_{30th July, 2026}

• A rare "good news" CEO brief — inherit a financially strong, well-governed organisation, not a turnaround
• Genuine breadth — disability support, Out of Home Care, SDA housing and social enterprise, all under one roof
• Be a name people know — trade big-city anonymity for real, visible impact in a close-knit river community

The organisation

Since 1979, Community Living & Respite Services has grown from a handful of locals determined to support their own community into a $17.1 million, NDIS-registered not-for-profit with 240+ staff across Victoria and southern NSW. Along the way it’s built something increasingly rare in the sector: a genuinely diverse service offering — from Supported Independent Living and Specialist Disability Accommodation to Out of Home Care, school holiday programs and two thriving social enterprises, the Murray River Tea Rooms and Recyclability — held together by a Board and workforce who’ve chosen depth of impact over narrow specialisation.

The last six years have tested CLRS hard: COVID-19, regional flooding, and a workforce underpayment issue that demanded honesty and repair. It came through all three leaner, financially stronger, and — tellingly — with its staff and client relationships intact. That’s not luck. That’s an organisation that knows who it is.

The opportunity

The outgoing CEO leaves behind a genuinely well-run business: lean, financially sound, and deeply trusted across the region. So this brief isn’t about fixing something broken — it’s about having the judgement and steady hand to protect what’s working while the sector shifts underneath it, most immediately through major NDIS legislative reform.

You’ll report to, and work in close partnership with, an engaged, skills-based Board — and, under CLRS’s Constitution, take on the dual roles of Board Secretary and Treasurer. It’s a hands-on governance relationship, not an arm’s-length one.

Where you’ll make your mark

• Lead CLRS through the operational and financial implications of NDIS reform, without losing momentum
• Protect and build on six years of financial discipline and organisational efficiency
• Retain and energise an experienced, loyal workforce through a change at the top
• Make sound, sometimes difficult, calls on the long-term viability of mission-driven but lower-margin programs
• Start the thinking on what comes next for CLRS’s ageing supported accommodation stock
• Be a credible, visible face of CLRS with government, NDIS, sector partners and the local community

What you’ll bring

• Executive leadership experience in disability, community services, health, aged care or a related NFP — as a current CEO, or a senior leader ready for the step up
• A genuine track record of Board partnership, not just Board reporting
• Financial fluency and the discipline to run a $17 million operation
• The people skills to retain a team through uncertainty, not just manage them through it
• A collaborative, low-ego leadership style — this Board is explicit that they’re not looking for a "transformational" leader chasing a legacy project
• A real willingness to be known locally — at community events, on a first-name basis with staff, visible in the towns you serve

Why this one’s different

Most CEO briefs ask you to fix something. This one asks you to be trusted with something that already works — and to have the judgement to know what to leave alone, and the vision to know what’s next. Add to that a genuinely enviable lifestyle change: life on the Murray River, a real community around you, good schools, and only a few hours from Melbourne when you want it.

Remuneration & relocation

$210,000–$235,000 (base + super), with relocation support available for candidates moving to the region.

Apply now

This search is being managed exclusively by Brooker Consulting, and all applications and enquiries will be handled in the strictest confidence.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE THURSDAY 20TH AUGUST @ 5PM

Please apply with a CV and cover letter.

Please TEXT Rebecca Perrone to receive a call booking link if you have any specific questions.

A comprehensive candidate information pack can be obtained from our website https://brookerconsulting.com.au/position-description/

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