Our Purpose, Vision and Values

Our Purpose:

• We create opportunities for people in our communities to live healthier, more connected lives

Our Vision:

• We strive to be a global leader in health, inclusion and HIV responses for all people in our communities

Our Values:

• COMMUNITY – We are made for and by our community. Lived experience is at the heart of what do and guides our decision-making.
• COLLABORATION – We work meaningfully with, and value the expertise of, our communities, colleagues, partners and allies.
• COMPASSION – We acknowledge the stigma, discrimination and inequality our communities face. We hold these experiences with care and compassion as we conduct our work.
• COURAGE – We strive to be courageous in who we are and the ways we work, constantly evolving, and working with integrity to ensure the best possible outcomes for our communities.
• EQUITY – We recognise that improving health outcomes requires varying levels of investment to help rectify structural inequities. We strive to work with an intersectional lens to champion the needs of our communities, recognising the systems that compound diverse and overlapping circumstances.

Director, Community Programs

ACON is seeking a mission-driven, strategic individual to lead our newly formed Community Programs Division.

The Director, Community Programs provides strategic leadership to a multidisciplinary team delivering place-based community development, peer education, and health promotion initiatives. The Director leads ACON’s engagement with local sexually and gender diverse communities across NSW, including those in metropolitan and rural areas.

About Community Programs

The Community Programs Division leads ACON’s community-level programming, bringing together various teams focused on inclusive, health-promoting, and culturally responsive initiatives. The Division plays a central role in engaging communities and delivering programs that support the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people.

Community Programs works in partnership with all ACON Divisions, particularly Peer and Client Services and Population Health. The Director serves as the organisational lead for community development and local health promotion practice and coordinates ACON’s offerings across Sydney and regional NSW.

Key activities within the Division include:

• Providing leadership in NSW’s HIV and sexual health response, including peer education and community engagement, particularly for gay and bisexual men.
• Implementing programs to improve safety for LGBTQ+ people.
• Conducting community development work focused on culturally and linguistically diverse communities, particularly in Western Sydney.
• Development and delivery of a range of health promotion programs and initiatives for LGBTQA+SB Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
• Delivering support and social connection programs for older LGBTQ+ people, including the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme.
• Facilitating leadership programs for LGBTQ+ people with disability.
• Operating Needle and Syringe Programs.
• Distributing information across community groups, venues, and services.

Who are we looking for?

We are seeking a mission-driven, values-aligned, strategic leader. You will bring deep experience in community development, health promotion, and stakeholder engagement, with a passion for improving the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ communities across NSW. You will have experience in leading and mentoring teams and a track record in delivering inclusive, place-based programs that foster connection, build health knowledge, and promote safety.

You will bring ways to understand and respond to the specific and intersectional experience of people within ACON’s identified communities including people living with HIV, rural communities, culturally diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, older LGBTQ+ people, and people with disability.

If you are a community-focused, compassionate and collaborative leader with a strong track record in leading community programs, community engagement and team development, we’d love to hear from you.

What else can we tell you?

ACON provides a colourful, nurturing, and fun workplace. Our employees and volunteers are the foundation for our ongoing effectiveness and for our capacity to deliver innovative community engagement and health promotion programs and initiatives for our communities.

To support the successful candidate in their new role at ACON we offer:

• Flexible working arrangements.
• Generous learning and development opportunities.
• Potential for tailored mentoring opportunities.
• Supportive working environment with a knowledgeable and friendly team.

What’s the remuneration and working details? 

Salary:           Commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience.

Location:      We are open to candidates within commuting distance of any ACON office, with flexible working options available. ACON offices are:

• Gadigal land / Sydney
• Awabakal / Hunter
• Bundjalung / Lismore

Hours:           Permanent, Full time, (76 hours per fortnight), on an initial 2-year fixed term.

We offer flexible working arrangements and a generous array of benefits and entitlements often above the National Employment Standards (NES) including:

• Salary Packaging up to $35,000 gross up value (i.e., currently up to $15,900 Expenses + $2,650 Meals, tax free).
• Generous pro-rata leave entitlements – including up to an extra week of paid leave for full time employees to be taken during our Christmas and New Year’s shutdown period.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to a comprehensive counselling service free to employees.
• Access to discounted unique accommodation experiences to improve employee health and wellbeing.

How can I find out more details and apply? 

If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply to join our Senior Leadership Team and lead our Community Programs division. By joining us, you will be part of a mission to create a healthier and more inclusive community.

We highly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from CALD backgrounds, people with disabilities, and people of all genders to apply.

For more information on the role, please contact Alex Ehmcke-Kennedy (he/him), Manager, People and Culture, at aehmcke-kennedy@acon.org.au or 02 9206 2000.

If you have any questions regarding the role, please reach out to Alex and we can arrange an early conversation with Michael Woodhouse (he/him), Chief Executive Officer, to answer any questions.

If this sounds like the position and organisation you’ve been looking for, find out how to apply at www.acon.org.au/jobs.

All applications must include:

1. Your completed ACON Employment Application Form – with all the details filled in where requested;
2. Your 1-page Cover Letter outlining how you meet the Selection Criteria; and
3. Your Resume.

DOWNLOAD: Job Pack – Director, Community Programs

Applications Close: Sunday 31 August 2025

We are grounded in the belief that diversity is our strength, our differentiator, and at the core of who we are and what we do. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we encourage applications from people living with HIV, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTQ people from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, migrant and refugee backgrounds, and LGBTQ people of colour.

Team Leader – Multicultural Peer Navigation

Do you understand the challenges of settling into a new country? Do you want to make a real difference in your community and lead the efforts in establishing a new peer program? We’d love to hear from you!

• Draw on your interpersonal skills and lived experience of migrating to Australia to build trust and support others in feeling confident to navigate health services, especially sexual health services, around Australia.
• Play a vital role in the implementation of our new Multicultural Peer Navigation Program.

What’s the Peer Navigation Project, you say?

The Team Leader – Multicultural Peer Navigation is responsible for establishing and leading a new national initiative to improve HIV prevention, testing, and care outcomes for newly arrived and overseas-born gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). This role will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of a culturally responsive peer navigation program that addresses the barriers faced by people from multicultural backgrounds, supports timely access to HIV-related services and promotes sustained engagement with prevention and treatment.

This position is also responsible for overseeing reporting requirements to the Commonwealth Department of Health, coordinating a small team of staff or contractors, and contributing to broader advocacy efforts to improve the health outcomes of recently arrived GBMSM in Australia.

Ok, so what’s the role?

The Team Leader – Multicultural Peer Navigation is a dynamic and highly impactful leadership position, suited to someone passionate about social justice, community-led approaches and the elimination of HIV stigma and discrimination. You will:

• Lead and coordinate the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a culturally responsive national peer navigation program to improve access to HIV-related services among newly arrived and overseas-born GBMSM.
• Administer, support, train and evaluate a small, dedicated team of staff and/or contractors to deliver program activities aligned with ACON’s key strategic plans, with a focus on staff development, cultural safety, accountability, and community impact.
• Conduct regular performance monitoring and analysis to identify and address risk in a timely manner, act on new opportunities to grow the program and meet key performance indicators in line with ACON’s funding agreement with the Commonwealth Department of Health.
• Lead the design of peer navigation models, in collaboration with community partners, to ensure services are culturally appropriate, community-led and responsive to the needs of newly arrived GBMSM from diverse backgrounds.
• Foster an environment that collaboration and improvement with other programs/services including other programs within ACON, state and national sectorial partners, multicultural health services, community-based organisations, research and academic institutions and other external service providers, to support program success.

Who are we looking for?

• Someone with advanced project management expertise within a health or community services setting, ideally with multicultural or marginalised communities.
• An individual who has extensive experience in peer-based programs, including training new staff/volunteers or contractors.
• An exceptional leader who can foster a collaborative, motivated and multidisciplinary team, with a focus on culturally safe supervision, team-building and performance development across diverse program portfolios.
• Someone with superior communication and interpersonal skills, including extensive experience in building, sustaining and managing complex stakeholder relationships across culturally diverse program areas.

What else can we tell you?

ACON provides a colourful, nurturing, and fun workplace. Our employees and volunteers are the foundation for our ongoing effectiveness and for our capacity to deliver innovative community engagement and health promotion programs and initiatives for our communities.

To support the successful candidate in their new role at ACON we offer:

• Flexible working arrangements.
• Generous learning and development opportunities.
• Potential for tailored mentoring opportunities.
• Supportive working environment with a knowledgeable and friendly team.

We provide a flexible and supportive working environment. You’ll be part of the HIV and Sexual Health Division. A highly focused team responsible for delivering information and support services on relevant health issues to GBMSM, people living with HIV, and other ACON communities.

What’s the remuneration and working details?

Salary:           $93,053.00 to $103,911.00 (Gross per-annum, PLUS Superannuation and Leave Loading) – commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience.

Location:      ACON’s Gadigal land/Sydney (Surry Hills) Office, with flexible working options a possibility (away from the office).

Hours:         Full-Time (70 hours per fortnight) on a 1-year fixed term contract with the possibility of extension.

We offer flexible working arrangements and a generous array of benefits and entitlements often above the National Employment Standards (NES) including:

• Salary Packaging up to $35,000 gross up value (i.e., currently up to $15,900 Expenses + $2,650 Meals, tax free).
• Generous pro-rata leave entitlements – including up to an extra week of paid leave for full time employees to be taken during our Christmas and New Year’s shutdown period.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to a comprehensive counselling service free to employees.
• Access to discounted unique accommodation experiences to improve employee health and wellbeing.

How can I find out more details and apply?

If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply to join our team and help us make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve. By joining us, you will be part of a mission to create a healthier and more inclusive community.

We’d love someone who has experience already in this area but people at all levels of experience are absolutely welcome to apply. We highly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from CALD backgrounds, people with disabilities, and people of all genders to apply.

For more information on the role, please contact Matthew Vaughan, Director, HIV & Sexual Health, via mvaughan@acon.org.au or (02) 9206 2082.

If this sounds like the position and organisation you’ve been looking for, find out how to apply at www.acon.org.au/jobs.

All applications must include:

1. Your completed ACON Employment Application Form – with all the details filled in where requested;
2. Your Cover Letter answering the following questions (max. 300-400 words per response):

1. 1. Please describe your lived experience of migrating to Australia as a gay or bisexual man, or your understanding of the migration experience for others in this community. In your response, you may wish to include how you established your life in Australia, as well as any successes or challenges you experienced along the way.
   2. Please describe your knowledge of the Australian healthcare system, particularly in relation to HIV and STIs. You may include your understanding of testing, treatment, prevention, and how people can access these services.
   3. Please describe a project you’ve led or contributed to that involved developing and implementing a peer-based service models. In your response, outline what made the project successful for example, work planning, recruiting and supporting peers, engaging with community and sector partners, and meeting or reporting on key performance indicators set by funders.

3. Your Resume (max. 3 pages).

DOWNLOAD: Job Pack – Team Leader – Multicultural Peer Navigation

Applications Close: Sunday 31 August 2025

We are grounded in the belief that diversity is our strength, our differentiator, and at the core of who we are and what we do. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we encourage applications from people living with HIV, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTQ people from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, migrant and refugee backgrounds, and LGBTQ people of colour.

How To Apply

How To Apply

1. Download and follow the instructions within the relevant job pack.
2. Download and complete the ACON Employment Application Form
3. Create a Cover Letter outlining how you meet the Selection Criteria as outlined in the job pack. Tell us how your skills and experience relate to the requirements of this role and how you’d use them to excel in this job. You should use statements with examples that clearly demonstrate your competency in a particular area.
4. Update your Resume (CV) with the latest information, certifications and employment history. Tell us about your current and previous employment experience and your education. Be sure to include your preferred name, contact details and preferred pronouns.
5. Email your complete application with these three documents in MS-Word or PDF format to: vacancy@acon.org.au

Application Checklist

Application Checklist

Before you submit your application, ensure you have the following:

• Completed ACON Employment Application form – ensuring that all questions are answered
• Cover Letter document outlining how you meet the Selection Criteria – as outlined in the Position Description.
• Resume (CV) document with your the latest information, certifications, and employment history.

Downloads

Downloads

ACON Employment Application Form

ACON Enterprise Agreement