The Opportunity:

The NIAA’s vision is to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are heard, recognised and empowered. The NIAA operates in a complex, dynamic environment and is committed to implementing the Government’s policies and programs to provide the greatest benefit to all First Nations peoples. To support the Australian Government the NIAA regional presence is focused on place-based practice and working in partnership to develop and implement tailored local solutions.

The Engagement Senior Officer works across the North Queensland Region which encompasses spectacular landscape, beautiful scenery and vibrant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. The position represents the Agency to engage with community stakeholders, partners and government agencies focused on the advancement of Indigenous Australians. The Engagement Senior Officer works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to develop policy and program responses that address local needs and priorities.

The role requires cultural and technical skills to be effective in community engagement in a way that ensures the community voice is accurately heard.

The key responsibilities for the role of the Engagement Senior Officer will include:

• develop and maintain complex internal and external relationships with key NIAA stakeholders including community engagement

• undertake complex procedural, administrative and service-related tasks that support NIAA business activities or management of a project

• conduct research and analysis on complex matters

• make decisions using good judgement, expertise and knowledge

• create a culturally safe workplace by fostering an environment where the concept of culture and how it influences the workplace and interactions, is understood

• communicate tailored information and messages confidently, with demonstrated cultural competence

• identify relevant stakeholders and anticipate expectations and concerns

• approach difficult negotiations with a clear understanding of key issues and desired outcomes.

In addition, some regional and remote based positions may be eligible for:

• reasonable relocation support which can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis

• remote locality allowance.

The current vacancy is located in Townsville, QLD and an order of merit may be established to fill positions in Cairns, QLD and Mount Isa, QLD.

Our Ideal Candidate:

The North Queensland Region is seeking results-oriented individuals who possess strong engagement and communication skills with project management experience. Our ideal candidates will know how to build on collaboration opportunities and champion a more integrated approach to service delivery within a local region.

We are looking for our next team members with a strategic focus to support an inclusive, supportive, high-performing team culture. The candidates will be self-starters and consistently relied upon by supervisors, including the Regional Manager, and will need to be confident to take charge of issues and deliver high-quality outputs.

The ideal candidates will have a safety-first approach when travelling and working in remote and or isolated settings.

To fill the roles, we are looking for employees who can demonstrate the following competencies:

• high level of cultural acumen and understanding of issues affecting Indigenous peoples

• strong stakeholder engagement skills and a demonstrated ability to develop positive and productive relationships across NIAA as well as with external stakeholders

• ability to analyse and respond to high level technical enquiries and draft high quality and concise advice briefs with some complexity

• high level of written and verbal communication skills including the ability to tailor communication to different and diverse audiences

• maintain a firm understanding of local community needs and the services being provided within the community by government and non-government organisations

• well-developed organisational skills, including adapting to change, working with limited direction and managing competing priorities.

Overnight stays and remote travel will be required including via vehicle, boat (ferry) and small planes.