Community Development Officer
What the work is
Assesses the social and wellbeing needs of individuals and families to develop programs, organisations and services to meet the needs of the community.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Identifies, develops and coordinates support programs, projects or services to address the needs of the community
- Establishes and administers neighbourhood houses, community groups, programs and other services to members of the community
- Establishes activity programs to assist community connectivity and encourage community participation
- Develops stakeholder partnerships to enhance community engagement and participation for all individuals
- Implements and promotes policies and strategies to ensure access to recreation and development programs, and inclusion for all members of the community
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a neighbourhood house and community hall run with the help of local council. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A program that began with three people now fills the hall every Thursday
- Someone who arrived alone and quiet is now helping set up chairs
- A grant comes through and you can tell the group it was their idea that earned it
Hard days
- A public meeting where one loud voice takes over and quiet ones go home
- Funding runs out for a program that people clearly love
- Two groups who both need the same room on the same night
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 411231, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.