The Boroondara Volunteer Resource Centre is advertising this role on behalf of Spinal CSF Leak Australia.

Organisation Purpose

Spinal CSF Leak Australia is the first and only not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting people affected by spinal CSF leaks in Australia. Our mission is to improve quality of life for people with spinal CSF leaks through improved access to timely, effective and supportive care. Individuals with suffering from Spinal CSF Leak face long delays in diagnosis and treatment due to limited medical awareness. Spinal CSF leaks can cause debilitating symptoms that worsen when upright, often leaving people bedbound, unable to work or participate fully in daily life. We aim to change this by increasing the knowledge of health professionals and advocating for improved diagnosis and treatment.

 Purpose of the Role   The Secretary plays a key role in ensuring that the Board of Directors operates efficiently, transparently, and in line with good governance practices.  For a small, start-up charity, this role is essential in helping establish strong administrative systems, maintain accurate records, and support the Board of Directors to meet its legal and organisational responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

 Governance and Compliance

• Ensure the charity complies with its constitution, governance framework and the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission) requirements.
• Maintain a sound working knowledge of the organisation’s constitution, policies, and procedures, and assist in ensuring Board decisions and activities align with them.
• Maintain statutory registers, including the Directors Register, Conflicts of Interest Register, and Policy Register.
• Contribute to preparing governance reports, annual statements, and policy updates as directed, using approved templates and maintaining accurate version control.
• Uphold confidentiality, transparency, and ethical governance practices at all times.  

Board Administration

• Attend BOD meetings, record accurate and concise minutes and a job list.

• Send meeting minutes and job list to board chair for approval within 48hrs after each meeting.

• Circulate meeting minutes and job list to the Directors once the Chair has approved them.

• Collate and distribute the Board Pack, one week prior to Board meetings.

• Maintain secure and well-organised electronic files for all Board records on the shared One Drive, using our existing date and version control.   Support to the Chair and Board

• Send reminders to the BOD about submissions for the Board Pack and meeting dates.

• Support induction and orientation of new Board members. (providing governance documents, access permissions, and policy updates)

• Collaborate with the board to develop and improve Board processes and governance tools as the charity grows.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is organised, reliable, and detail-oriented.
• Has strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Can manage information confidentially and sensitively.
• Enjoys working collaboratively and keeping things running smoothly.
• Is willing to be subject to a national police check   We’re especially keen to involve someone with:  
• Previous experience as a secretary, administrator, or in governance support (not essential).
• Knowledge of charity governance and ACNC reporting requirements, or a willingness to learn.
• An interest in helping a new charity build solid foundations and good governance practices.
• A passion for contributing time and skills to a cause that makes a difference.

Training & Support

• The secretary to the board will receive an induction from the Volunteer Coordinator and training from a previous BOD secretary, Kelly Johnston.
• Ongoing support and supervision is available to ensure volunteers feel confident in their roles.

How to apply

Express interest and our Volunteer Coordinator, Rachel Smith will reach out with next steps.