Chief Operating Officer

Would you like:

• The opportunity to join one of Australia’s most innovative, entrepreneurial and fastest growing charitable organisations in a leadership role?
• A stimulating role working in the healthcare not-for-profit sector where you are constantly learning and meeting new challenges?
• The chance to work with inspiring, dedicated and curious colleague from both Australia and overseas in an energising, fast-paced and entrepreneurial environment?
• Meaning and purpose in your work because you are helping people suffering from mental illness to get well by making new and innovative treatments available to them?

If this is you, then please apply for this exciting opportunity!

Position Summary

We are looking for an outstanding results-driven and detail-oriented Chief Operating Officer to join our diverse team! You will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations, managing staff performance and contributing to our future strategy. 

The COO will be a key member of our leadership team. This dedicated leader will be extremely hands-on and develop and maintain control of key business operations. The COO will be an experienced and efficient leader with excellent people skills, business acumen, and an exemplary work ethic. The ideal individual will also be a strategic planner with the essential ability to specify, strategize and define opportunities.

You will be open to new perspectives and better ways to do things and be a creative, lifelong learner and an organisational productivity genius.

If you have great people skills, excellent business, entrepreneurial, strategic, not-for-profit, events and fundraising acumen, experience in the healthcare, medical or mental health fields, empathy, a big heart, are self-driven and have outstanding work ethics, we would love to hear from you!  

About Us

Mind Medicine Australia (www.mindmedicineaustralia.org) is a registered charity that helps to alleviate the suffering caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. We are building the ecosystem for establishing safe and effective psychedelic-assisted treatments to cure a range of mental illnesses.

Mind Medicine Australia is headed by social sector philanthropists and entrepreneurs Tania de Jong AM and Peter Hunt AM. 

The organisation has grown strongly since its establishment two years ago and involves a core team based in Melbourne, a large number of volunteers, Chapters of Mind Medicine Australia in over 25 locations across Australia and New Zealand, a Board of Directors drawn from relevant sector leadership roles and Ambassadors and Advisory Panel Members comprising psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacologists, researchers and other Sector leaders from both Australia and overseas.

The organisation has four core strategies: awareness building and education; the development of a world class psychedelic-assisted therapies training program (we have approximately 100 students going through the program this year); the promotion of a Centre for Emerging Mental Health Therapies with a major university(s); and all the logistics involved with rolling out these new treatments (regulatory barriers, legal and ethical frameworks, protocols, standard operating practices, training manuals, clinic rollouts, trials, building the economic case and so on).

Role

Reporting to the Executive Director and Chair (The Strategic Visionaries who work for the organisation full time on a probono basis) and subject to their strategic directions, you will lead the overall team (which includes employees, contractors, volunteers and Chapter leaders), manage, develop and streamline our processes and systems and run day-to-day operations, empower and inspire our people to reach their maximum potential and productivity and secure funding, partners and supporters for our charity. 

You’ll join at an exciting period of growth for our organisation and play a critical role in introducing innovative new programs and treatments for mental illnesses that have the potential to heal millions of those who are suffering.

Primary Purpose and Responsibilities

• Oversees and takes responsibility for daily operations and the work of all team members (Events, Administration, IT, Marketing, Fundraising, Finance, Chapter management etc.) and make adjustments as necessary, ensuring the organization is consistently “rowing” together in the same direction
• Develops and implements organisational strategies, plans and procedures to maximise effectiveness
• Develops comprehensive goals for performance and growth and collaborates with and stay on the same page with the Strategic Visionaries at all times
• Brainstorms and translates the Strategic Visionaries’ ideas into functional plans for the organisation
• Effectively resolves issues - must be comfortable with conflict, addressing hard

issues and solving problems in a practical and healthy manner

• Establishes policies that promote organisational culture and vision. The right candidate will have an instinctive ability to recognize, retain, and respect the talent within the organization, and help guide employees and volunteers to reach their full potential through support and mentorship, and to move people on in a respectful way when necessary.
• Manages, inspires and holds our small multidisciplinary team accountable for achieving agreed-upon commitments and deadlines to achieve outstanding performance 
• Evaluates performance by analyzing and interpreting data and metrics through weekly reports from team members and other data
• Writes and submits weekly and monthly updates and reports on all matters of importance in an agreed manner required by the Strategic Visionaries 
• Works with and leverages from the Strategic Visionaries, Board and team members to execute and take responsibility for fundraising initiatives and expansion activities (donors, partnerships, diverse projects, chapters etc.), including bringing forward opportunities to increase revenue, reduce costs and increase funding resilience throughout the organization, all while improving efficiency
• Ensures all essential processes and systems in the business are consistently running like clockwork
• Cultivates and manages healthy relationships with strategic partners and suppliers that get the best out of those relationships
• Consistently demonstrates a passion for values alignment, focus, simplicity and clarity across the organization

Requirements

• At least 10 years of experience as General Manager, Chief of Staff, Operations Manager, Chief Operating Officer or similarly relevant roles, especially in the charity/NFP, health/medicine and/or start-up sectors
• Varied experiences and responsibilities in overseeing all key organisational functions such as HR, Finance, Processes and Systems Development, IT, Events, Communications and Marketing  strongly preferred 
• Demonstrable competency in strategic planning and organisational development
• Demonstrated experience and success in fundraising and partnerships
• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics
• Working knowledge of IT/Business infrastructure, Accounting and MS Office
• Adept at transitioning seamlessly from a strategic level vision to day-to-day

tactical operations required

• Outstanding organizational and leadership abilities 
• Team-player with strong competencies in building high performing teams, managing staff, volunteers and partnerships 
• A demonstrated execution mindset and a record of success holding people

accountable required

• Understanding of and ability to create healthy organizational culture required
• Excellent attention to detail and superior time management, influencing and delegation skills
• A results-orientated approach and desire to consistently deliver great outcomes
• Adaptable, caring, ‘can-do’ and courageous
• A lifelong learner with a growth mindset and a capacity to understand and interact professionally and knowledgeably with mental health/medical sector professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers, other medical professionals, regulators and peak bodies
• A healthy sense of urgency
• A strong network
• Relevant advanced academic qualifications eg. MBA, BSc/BA/Medicine or another relevant field strongly preferred
• Knowledge of the mental health sector and psychedelic-assisted therapies will be an advantage
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication and public speaking skills
• Aptitude in decision-making and problem-solving

Compensation

In return for your high energy, excellent performance outcomes and enthusiasm, you will have the opportunity to work within an engaged, high-performing, fast paced and mission-driven team with the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of Australians who are in need.

Salary will be dependent upon experience, skill set and qualifications. Salary packaging is available, and we work from a convenient South Melbourne co-working location

Application Process

To be considered for this exciting new role, please send your resume and a cover letter outlining specific relevant experience and five reasons why you are perfect for this position addressing the selection criteria, and your expected salary range and referees and possible start date to [email protected] [link removed]

The closing date for applications is Friday, 9 April, 2021. 

Applications will be reviewed in order of receipt so please apply now for this new role. You will have an advantage if you are available to commence immediately or in the short term.

Due to the high number of applications for roles within Mind Medicine Australia, we may not be able to enter any correspondence or calls prior to the deadline for applications.

Only people with the right to work in Australia may apply for this position.