career

Meet the two Aussie women helping working mums get top tier jobs with loads of flexibility.

Amazing part time jobs for professionals who want to achieve a better work-life balance “do exist” and two women are building a network of Australia’s best roles to prove it.

University friends, Victoria Stuart and Stephanie Reuss, have launched online marketplace Beam, which links talent to fully flexible part time roles.

“We think there’s an appetite particularly from small and medium size businesses to employ people on a part time basis,” says Reuss.

“They just want the best people in their business and they are willing to exchange flexibility for that talent.”

The pair have sourced professional jobs capped to four days a week, during school hours, along with businesses that truly value part time talent.

Stephanie Reuss and Victoria Stuart. Image supplied.

"Everyone on the talent side is vetted for a minimum of seven years’ professional experience and that they meet the corporate standard," says Stuart.

"The employers are also vetted to ensure that they understand that these are flexible part time roles and that they are offering career-worthy roles and then in addition to that, they are a wonderful company that have a great work ethic and ethos as well."

The co-founders were inspired to create a forum for flexible working after years of "blood, sweat and tears" building their managerial careers and facing their own struggles.

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"We both have three kids and as we had each one it became harder and harder to maintain that leadership role in a corporate environment and we really struggled with a lack of work life balance," Reuss says.

The pair, who have both been managers and built high-performance teams at companies such as Google and global advisory firm CEB, became passionate about finding a better way to tap into people with “amazing talent" and experience that don't have 40 hours a week spare.

Their network caters for talent from every industry and every function looking for professional part time roles.

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Image: iStock.
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All the companies profiled have been proven to have supportive cultures and a commitment to part-time flexible work. Management consultants like SPP, FMCG companies like the inspiring TOM Organic, and business networks like Mums & Co and TEC are already on their books looking for staff. Over the next couple of months they'll be building the number and breadth of roles they are profiling.

"We see a lot of talent and demand from organisations for skills in marketing and HR, finance and IT," says Reuss.

"Smaller organisations are looking for people to take their years of professional experience to propel their business forward."

The pair hope to make a social and economic impact with Beam while growing Australian businesses.

"We firmly believe the future of work is a more flexible workforce and more support for people’s lives outside work in order for them to be their best in work," says Reuss.

"We are trying to lead the way in helping organisations to go on that journey and in the process providing these amazing part time career opportunities for the talent."

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They say there is "real demand" for part time professionals and an adjustment to current trends could have "huge knock-on effects" on mental health, relationships, and family life.

"For women who have historically dropped out of the work force to have families, we want to be able to sustain them so they have that financial independence," says Stuart.

The website plans to disrupt the recruitment industry and be the destination for flexible part time work.

You can check out the opportunities here.