Engagement Support Officer

East Gippsland Shire Council; Bairnsdale; Hybrid; AUD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work 60/40

Flexible hours

Parental leave 17 weeks

Annual leave loading

Recreation centre discounts

Learning & Development

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

East Gippsland Shire Council in Bairnsdale, Victoria, is seeking an Engagement Support Officer to help deliver community and stakeholder engagement. You will support planning, facilitation and evaluation, and work with the Communications, Engagement and Advocacy team to develop engagement plans and coach internal stakeholders.

This hands-on role values collaboration, clear communication, and a commitment to ensuring community voices inform decisions.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience supporting community and stakeholder engagement.
• Confident communicator with empathy, good judgement and ability to build cooperation.
• Working knowledge of IAP2 engagement frameworks and practical experience applying engagement tools.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively and support organisational change.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement community and stakeholder engagement strategies for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate coaching and support for internal stakeholders to build engagement capability.
• Partner with Communications, Engagement and Advocacy to develop engagement and communications plans.
• Support delivery, design and evaluation of community engagement activities (including some after-hours work).
• Collate engagement data and prepare reporting to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Facilitation

IAP2 knowledge

Tools

IAP2 framework

Job description

East Gippsland Shire Council – Bairnsdale VIC

East Gippsland is a natural playground with over 21,000 square km of land including ski fields, high country, nine national parks, two significant marine parks, Australia's largest navigable inland lake system and stunning coastlines included!

East Gippsland Shire Council is a large regional council covering 10% of Victoria. With a workforce of passionate, multiskilled community members, EGSC offers challenging and rewarding skills development and the ability to work with a range of teams across a range of locations.

Office of the CEO

The Office of the CEO supports the Chief Executive Officer and Councillors, working across the organisation to help drive Council's strategic direction and priorities. The team plays a key role in strengthening Council's public presence and leadership through community engagement, communications, government advocacy, and councillor support. The Office of the CEO also helps ensure key directions are implemented in a proactive, efficient and effective way, with strong coordination, discretion and organisational awareness.

The Opportunity

As the Engagement Support Officer, you'll help deliver best-practice community and stakeholder engagement across Council, supporting planning, facilitation and evaluation of engagement activities. Working closely with the Communications, Engagement and Advocacy team, you'll support the development of engagement and communications plans, coach internal stakeholders, and build relationships with our community. This is a hands‑on, people‑focused role for someone who enjoys collaboration, clear communication, and helping ensure community voices inform decision‑making.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement community and stakeholder engagement strategies and approaches for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate coaching and support for internal stakeholders to build engagement capability.
• Partner with the Communications, Engagement and Advocacy team to develop engagement and communications plans.
• Support the delivery, design and evaluation of community engagement activities (including some work outside usual hours).
• Collate engagement data and prepare reporting to inform decision‑making and continuous improvement.

What we're looking for:

• Demonstrated experience supporting community and stakeholder engagement, with a strong focus on service excellence and community outcomes.
• A confident communicator with empathy, good judgement, and the ability to build cooperation with diverse stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of IAP2 (or similar) engagement frameworks and practical experience applying engagement tools and approaches.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively and support organisational change, including adoption of new processes and practices.

Why you'll love EGSC:

Work‑Life Balance:

• 60/40 Hybrid office/WFH options
• Option to purchase additional leave
• Flexible start and finish times
• Extra time off over Christmas
• Discounted memberships to our Recreation Centres
• Annual leave loading paid as a lump sum in December!
• Banded salaries with built in yearly increases!
• 17 weeks paid parental leave pro rata
• Additional special leave available for chronic health conditions and other special needs
• Learning and Development team to keep your skills up to date and give you the opportunity to develop your career!
• Employee Assistance Program offering counselling support when you need it
• Staff consultative committee - management consult staff on big decisions

Questions? Contact Nicala Oakley, Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator on 03 5153 9***

Applications close on 12 October 2026

East Gippsland Shire Council is committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports flexible and accessible working arrangements for all. This includes people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people who identify as LGBTIQA+, gender diverse people, religiously, culturally and linguistically diverse people and people of any age.

East Gippsland Shire Council is committed to upholding the Child Safe Standards and has a zero tolerance for child abuse and harm. To uphold these standards a valid working with children check is required to be held for applicable positions.