Industry Standards
Mary MacKillop Today is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and complies with industry standards of good practice, transparency and accountability.
Mary MacKillop Today walks alongside communities experiencing injustice and poverty to create lasting, locally led change. Inspired by the courage and compassion of Australia’s first Saint, Mary MacKillop, we believe that hope is not passive, it is something we act on.
We partner with communities to strengthen dignity and self-determination through education, financial inclusion and life skills programs. Our approach is grounded in respect, collaboration and a commitment to long-term impact, ensuring solutions are shaped by the people they are designed to serve.
Through our partnerships, we help turn opportunity into reality over time, enabling individuals, families and communities to build resilient futures defined not by circumstance, but by possibility.
Mary MacKillop Today is a signatory of the Australian Council for International Development’s Code of Conduct and is accredited with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Consequently, we have a high degree of accountability and transparency. Mary MacKillop Today is committed to protecting the rights of children and vulnerable adults everywhere we work, and preferred candidates are subject to child safe recruitment screening.
Please see our current vacancies below:
Board Director
Philanthropy and Fundraising Expertise Requirements
Mary MacKillop Today has a skills and diversity plan for the turnover and growth of its Board in line with the Strategic Plan. Key to this plan is the recruitment of a Director with skills in philanthropy and fundraising.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated, contemporary experience in philanthropy, encompassing fundraising strategy, donor engagement, marketing and communications. They will bring an understanding of how not-for-profit organisations build and sustain philanthropic support in the Australian community and will use this experience to support and inform the Board's thinking on Mary MacKillop Today's efforts to grow its donor base, strengthen its brand presence, and communicate its mission compellingly to diverse audiences. Experience in the not-for-profit sector is essential, and familiarity with international development and its funding landscape, donor expectations, and communication challenges is highly regarded.
Role of the Board Directors
Appointment is by the company Members for up to a three-year period and is a non-remunerated position. Members may remove Directors at their discretion.
The Directors have ultimate responsibility for the overall successful operations of Mary MacKillop Today. Duties relate to:
- the strategic direction of the of Mary MacKillop Today (in collaboration with the Sisters of Saint Joseph).
- financial operations and solvency.
- all matters prescribed by law, including but not limited to, safety.
- all major policy issues including, but not limited to, industrial relations and quality assurance.
Directors are expected to be forthright in Board meetings, and have a duty to question, request information, raise any issue, fully canvass all aspects of any issue confronting Mary MacKillop Today and cast their vote on any resolution in accordance with their own decision.
Outside the Boardroom, Directors are expected to support the letter and spirit of Board decisions in discussion with stakeholders.
As an incorporated work of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Directors are expected to discharge their responsibilities in this context of Josephite spirituality, which includes a personal commitment to their own formation for mission and making decisions guided by Catholic Social Teaching.
Key Competencies and Qualities
Directors must uphold, through word and deed, the ethos and mission of Mary MacKillop Today and the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Candidates are not required to be of the Catholic faith but must have alignment to its values. The following competencies are expected in the position of Director:
| Role-related competencies | |
|---|---|
| Knowledge of a director's responsibilities | Includes an understanding of the role as well as the legal, ethical, fiduciary and financial responsibilities |
| Strategic expertise | The ability to review the strategy through constructive questioning and suggestion and contribute to the effective decision making of the Board |
| Managing people and achieving change | Experience in current management thinking on employment, branding, engagement, strategic vision and stakeholder communication |
| Professional/life skills and experience | In one or more of the following areas:
|
| Personal attributes | |
|---|---|
| Integrity | Meeting fiduciary duties and responsibilities, acting ethically, having appropriate independence, putting the company's interests before personal interests |
| Collaborative yet curious and courageous | A director must be able to function as an effective team member but also must have the curiosity to ask questions and the courage to persist in robust discussions with management and fellow board directors where necessary |
| Emotional intelligence | As well as self-awareness and self-management, a Director needs to be able to demonstrate empathy manifested through strong interpersonal skills. A Director must work well in a group, listen well, be tactful yet able to communicate in a cogent and candid viewpoint |
| Commercial judgment and instinct | Demonstrates good business instinct and acumen in the context of a mission-based organisation; able to assimilate and synthesise complex information |
| Meaningful engagement | A willing participant with genuine interest in the company and its mission |
| Commitment to personal formation and development | An openness to ongoing personal and professional learning and formation, with a willingness to identify their own personal response to stewardship and leadership in a Josephite context |
Probity Checks
To be eligible for appointment, candidates must hold a Director ID, and either hold a current National Criminal History Check or consent to such a check being undertaken by Mary MacKillop Today prior to appointment.
ASIC and ACNC register searches will also be undertaken.
Directors will be asked to sign a general Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Code of Conduct and complete a Register of Interests.
Commitment Expectations
The Board currently meets 6 times a year for around 2.5 hours. Meetings are hybrid and held online through Microsoft Team and in person in North Sydney on Thursdays 4pm – 6:30pm. We also have an Audit, Finance, and Risk Committee, which meets 4 times per year, a Safeguarding Committee, which meets 30 minutes prior to every Board Meeting, and a Policy Committee, which meets 3 times per year.
Directors are expected to lead and participate in personal and Board formation activities in accordance with the Sisters of Saint Joseph Formation for Mission Framework.
How to Apply
Please email/submit your application to [email protected] including:
- Cover letter responding to the selection criteria; and
- Your CV
Applications close: 9th November 2026. Please note only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
NILS Administration Support
| Title: | NILS Administration Support |
| Reports to: | No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) Manager |
| Location: | Bathurst |
| Hours: | 60 hours per fortnight |
| Award: | Social Community, Home Care and Disability Award Level 3 |
The NILS Admin Support will provide administrative support to assist in the processing and assessment of loans Mary MacKillop Today’s NILS Loans program. The key tasks that will be performed by the NILS Admin Support may include:
- Completing interviews for clients who apply for a NILS loan through completing the Good Shepherd application system and supporting the client to collect and provide the required documentation.
- Make appropriate referrals to other services through providing contact information to the client or completing a referral form.
- Advocating for clients where appropriate, in first instance clients should be referred to specialist providers who are trained in the area the client requires assistance.
- Promoting Mary MacKillop Today to people on low incomes; referral agencies; community; industry; all levels of government; and philanthropic organisations.
- General administrative duties.
- Performing loan process task such as assessing, funding and loan management.
Key Responsibilities
Agency ethos and values
- Work within the ethos of Mary MacKillop Today thus supporting its strong commitment to social justice.
- Work within a community development framework.
- Respect people, their circumstances, and decisions.
Manage loans enquiries, applications and processes
- Respond to and record initial enquiries.
- Follow up enquiries to assist clients providing their documents.
- Develop a true and accurate budget with applicant.
- Discuss the impact and affordability of the loan.
- Complete verification of information by checking supporting documentation.
- Contact retailers to confirm successful quotes.
- Complete Conditional Loan Agreements and supporting documentation with the customer and explain their rights, obligations and details of how the loan will operate.
- Create loan application and submit them with all relevant documentation to the Loan Providers.
- Follow up with clients on any arrears as advised by the Loan Provider.
Networking and promotion
- Develop comprehensive knowledge of relevant local agencies and support services.
- Raise program awareness, build networks and relationships within the local community (this can involve attending Interagency Meetings, visiting other sites, attending interagency, visiting service providers, attending open days, industry conferences).
- Represent programs externally as necessary.
Reporting and teamwork
- Attend external meetings and training days as directed by the NILS Manager.
- Attend Mary MacKillop Today staff meetings in Bathurst.
- Provide timely reports as required by all internal and external stakeholders.
- Provide any additional reports as required by Mary MacKillop Today.
- Attend outreach locations to provide Mary MacKillop Today programs.
Compliance
- Compliance with and observance of all current Mary MacKillop Today Policies, Procedures and Practices, including our Safeguarding Policy.
- Compliance with and observance of all current Good Shepherd NILS policies and procedures.
Selection Criteria
- Ability to work within and contribute to the mission and values of Mary MacKillop Today.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively.
- Proficiency in various computer programs, including databases, with a high level of adaptability.
- Demonstrated experience in customer service and client interactions.
- Experience in a fast-paced, high-volume work environment.
- Ability to multitask and pivot between tasks to meet business needs.
- Strong attention to detail with accurate data entry and documentation skills.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
- Adherence to Mary MacKillop Today’s Safeguarding Policy, and willingness to undergo a criminal record check or statutory declaration of local legal equivalent where criminal records checks are unavailable or unreliable.
How to Apply
Please email/submit your application to [email protected] including:
- Cover letter responding to the selection criteria; and
- Your CV
Applications close: 5th October 2026. Please note only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
This is classified as a Contact with Children position and therefore subject to child safe recruitment screening. The preferred candidate must be willing to undergo a criminal record check or statutory declaration of local legal equivalent where criminal records checks are unavailable or unreliable. Where possible and as required by Mary MacKillop Today the candidate must also be willing to undergo a working with children check.
We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees, including those with diverse experiences and abilities, are valued and can thrive. We welcome the unique contributions of candidates from all backgrounds, including but not limited to varied education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs. As advocates for diversity, we believe that innovative thinking comes from varied experiences and strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds and abilities to apply.
Safeguarding Commitment
Mary MacKillop Today is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all people who come into contact with our organisation and our programs, especially children and vulnerable adults. Mary MacKillop Today is committed to the rights and protection of all people regardless of their age, gender, nationality, religion or political beliefs.
We explicitly prohibit all forms of harmful behaviour including sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment of any kind against any persons, adult or child. We also prohibit exploitative, neglectful or emotionally abusive treatment of children. Mary MacKillop Today recognises our duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure people are safe from harm (including victims/survivors and whistle-blowers).
We are committed to demonstrating ongoing and effective leadership, communication, and to providing ongoing training and guidance to all persons within the scope of this Policy in the promotion and implementation of this policy.
Mary MacKillop Today is committed to creating an open and aware environment where concerns for the safety of children and vulnerable adults can be raised and managed in a fair and just manner to protect the rights of all.
