Social Infrastructure Manager

• Opportunity to work at the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), the only national foundation specifically focused on ensuring the social and economic strength of Australia's remote, rural and regional communities.
• Lead FRRR's approach to community philanthropy and durable social infrastructure across Rural Horizons.
• Part-time (0.8 FTE), 24-month fixed term contract.
• This role can be performed remotely from anywhere in Australia.
• SCHADS Award Level 6 — $115,339–$120,437 FTE (pro-rata 0.8 FTE: approx. $92,271–$96,350)

Role summary

The Social Infrastructure Manager leads the implementation and ongoing refinement of FRRR's approach to rural and remote durable social and economic infrastructure, including community philanthropy, in alignment with FRRR's place-based initiatives.

Reporting to the Head of Rural Horizons, this role leads FRRR’s work to help rural and remote communities develop and maintain strong local social and economic infrastructure, to enable capital, resources, decision-making and economic benefits to be community-led and controlled. This includes supporting community philanthropy and other locally controlled social and economic options that help communities create and share in long-term prosperity. The role exercises a high degree of judgement and autonomy, working across FRRR and with external partners to align strategy, place-based delivery, learning, partnerships and influence.

The Manager provides internal leadership across Rural Horizons' social infrastructure and community philanthropy activity, and has direct line management responsibility for the Community Philanthropy Coordinator, who leads day-to-day development, delivery and support for community foundation and not-for-profit accounts.

Who we are

FRRR (Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal) supports remote, rural, and regional communities across Australia to be vibrant, resilient, and sustainable. We work alongside communities to catalyse locally led solutions, especially in areas facing systemic challenges.

We are strategically focussed on supporting impact across five cross-cutting themes:

• Next generation transition
• Outback and very remote communities
• Climate solutions
• Disaster Resilience
• First Nations self-determination

Our core values centre around collaboration and constant improvement. We have created a dynamic, flexible, and supportive work environment. FRRR is an Equal Opportunity employer.

Our 2026 - 2028 Strategic Plan

FRRR has launched its 2026–2028 Strategic Plan: A Catalytic FRRR for the Next Generation of Rural and Remote Australia. At the heart of this new and ambitious strategy is the recognition that rural and remote communities are vital to Australia's identity, wellbeing and future, yet the systems that shape access to funding, services, infrastructure and decision-making are largely designed for metropolitan and regional centres. This creates persistent barriers to inclusion, investment and voice.

Despite these challenges, rural and remote communities continue to demonstrate resilience, creativity and care. FRRR exists to bridge this systemic gap. We connect resources, build enduring local skills and knowledge, and reshape how rural and remote Australia is seen, valued and supported.

Our approach is grounded in community-led development, collaboration and a deep understanding of complexity and system change. This works because we:

• work in a place-based way that embraces the diversity of communities;
• partner with First Nations people and communities;
• support young people and the next generation; and
• we engage strategically with the challenges of climate change and disaster resilience.

These themes underpin our five strategic pillars:

• Strengthen support where FRRR makes the biggest difference
• Influence change for better rural futures
• Smarter use of funding and capital to drive change
• Leverage systems and technology to improve our impact
• Make rural insight and FRRR's impact visible and powerful

Additional adjustments

We are committed to providing an inclusive experience to all candidates. If you have a disability, condition, illness or access requirements, please let us know how we can best support you throughout your recruitment experience.

We recognise that each individual's needs are different. Some examples of adjustments we can provide include (but are not limited to):

• Alternative formats or ways to submit your application (verbal or video)
• Flexible communication methods
• Additional time to complete tasks, assessments or pre-interview work
• Support from a support person or advocate during interviews
• Modifications to the interview structure, environment or timing

If you require additional adjustments, or would like to discuss any access needs, please contact us via email recruitment@shehrconsulting.com

Our candidate experience

We aim to be transparent and kind to all of our candidates. We value your time, and as such want to share how we do things so you know what to expect with no nasty surprises. For more information on our end-to-end candidate experience, please visit the SHE HR Consulting website.

How to apply

To express your interest, submit an online application through our application portal and include a professional resume. All applicants must also provide brief responses to the application questions that are included as part of the online application.

Note: we do not accept cover letters as part of our application process.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and we may close our job advertisement without notice, so don't delay your application.

Requirements

Who we are (selection criteria)

• You have experience delivering community philanthropy, place-based or social infrastructure initiatives.
• You bring strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building capability.
• You can lead complex projects with autonomy, judgement and accountability.
• You have experience leading and developing staff.
• You think strategically and can translate insights into practical outcomes.
• You communicate and influence clearly, across internal teams and external partners.
• You're aligned with community-led approaches and FRRR's values.
• You hold a relevant tertiary qualification in community development, social sciences, public policy or a related discipline or equivalent experience.

Desirable (not essential): you have experience working in rural, remote or place-based contexts; understanding of First Nations engagement and community-led approaches; exposure to policy, systems change or sector influence work; experience in the not-for-profit or philanthropy sector; experience working across multi-disciplinary or cross-organisational teams.

Research indicates that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised individuals often wait until they fulfil every requirement. If you believe you have the attributes to do the job but don't match every point on the job ad, we welcome and encourage your application.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the implementation and refinement of FRRR's approach to community philanthropy and durable local social and economic infrastructure.
• Lead FRRR's approach to supporting communities to articulate aspirations for local infrastructure and design fit-for-context pathways.
• Oversee FRRR's support model for community foundation and not-for-profit accounts, including coordination with the Community Philanthropy Coordinator.
• Build and maintain relationships with community partners, funders, peer organisations and sector bodies.
• Represent FRRR in relevant forums and networks, contributing informed perspectives on place-based practice and community philanthropy.
• Translate strategy, evidence and learning into practical frameworks, tools and guidance for Rural Horizons.
• Monitor developments in place-based practice, community philanthropy and rural systems change to inform FRRR's strategic direction.
• Provide effective supervision, coaching and development to the Community Philanthropy Coordinator, including work planning, feedback and performance development.
• Support staff wellbeing and foster a positive, accountable, values-aligned team culture.
• Contribute to team and organisational planning, resource allocation and risk management.

Please refer to the Social Infrastructure Manager position description for further details.

Benefits

What we offer

• Flexible hours and fully remote working, supporting balance and wellbeing.
• Ongoing professional development, including an annual staff conference hosted in regional Australia.
• A culture of growth and innovation, where new ideas are welcomed.
• The opportunity to lead a values-driven team and shape a growing area of FRRR's work.
• The chance to be part of a nationally reputable organisation making real, lasting impact in rural, regional and remote communities.
• Access to confidential support and counselling through our Employee Assistance Program.
• Above all, the opportunity to be part of something bigger — shaping the future of rural and remote Australia.

FRRR is an equal opportunity employer and strives to maintain a workplace environment that is fair and free of discrimination, is safe and accessible for all employees, and provides working arrangements that accommodate the diverse needs of our staff. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people from culturally- and linguistically-diverse backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people and people of every ethnicity, faith, ability, culture, language, gender identity, age, and sex.

Employment in this position is conditional upon reception and maintenance of reference checks as part of pre-employment screening, and a Working With Children Check (or state equivalent).

As part of our employment screening process, we do run police checks. But don't worry—having a criminal record doesn't automatically disqualify you.