● Full-time, ongoing senior leadership appointment
● Based in Parramatta, Sydney
● Attractive not-for-profit remuneration package, including salary packaging
Mercy Works is the community development and relief organisation of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Established in 2000 and continuing the tradition of Catherine McAuley, Mercy Works partners with local communities to support the most vulnerable, with a particular focus on women and children.
Working across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Philippines, Mercy Works supports locally-led programs in education, health and sustainable livelihoods that build capacity, self-reliance and environmental sustainability. This is relational work at its core: change created together, not delivered from a distance.
The Board is now seeking an inspiring Executive Director to lead Mercy Works into its next phase of growth. This is a pivotal appointment focused on growing the organisation’s programs, revenue and visibility with engagement across Mercy and Catholic schools at the heart of that strategy. The Executive Director will be the public face of Mercy Works, carrying its mission with authenticity to schools, donors, partners and supporters.
A genuine commitment to the Mercy mission and values is essential to the role, including an alignment with the charism of Catherine McAuley, a respect for the Catholic tradition in which Mercy Works stands, and the ability to represent and animate a faith-based organisation with authenticity.
About the role
Reporting to the Board, the Executive Director will:
● Lead the strategic growth of Mercy Works — its programs, revenue and visibility
● Serve as the principal public face of the organisation with schools, donors, partners and the Sisters of Mercy
● Drive fundraising and donor development, and lead engagement across Mercy and Catholic schools
● Oversee community development programs in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, building capacity, dignity and self-reliance
● Lead and support a small, committed team, and uphold sound governance, compliance and safeguarding.
About the ideal candidate
We are particularly interested in candidates with:
● A track record of growing revenue through fundraising and culturally aligned institutional relationships
● Outstanding relationship-building, communication and public-speaking skills, across audiences from school assemblies to donor and Board settings
● Leadership and management experience in a mission-driven not-for-profit, community development or education context
● Knowledge of, or a willingness to learn, the Catholic school sector and the international development landscape, including the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) compliance and safeguarding
● A genuine, personal alignment with the Mercy mission and the tradition of Catherine McAuley.
We invite expressions of interest from candidates ready to bring their skills, energy and conviction to Mercy Works. For a confidential discussion or to request a copy of the Candidate Prospectus, please contact Dr Jackie Besley, Managing Partner, Devereaux Consulting on +61 413 633 195 or email [email protected].
Applications close 17 August 2026.
Apply now