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A watershed moment for community housing
Location: Canberra (preferred) or Sydney, with regular travel
Australian Community Housing is the new national voice for the community housing sector, formed by the merger of PowerHousing Australia and the Community Housing Industry Association; two organisations with a shared vision for advancing and supporting the community housing sector. At a time when housing is at the forefront of political agendas across Australia, we are seeking an inaugural CEO to maintain this focus on housing funding and delivery.
This is a rare opportunity to shape a new organisation from the ground up, unify a passionate sector, and influence both federal and state government policy at the highest levels. The CEO will be a critical part of this important change and will lead this national body to position it as THE voice of community housing across Australia. The successful candidate will be a strategic, calm, and credible leader who can bring people together, build trust, influence key decision-makers and deliver results.
They will:
While an understanding of the housing sector would be beneficial, those who work in related sectors with touchpoints to housing would also be well positioned, including adjacent peak bodies, superannuation, insurance, consulting or government. Proven leadership experience in a complex, member-based or advocacy organisation would be useful. A collaborative, diplomatic, and inclusive leadership style with strong operational and change management capabilities is essential.
With federal and state investment, a national housing crisis demanding action, and a new national body ready to lead, this is a
once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a lasting impact. The Australian Community Housing Conference in November will be a key milestone
for bringing members together and the CEO leadership will be central to its success.
A copy of the Candidate Brief can be found at: https://www.watermarksearch.com.au/position-descriptions?123
For a confidential discussion, please call Alison Myatt of Watermark Search International on 02 9233 1200 or email search@watermarksearch.com.au.
Please send an application quoting Ref No A005976 to Watermark via this link:
https://watermarksearchinternational.snapforms.com.au/form/application-form-sydney-search
Closing date: Sunday 20 July 2025 at 11.59pm AEST
Most association leaders face a persistent challenge: growing and retaining members. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of
members who join for a year, drop off, and then rejoin two years later. While this cycle may seem harmless, it carries hidden costs—such
as staff time, marketing expenses, onboarding resources, and software overhead—that
can quietly drain your association’s budget.
Running an association or not-for-profit (NFP) is no small feat. Whether you're leading a professional body, a community group, or a
national peak organisation, one question always lingers:
“How do we know we’re doing well?”
It’s a fair question—and an important one.
How we help membership based, not-for-profit associations now and into the future.
