Aboriginal Partnerships and Strategy Officer

North East Water; Wodonga; Hybrid; AUD 102,000 - 113,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work environment

Inclusive team culture

Job summary

North East Water in Victoria is seeking an Aboriginal Partnerships & Strategy Officer to lead partnerships with Traditional Owners and First Nations communities, shaping policies and strategies within the Infrastructure Strategy & Liveability team based at Wodonga.

The role focuses on opportunities to return river water to Traditional Owners, embedding obligations into business processes, and building productive relationships with stakeholders and government partners to support

Qualifications

• Experience working with First Nations communities.
• Excellent communication with stakeholders.
• Experience facilitating collaboration and applying change management techniques.
• Experience in strategic planning, policy development and project management.

Responsibilities

• Support opportunities to return river water to Traditional Owners and the environment.
• Work with Traditional Owners to progress culturally appropriate considerations and activities.
• Partner with Traditional Owners to support self-determination and apply the Cultural Benefits Framework.
• Act as a primary contact for local Traditional Owners and First Nations groups.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships and engage regularly with stakeholders on strategies and capital works.

Skills

First Nations

Stakeholder comms

Policy development

Project management

Job description

Lead collaboration and meaningful partnerships with local TraditionalOwners & First Nations people, supporting positive outcomes for ourcommunities!

Position Information

• $101,942 to $113,349 plus 12% superannuation, depending on skills and experience
• Full time, ongoing role (Monday to Friday).

Location

• Primarily based at our Regional Headquarters in Wodonga.

Contact

• Jill Fagan, Manager Infrastructure Strategy & Planning on 0487 109 510.
• Alternatively, you can contact Sienna from our People & Culture team via email [e-mail]

• Join a flexible, supportive and inclusive team
• Contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference in our communities

This is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Designated Position designated under ‘Special Measures’ in Section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic). Only Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply for this position.

North East Water are committed to partnering with local First Nations people to support outcomes in water management and maintain cultural and spiritual connections to Country. We work with eight Aboriginal communities across our service region including the Registered Aboriginal Parties of Yorta Yorta and Taungurung and are also committed to our relationships with the Duduroa Dhargal, Dhudhuroa Waywurru, Dalka Warra Mittung, Bangerang, Jaithmathang and Jaithmathang TABOO communities.

About the role

The Aboriginal Partnerships & Strategy Officer will lead and support a variety of internal and external partnerships, policies and strategies:

• Support opportunities to return river water to Traditional Owners and the environment.
• Work with Traditional Owners to progress culturally appropriate considerations and activities.
• Partner with Traditional Owners to support self-determination and apply the Cultural Benefits Framework.
• Act as a primary contact for local Traditional Owners and First Nations groups.
• Develop and maintain positive, productive relationships and engage regularly with stakeholders, Traditional Owners and First Nations groups on upcoming strategies, plans, capital works programs and other initiatives.
• Identify, understand and embed our First Nations-related obligations into the business, regarding Water is Life, Statement of Obligations, First Nations Self-determination Framework, and Land Use Activity Agreements.
• Liaise with state government and Traditional Owners and First Nations groups to inform and develop a North East Water policy position, including customer bill relief for enhanced First Nations outcomes.
• Embed cultural heritage and First Nations commitments into internal processes including our capital works programs.
• Lead actions and support the implementation of our Country & Culture Action Plan.

This role is part of our Infrastructure Strategy & Liveability team to embed First Nations considerations into our infrastructure planning and options assessments, progress opportunities to return water to Traditional Owners, support pilot projects and work with land managers and internal teams to improve access to land and water entitlements.

For further detail on the role, please refer to the position description below.

Key Selection Criteria

Please address in your application how you meet the following key selection criteria:

• Experience working with and/or supporting First Nations communities with a commitment to cultural safety.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders, communicate sensitively and effectively.
• Experience facilitating collaboration and applying change management and capacity building techniques to deliver positive outcomes.
• Experience in strategic planning, policy development and project management.

We’re committed to creating a comfortable and inclusive environment for all candidates. If you require specific supports or modifications during the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail] in advance so we can make any necessary adjustments.

Recruitment Privacy Statement

North East Water is committed to protecting personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. The information you provide will be used to assess your suitability for the advertised position which you are applying for. If all the requested information is not received, North East Water may be unable to consider your employment application.You may access the information you have provided to North East Water or our Privacy Statement by contacting our People and culture team on 1300 361 622 or [e-mail] .

North East Water respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we operate and pay our respect to their Elders past and present.