Operations Manager

Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation; Douglas Shire; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation (JYAC) seeks an experienced Operations Manager to lead on-ground delivery of Land and Sea Programs across Eastern Kuku Yalanji Country. You will oversee land and sea operations, coordinate field teams, and implement the Indigenous Management Agreement and IPA program in alignment with strategic objectives.

Reporting to the Bubu and Jalun Division Manager, you will drive workplans, KPIs, compliance and stakeholder engagement with Traditional Owners and

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Conservation and Land Management, or equivalent experience.
• Open manual driver's licence; Blue Card; ability to obtain a National Police Check.
• Knowledge of culture and traditional land and sea management alongside mainstream NRM practice.
• Ability to establish and maintain respectful relationships with Elders, Traditional Owners, government agencies and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership and project management skills, including budgets, workplans and reports.
• Excellent written and oral communication; sound computer literacy.

Responsibilities

• Deliver land and sea management programs against work plans, contracts and legal requirements.
• Monitor and support Coordinator performance across Land, Sea and IPA programs.
• Provide leadership to field teams and Coordinators, including performance development.
• Oversee workplan development, resourcing, logistics and procurement.
• Oversee WHS compliance and accurate reporting.
• Support and lead Traditional Owner and stakeholder engagement per agreed protocols and strategy.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Organisational skills

WHS compliance knowledge

Budget & project management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Conservation and Land Management qualification

Tools

EKYCIMS familiarity

MS Office (Word/Excel)

Job description

Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation (JYAC) is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead the on-ground delivery of Land and Sea Programs across Eastern Kuku Yalanji Country. This role oversees land-based operations, sea-based activities, and implementation of the Indigenous Management Agreement (IMA) under the National Parks CYPAL agreement and the Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) program.

About the role

Reporting to the Bubu and Jalun Division Manager, you'll lead a middle management team of Bubu & Jalun Coordinators and oversee field teams including Rangers, Project Officers and Cultural Workers. You'll drive program delivery against agreed workplans and KPIs, coordinate resources and logistics, support compliance and reporting, and champion respectful, culturally grounded engagement with Traditional Owners and stakeholders — all in support of Jabalbina's strategic objectives and Traditional Owner leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Manage delivery of land and sea management programs against work plans, contracts and legal requirements
• Monitor and support Coordinator performance across Land, Sea and National Parks/IMA, IPA programs
• Provide leadership and supervision to field teams and the Coordinator group, including performance management and professional development
• Oversee workplan development, resourcing, logistics and procurement
• Oversee WHS compliance and support accurate reporting, including via EKYCIMS
• Support and lead Traditional Owner and stakeholder engagement in line with agreed protocols and strategy

What we're looking for

• Tertiary qualifications in Conservation and Land Management, or equivalent experience
• Open manual driver's licence; Blue Card; ability to obtain a National Police Check
• Extensive knowledge of culture and traditional land and sea management, alongside mainstream natural resource management practice
• Demonstrated ability to establish, maintain and strengthen respectful relationships with Elders, Traditional Owners, government agencies, landholders and other key stakeholders.
• Proven leadership, project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage budgets, workplans and reports
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and sound computer literacy (word processing, email, spreadsheets)