, or human services sector.

Demonstrated leadership in finance, HR, policy, risk management, administration, or IT, with a track record of organisational reform or transformation.

Proven experience overseeing insurance, legal and financial processes, and driving compliance and risk mitigation.

Strong capability in leading high-performing teams, managing complex contracts, and improving operational systems.

Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and relationship management skills.

A demonstrated commitment to social justice, ethical practice, and trauma-informed principles in a gendered violence context.

Qualifications

Tertiary qualifications in business, finance, management, legal, public administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

Special Requirements

This is a woman-only position under s 33B (1) of the Discrimination Act 1991.

Must hold a valid Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration.

Willingness to work flexible hours, including some after-hours and weekend work, to meet community and stakeholder needs.

Current driver’s licence required.

For further information please contact Human Resources Manager, Jana Turk on [email protected].