Job Description

A little bit about us:

Barunga Village is an innovative and ever-growing organisation offering retirement, community and residential services.

As one of the largest employers in our region, our services reach the wider Mid North and Yorke Peninsula areas.

Our purpose is to support our consumers to live the best life possible.

About the Role:

The Community Manager is responsible to the Director of Community Services for the day-to-day operational performance of Community Services. The role provides operational leadership across service delivery, workforce capacity, rostering and Service Support functions, ensuring services are coordinated, responsive, efficient and delivered in accordance with organisational, funding and regulatory requirements.

The Community Manager is the operational second point of leadership within Community Services. The role translates strategic and portfolio priorities established by the Director into effective day-to-day operations, resolves operational issues at the appropriate level and escalates significant clinical, financial, workforce, quality, compliance or organisational risks to the Director.

The position is accountable for operational outcomes, including appropriate delegation through the Service Support team and Direct Care Leader while maintaining oversight of accuracy, timeliness, performance and follow-through.

Summary of position:

The Community Manager leads the operational coordination of Community Services, bringing together service demand, rostering, workforce capacity and administrative processes. The role works closely with Care Partners, the Direct Care Leader, Service Support and Finance to support continuity of services, effective utilisation, timely client onboarding and discharge, accurate operational reporting and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership across Community Services and act as the primary operational escalation point before matters require Director-level involvement. Oversee rostering, scheduling, cancellations, unfilled services and service delivery capacity, ensuring operational issues are identified early and addressed. Monitor regional service capacity, workforce availability, utilisation, travel requirements, service gaps and continuity risks, and coordinate operational responses. Oversee operational referral, intake, client onboarding, service commencement, service changes and discharge workflows in collaboration with Care Partners and Service Support. Ensure operational workflows and data are accurate, timely and consistently maintained, including operational discharge processes. Work with Care Partners and Service Support to identify and resolve service delivery barriers, while ensuring care delivery decisions and escalation remain within the appropriate governance arrangements. Ensure Community operational processes and procedures are consistently applied and service delivery meets agreed standards and client requirements.

Person specifications:

Essential qualifications and experience

• Diploma in community services, health, business, management or a related discipline, or substantial equivalent experience in operational management. Demonstrated experience leading operational service delivery in aged care, disability, community services, health or another complex service environment. Demonstrated people leadership experience, including performance management, coaching, workforce planning and managing operational priorities through others. Demonstrated experience using operational data, systems and performance measures to identify issues, make decisions and improve service outcomes.

Desirable qualifications and experience:

• Experience in home care or community aged care services, including Support at Home and/or CHSP.
• Knowledge of community aged care funding, reporting and regulatory requirements. Experience with rostering, workforce utilisation, service capacity planning and geographically dispersed workforces. Experience with Community service management systems, PRODA, DSS reporting and/or similar government reporting environments. Experience implementing operational improvement initiatives or service changes.

Core competencies:

• Strong operational judgement and ability to make timely decisions within delegated authority. Ability to lead through others, delegate effectively and maintain accountability without unnecessarily centralising transactional work. Strong interpersonal, stakeholder management and written and verbal communication skills. Ability to analyse service, workforce and performance data and translate information into practical operational action. Ability to prioritise competing demands, manage escalation and maintain service continuity in a complex environment. Sound understanding of how utilisation, capacity and operational decisions affect financial performance. Demonstrated commitment to quality, continuous improvement, client experience and Barunga Village values.

Special conditions:

• Current motor vehicle licence is required. Commitment to travel across Community Services regions as operationally required. Some out-of-hours work may be required to meet operational requirements.
• The position operates within delegations and escalation pathways established by the Director of Community Services and Barunga Village. Duties and responsibilities should not be considered definitive and may be modified, in consultation with the employee, as organisational requirements change.

Some of the work perks: