Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS) is a new, dedicated public youth mental health service and is the first of its kind in Australia. We are looking for a passionate and dedicated individual to join our team.

Manager Family Lived Experience

Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS)

Ongoing | 0.8 EFT | Parkville

Lead, strengthen and shape a growing Family Lived Experience workforce.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of family lived experience practice while supporting a workforce that makes a genuine difference in the lives of young people and their families, carers, supporters and kin.

As the Manager Family Lived Experience, you will provide leadership and workforce management for the Family Lived and Living Experience workforce across the service, ensuring staff are supported to thrive, grow and deliver high-quality lived experience practice.

• Permanent ongoing 4 x days a week role | Parkville based
• Salary Packaging, 5 weeks Annual Leave pro- rata

About Us:

Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS) is Victoria’s newest public mental health service dedicated to the care of young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing complex mental health challenges. 

PYMHWS is leading a bold and values-driven transformation in youth mental health care across Melbourne’s north and west. We exist to walk alongside young people, their families, carers, supporters and kin delivering care that is accessible, inclusive, developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed, and grounded in lived experience. Our service model is shaped by the voices of young people and their communities, and underpinned by a commitment to safety, equity, and continuous learning.

At PYMHWS, we are working with our community and partners to build in a future where all young people can access world-class mental health support, close to home. As we grow, we are looking for passionate, skilled, and visionary professionals to join us in shaping a new era of youth mental health in Victoria.  

The Opportunity:

This is a fabulous opportunity to be part of a newly established service as it is building and embedding its family lived experience function and team.

This role offers a unique combination of leadership, workforce development and service-wide influence. You will have the opportunity to create the conditions for the family lived experience team  to succeed, strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, and contribute to a workforce that is skilled, connected, supported and positioned for long-term sustainability.

Why join us?

• Lead and influence the growth of a dedicated Family Lived Experience workforce.
• Help shape the future direction of lived experience practice across a newly established public youth  mental health service.
• Champion workforce wellbeing, professional support and career development.
• Build sustainable workforce strategies that strengthen lived experience leadership and practice.
• Work alongside respected lived experience, clinical and operational leaders.
• Drive meaningful organisational change and increase the impact of lived experience roles across services.
• Be part of a values-driven organisation that recognises lived experience as a specialised and essential discipline.

Working closely with the Director of Family Lived Experience the role is responsible for:

• workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, retention, workforce wellbeing, performance development and implementation of workforce priorities to support a sustainable, skilled and connected Family Lived Experience Workforce
• supporting the implementation of strategic workforce initiatives, promotes role integrity and ensures lived experience staff have access to appropriate professional support, supervision pathways and development opportunities.

 Please review position description for further information about the role’s key responsibilities and requirements.

About You:

Are you an experienced family lived experience leader who is passionate about building a strong, connected and sustainable workforce?

The ideal candidate is a skills and values -driven family lived experience leader who is passionate about supporting and developing the Family Lived Experience workforce.

You will bring:

Personal lived or living experience of supporting a young person experiencing mental ill-health and engaging with mental health services, and the ability to use this experience to inform leadership, workforce development and service improvement.

Demonstrated experience leading, managing and supporting family lived and living experience staff within mental health and wellbeing settings.

Strong workforce leadership experience, including recruitment, onboarding, performance development, workforce planning and staff wellbeing.

A deep understanding of lived and living experience practice, recovery-oriented approaches and the contribution of lived experience roles within multidisciplinary teams.

Proven ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively with leaders, managers and stakeholders to strengthen workforce capability and integration.

Exceptional communication, facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of an organisation.

This role would suit an experienced lived experience leader who is motivated by developing others, strengthening workforce capability and helping to build a thriving, sustainable Family Lived Experience workforce.

Why Join PYMHWS?

• Be part of building a legacy for youth mental health in Victoria
• Work alongside passionate, visionary leaders in a values-led organisation
• Salary packaging options, up to $11,600 tax free earnings
• 5 weeks annual leave plus monthly ADO for full time employees
• Flexible working arrangements including remote work options where possible
• Employee wellbeing focused, access to EAP
• Fitness Passport membership
• Flexible, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture
• Opportunities for professional growth and development

Ready to Make a Difference?
If you're looking to be part of something truly meaningful—we’d love to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion, contact Sue Williams (she/her), Director Family Lived Experience 0428 363 404

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Recruitment is ongoing, with interviews commencing as soon as suitable candidates are received. Advertising may cease prior to the closing date.

We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support all applicants. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application prompts or inform our People and Culture team if you’re contacted for an interview.

To view the full Position Description, please click HERE

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Record Check and a Working with Children Check. Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of an immunisation assessment prior to commencement.

PYMHWS stands in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in work and care. We are proud to be a workplace that champions diversity, inclusion and equality for our staff and our community.  Our goal is for our people to feel safe, included and supported so that they can be at their best every single day. We encourage talented people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply to our vacancies, and will consider adjustments to support such applications.