Lived Experience Coordinator

Black Dog Institute; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Salary packaging

People first culture

Pet friendly workplace

Leave benefits

Job summary

Black Dog Institute seeks a Lived Experience Coordinator to embed the voices of young people, families and carers throughout mental health research. You will collaborate with researchers, clinicians and UX specialists to foster inclusive engagement and co-design initiatives that improve youth outcomes.

You will work in a hybrid environment, with 1–2 days in the Sydney office, and contribute to trauma-informed, recovery-focused practices across projects.

Qualifications

• Lived experience of mental health challenges, either personally or as a carer.
• Ability to draw on lived experience knowledge to inform projects and decision-making.
• An understanding of the impact mental health challenges can have on individuals, families and communities.
• Awareness of diversity of lived experience, including culture, gender, disability and geography.
• Commitment to trauma-informed, recovery-oriented and person-centred practice.
• Strong communication, collaboration and relationship-management skills.
• The ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Flexibility, adaptability and sound judgement.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to work independently and in a team.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate lived experience engagement activities using a range of inclusive methods.
• Identify opportunities for lived experience input across milestones.
• Develop and maintain engagement plans supporting participation.
• Coordinate recruitment and onboarding of Lived Experience Advisors.
• Facilitate workshops, co-design sessions and engagement activities.
• Prepare materials to support participation, including briefs and summaries.
• Coordinate engagement logistics and participant remuneration.
• Collaborate with researchers, clinicians and UX teams to inform outcomes.
• Contribute lived experience perspective to planning and decision-making.
• Foster meaningful, supportive engagement experiences.
• Build strong working relationships with clear communication.
• Support advisor wellbeing in trauma-informed practice.
• Work in line with WHS legislation and policies.

Skills

Lived experience engagement

Communication

Stakeholder management

Workshop facilitation

Trauma-informed practice

Team collaboration

Microsoft Office (Teams, Excel, PowerP

Tools

Microsoft Office (Teams, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Located on the lands of the Bidiagal Clan of the Dharawal Nation (Randwick, NSW), Black Dog Institute is the only Medical Research Institute in Australia to investigate mental health across the full lifespan, our aim is to create a mentally healthier world for everyone. For over 20 years, we have been at the forefront of mental health research and have maintained a reputation as the face of mental health research and treatment in Australia.

Through our unique ‘translational’ research approach, we turn our world-class research into treatments, prevention strategies, clinical services, educational programs, and e-health products. These allow us to continue our work in leading Australia’s population health response, and champion the ongoing conversation of mental health in our society.

Our work is used to distributed through the public and is used to drive evidence informed change across the mental health sector, setting the foundation for a brighter and healthier future for all.

• Hybrid work, 1-2 days per week in office (choose your days, consistent team collaboration days where possible
• Salary Packaging: $15,900.00 of your base salary tax free & up to $2650.00 meal & entertainment
• Family first, people first culture, we put our research into action at work to make sure we maintain mental health and wellbeing at work
• Pet friendly workplace
• Leave benefits including public holiday swap, gifted annual leave, and wellbeing leave

The Role

The Youth Self-Harm & Suicide Prevention (YSH&SP) Lab is dedicated to developing effective and engaging interventions that help prevent self-harm and suicidal thoughts and behaviours among children and young people.

We're seeking a Lived Experience Coordinator to play a key role in ensuring the voices, perspectives and experiences of young people, families and carers are meaningfully embedded throughout the research process. This is an opportunity to use your lived experience expertise to influence projects, foster collaboration, and contribute to research that has the potential to improve outcomes for young people.

Reporting to the Lived Experience Program Manager, with workload directed by the Program Head, you will work closely with researchers, clinicians, designers, user experience specialists and lived experience advisors to support impactful and inclusive engagement activities.

Duties & Responsibilities

The Role

The Youth Self-Harm & Suicide Prevention (YSH&SP) Lab is dedicated to developing effective and engaging interventions that help prevent self-harm and suicidal thoughts and behaviours among children and young people.

We're seeking a Lived Experience Coordinator to play a key role in ensuring the voices, perspectives and experiences of young people, families and carers are meaningfully embedded throughout the research process. This is an opportunity to use your lived experience expertise to influence projects, foster collaboration, and contribute to research that has the potential to improve outcomes for young people.

Reporting to the Lived Experience Program Manager, with workload directed by the Program Head, you will work closely with researchers, clinicians, designers, user experience specialists and lived experience advisors to support impactful and inclusive engagement activities.

Duties & Responsibilities

Lived Experience Engagement Coordination

• Coordinate lived experience engagement activities using a range of inclusive and accessible methods.
• Identify opportunities for lived experience input across project milestones and decision points.
• Develop and maintain engagement plans that support participation throughout the life of a project.
• Coordinate the recruitment and onboarding of Lived Experience Advisors.
• Facilitate workshops, co-design sessions and other engagement activities.
• Prepare materials that support participation, including briefing documents, feedback summaries and implementation reports.
• Coordinate engagement logistics, including scheduling and participant remuneration.
• Collaborate closely with researchers, clinicians, designers and user experience teams to ensure lived experience insights inform project outcomes.
• Contribute a lived experience perspective to project planning and decision-making.

Supporting Lived Experience Advisors

• Foster meaningful, supportive and psychologically safe engagement experiences.
• Build strong working relationships through clear communication, transparency and role clarity.
• Support advisor wellbeing in line with trauma-informed, recovery-oriented and person-centred principles.

Health, Safety and Compliance

• Work in accordance with workplace health and safety legislation and organisational policies.
• Report safety concerns and hazards appropriately.
• Maintain safe work practices and exercise a strong duty of care.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences who are passionate about improving mental health outcomes for children and young people.

You will bring:

• Lived experience of mental health challenges, either personally or as a carer.
• The ability to draw on lived experience knowledge to inform projects and decision-making.
• An understanding of the impact mental health challenges can have on individuals, families and communities.
• Awareness of the diversity of lived experience, including intersections with culture, gender, disability and geographical location.
• A commitment to trauma-informed, recovery-oriented and person-centred practice.
• Strong communication, collaboration and relationship-management skills.
• The ability to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Flexibility, adaptability and sound judgement.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work both independently and within a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Teams, Excel and PowerPoint.
• A commitment to professionalism, confidentiality and ethical practice.
• The ability to foster a sense of belonging, connection and shared purpose among stakeholders.

We’d also be interested to hear from candidates who have:

• Experience coordinating lived experience engagement in mental health or suicide prevention settings.
• Experience as a Lived Experience Advisor or advisory group member.
• An interest in, or experience with, digital mental health initiatives.
• Experience in mental health research or work aligned with the organisation's mission and objectives.

Inclusion

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience where all candidates can fully participate in the process.

We warmly encourage applications from First Nations peoples, culturally and racially diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and others from underrepresented backgrounds.

We recognise that not everyone has had equal access to opportunities, and valuable skills and perspectives can be gained through diverse life experiences.

If this role excites you but you don’t meet every listed requirement, we still encourage you to apply as your lived experience and insights are important to us.

Accessibility

If you have accessibility requirements or require information in an alternative format, please email ***************@blackdog.org.au or phone [phone]***

Privacy

We respect your privacy and confidentiality. We only provide information to other staff where it is needed to arrange workplace adjustments.

Commencement of employment with the Institute is subject to the completion of relevant pre-employment checks, include reference checks, a National Criminal History Check, and other role-specific requirements.
These checks are conducted in line with the Institute’s commitment to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all employees, and check outcomes are reviewed and applied fairly and in accordance with the inherent requirements of the role