Work with us

It's an exciting time to join Uniting Communities. With a new organisational strategy recently launched, we're strengthening how we assure the quality of our services and how we use insight to support our leaders to deliver the best outcomes for the people and communities we serve.

We're seeking an accomplished Manager Quality Services to provide operational leadership of our quality assurance function and play a pivotal role in ensuring quality, risk and external audit compliance matters are progressed to effective and sustainable resolution.

If you're passionate about quality, enjoy leading people and want to see your work translate into genuine improvement across a diverse service environment, we'd love to hear from you.

Why Join Us?

At Uniting Communities, we believe that high-quality, safe and accountable services are fundamental to the difference we make in the communities we serve.

As we bring our new strategy to life, our Quality, Risk and Assurance team plays an important role in supporting service leaders, strengthening oversight and enabling a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity to:

• Lead meaningful work: Provide operational leadership of our quality assurance function and a program of service-level assurance activity.
• Make a genuine impact: Translate quality and assurance information into clear, decision-useful reporting for services and senior leadership.
• Lead a great team: Coach, support and develop our Quality Services Partners to apply constructive challenge and drive consistent practice.
• Partner with service leaders: Build trusted relationships, influence thinking and support leaders to resolve complex quality, risk and compliance matters.
• Coordinate external assurance: Be accountable for the coordination of external audits, accreditation and regulatory reviews across the organisation.
• Drive continuous improvement: Identify systemic themes and trends and recommend practical responses that lead to sustainable improvement.

You'll also enjoy the benefits of working for a purpose-driven South Australian organisation, including salary packaging opportunities to increase your take-home pay.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Quality, Risk and Assurance, you'll lead Uniting Communities' quality assurance function from our Franklin Street office in Adelaide, working through Quality Services Partners and in partnership with service leaders to strengthen service-level governance and oversight.

Operating as a second-line partner, you'll support, challenge and assure service management, while respecting the accountability of operational leaders for service quality, risk ownership, regulatory compliance and the completion of agreed actions.

Importantly, this role goes beyond tracking actions and coordinating audits. You'll help services understand what the data is telling them, identify systemic issues early and create the conditions for lasting improvement.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the operational delivery of our quality assurance approach, converting organisational frameworks, standards and priorities into a coordinated program of service-level assurance activity
• Coordinating external audits, accreditation, certification and regulatory reviews end to end, including audit readiness, evidence, auditor liaison and quality assurance of submissions
• Establishing and maintaining a consistent service governance meeting model, and coaching Quality Services Partners to facilitate effective forums
• Overseeing outstanding continuous improvements, feedback, incident and hazard actions and audit findings, applying risk-based follow-up and escalation protocols through to verified closure
• Overseeing accurate, timely and decision-useful quality and assurance reporting, dashboards and analysis that distinguish isolated events from systemic issues
• Leading risk-based service assurance activity aligned with the organisational internal audit program, and partnering with risk, policy, compliance, clinical governance and WHS functions
• Leading, coaching and developing the Quality Services Partners and other team members, building capability in audit readiness, governance facilitation and data interpretation

You'll lead a broad portfolio of work, with the opportunity to see your contribution reflected in stronger governance, more accountable services and better outcomes for the people we support.

About You

We're looking for an engaging, credible quality leader who brings a strong combination of assurance expertise, people leadership and the ability to turn complex information into clear insight.

You're someone who builds trusted relationships with operational leaders, provides constructive challenge with respect and confidence, and balances strategic thinking with disciplined delivery.

To be successful, you'll bring:

• Substantial experience leading quality assurance, audit readiness, accreditation or regulatory review activity in a complex service organisation
• Demonstrated experience coordinating external audits and driving corrective actions to effective closure
• Experience facilitating governance forums and translating data into clear management insight
• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching professionals and managing competing priorities
• Sound knowledge of contemporary quality management, assurance, continuous improvement and risk-based oversight
• Strong influencing, stakeholder management and high-level written communication skills, with the ability to provide constructive challenge and escalate concerns respectfully and decisively
• Demonstrated culturally respectful practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, or the capacity to develop this capability
• A relevant tertiary qualification in quality, governance, risk, compliance, audit, health, human services or a related discipline, or equivalent substantial professional experience

Knowledge of aged care, disability, community services, mental health or other regulated human services, including the Aged Care and NDIS quality standards, will be highly regarded. A Lead Auditor qualification, formal training in people leadership and experience with GRC software and assurance reporting systems are also desirable.

A National Police Check, Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening Check and a current unrestricted Driver's Licence are required.

About Uniting Communities

Uniting Communities is a leading South Australian not-for-profit organisation supporting more than 80,000 people annually. We are committed to creating inclusive communities where every person feels respected, valued and empowered to live their best life.

Ready to Apply?

If you're a quality leader looking for an opportunity to lead meaningful work, strengthen service governance and make a lasting difference, this could be your next opportunity.

Join us at an exciting time, where you'll work alongside a great team, contribute to important organisational priorities and help shape how our services learn, improve and thrive.

Apply today and help shape the future of quality at Uniting Communities.

Uniting Communities is an equal opportunity employer committed to a safe, inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.