Executive Director, Evidence Based Practice
We are seeking an inspiring and values-driven leader to lead the development, expansion and activation of evidence-informed practice across our Child, Youth & Family Services portfolio. This is an opportunity to influence practice at scale, strengthen service quality, and champion innovative approaches that create meaningful and lasting impact.
About the Organisation
At Life Without Barriers, we deliver inclusive, trauma-informed services that support children, young people, families, and carers to thrive.
From foster care, family support, residential care and youth programs, we work alongside communities to create safe, supportive environments where every child and young person can reach their potential.
Join us to discover a purpose you can wrap your heart around!
About the Role
Employment type : Permanent Full Time
Location: Flexible, anywhere in Australia
Reporting to the Deputy Chief Executive – Child, Youth & Family, the Executive Director – Evidence Based Practice will lead strategic practice development, implementation of evidence-based frameworks, and professional capability uplift across a large and diverse national service environment.
This executive role is responsible for driving a culture of reflective, evidence-informed practice that improves outcomes for children, young people, families, and carers within Life Without Barriers and the sector more broadly.
Providing strategic leadership across practice design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement, ensuring services are aligned to contemporary research, the CARE model, and Life Without Barriers’ Practice Framework.
Key responsibilities include:
About You
You are a respected and experienced executive leader with deep expertise in child protection, out-of-home care, family support, or related human services sectors.
You bring a strong practice lens, exceptional stakeholder engagement capability, and a demonstrated ability to lead evidence-informed change across large, multidisciplinary environments.
To be successful, you will have:
Please review the full position description at the bottom of the advert for more information.
Why Join Life Without Barriers?
At Life Without Barriers, our purpose is to partner with people to change lives for the better. We are committed to creating positive, lasting outcomes for the people and communities we support.
We offer:
How to Apply
Include your resume and cover letter in one document, click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts. For any enquiries relating to the position, contact tracy.dallas@lwb.org.au
We will not accept emailed applications, please follow the prompts to apply.
Candidates with disabilities who require adjustments to the recruitment process or the application form in an alternate format can visit https://www.lwb.org.au/careers/ for information on our access and inclusion work and how to contact us directly.
Application closing date is midnight Tuesday 9th of June 2026.
We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.
The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) has been providing outstanding care for Victoria's children and their families for over 147 years.
We are the major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria and our care extends to children from Tasmania, southern New South Wales and other states around Australia and overseas.
With a passionate, highly skilled and committed staff campus wide of over 5,000, we provide a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and young people.
We are the designated state-wide major trauma centre for paediatrics in Victoria and a Nationally Funded Centre for cardiac and liver transplantation.
When it comes to training and research we partner with the very best. Our campus partners, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) and The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, along with the RCH Foundation, are on site with the hospital in Parkville. Together, we are committed to improving the health outcomes for children today and in the future.
In 2016–17, more than 85,654 children attended our Emergency Department, 322,291 specialist clinic appointments were held which was almost 70,000 more than the previous year, more than 17,000 surgeries were performed and more than 48,552 children were admitted to our wards.
