The Colman Education Foundation is seeking a motivated and passionate person to join the Our Place team, as the Lead – Evaluation Evidence and Learning at our central office. The position is a maternity leave backfill role to end February 2027.

At Our Place, we believe that supporting local schools to be the hub of a whole community is one of the best ways to enable long lasting change in communities experiencing disadvantage. We enable this by working in partnership with local services, government and the local community to increase collaboration and to support all children and their families to succeed in life.

About the role

The evaluation team at Our Place is pivotal to the organisation’s strategic priorities, providing the evidence base of the Our Place approach.

We’re seeking a Lead – Evaluation Evidence and Learning to guide our evaluation efforts capturing our progress and impact. This role is crucial in shaping high-quality evaluation outputs that support practice development and inform policy decisions for government and philanthropic partners.

Key responsibilities

Key responsibilities include leading the design and implementation of a Child Voice evaluation initiative, managing key whole-of-organisation surveys, working closely with Our Place sites to provide evaluation-based support and guidance, and contributing to key resources such as the Evaluation Plan and Annual Evaluation Report.

You will collaborate across teams, synthesise findings, and ensure alignment with Our Place’s broader strategic priorities. The role also includes providing strategic advice, building capacity, and engaging with contemporary evaluation practices.

The Lead – Evaluation Evidence and Learning role is dynamic, both inward and outward-facing. It requires a focus on long-term priorities, combined with a learning mindset to continuously adapt and improve evaluation processes. We are looking for a leader who can translate vision into clear actions, empowering the team and ensuring purposeful collaboration.

If you had been in this role for the past two weeks, you would have:

Met with external partners (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute) to develop the Child Voice initiative.
Worked with the Director – Evaluation to provide strategic advice, develop key messages, and prepare a PowerPoint presentation for internal leadership communication.
Reviewed our evidence collection priorities and considered how we can improve the quality of our evidence.
Visited an Our Place site to attend a local governance group meeting and/or to support the local team with their evidence collection plans.
Synthesised analysis and findings from multiple evidence sources (surveys, quantitative data, and practitioner reflections) to present back to site teams and project partners for a pilot project.

How to apply

At the Colman Education Foundation, we are building a team that is as diverse as the communities we work within. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply to join our team.

So, if you are passionate about improving life outcomes for children and their families, will bring experience working with communities and are excited about joining a unique and innovative organisation then please then please click on the Apply Now button and submit a one-page cover letter and your CV.

If you have any queries or would like to learn more about the role, you are encouraged to contact Rob Kennedy (Director – Evaluation) robert@ourplace.org.au or phone: 0419 370 398.

Job closes on Friday 24th April, 2026.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so if you are interested in this role, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Position Description is available on our website www.ourplace.org.au/about/careers