Senior First Nations Engagement Advisor

Seqwater; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 127,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary with 12.75% superannuation

Job summary

Seqwater is seeking a Senior First Nations Engagement Advisor to advance strategic engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and key stakeholders across South East Queensland.

You will champion culturally appropriate engagement practices, integrating First Nations perspectives into planning, projects and decision-making to achieve positive outcomes.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated cultural knowledge and lived experience and/or relevant qualifications in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, community development, engagement, cultural heritage or a related discipline.
• Strong experience providing strategic advice on First Nations engagement, relationships and culturally appropriate practices within complex organisations.
• Proven ability to develop and implement First Nations engagement strategies, frameworks, protocols and action plans.
• Strong understanding of First Nations cultural protocols and community priorities, with a demonstrated ability to build trusted and respectful relationships.
• Highly developed communication, influencing and advisory skills, including experience building cultural capability across an organisation.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain trusted, culturally appropriate relationships with First Nations communities, Traditional Owners and key stakeholders.
• Lead strategic First Nations engagement approaches, ensuring First Nations perspectives inform organisational planning and decision-making.
• Provide specialist advice on culturally appropriate engagement practices, strategies, protocols, obligations and relationship management.
• Develop and implement initiatives that strengthen First Nations engagement, reconciliation, inclusion and organisational cultural capability.
• Gather and interpret community feedback and insights to inform programs, projects, investment and engagement approaches, while identifying cultural and reputational risks.
• Support reporting, performance insights and continuous improvement to strengthen First Nations engagement outcomes and organisational capability.

Skills

Cultural knowledge

Strategic engagement

Stakeholder management

Advisory skills

Communication

Education

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies or related discipline

Job description

Water is essential for life. At Seqwater, we’re responsible for securing the future of water across South East Queensland, with a diverse asset base extending from the New South Wales border to the Toowoomba ranges and north to Gympie.

Our connection to the communities and Country where we operate is central to how we work. We recognise the importance of building respectful and enduring relationships with First Nations communities, Traditional Owners, and ensuring cultural knowledge and perspectives are meaningfully considered in our planning, engagement and decision-making.

As Seqwater continues to grow and transform, our focus extends beyond infrastructure. It’s about our people, our partnerships and creating lasting outcomes for the communities we serve. This is reflected in our Vision, Water for Life, our Promise, Safe for Life, and our Values of integrity, respect, care and courage.

About Your Opportunity

As the Senior First Nations Engagement Advisor, you will provide strategic advice and expertise to strengthen our relationships with First Nations communities, Traditional Owners and key stakeholders. You will champion culturally appropriate engagement practices, ensuring First Nations perspectives and cultural knowledge are meaningfully integrated into organisational planning, projects, operational activities and decision-making to support positive and enduring outcomes.

Key responsibilities

• Build and maintain trusted, culturally appropriate relationships with First Nations communities, Traditional Owners and key stakeholders.
• Lead strategic First Nations engagement approaches, ensuring First Nations perspectives inform organisational planning and decision-making.
• Provide specialist advice on culturally appropriate engagement practices, strategies, protocols, obligations and relationship management.
• Develop and implement initiatives that strengthen First Nations engagement, reconciliation, inclusion and organisational cultural capability.
• Gather and interpret community feedback and insights to inform programs, projects, investment and engagement approaches, while identifying cultural and reputational risks.
• Support reporting, performance insights and continuous improvement to strengthen First Nations engagement outcomes and organisational capability.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will possess:

• Demonstrated cultural knowledge and lived experience and/or relevant qualifications in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, community development, engagement, cultural heritage or a related discipline.
• Strong experience providing strategic advice on First Nations engagement, relationships and culturally appropriate practices within complex organisations.
• Proven ability to develop and implement First Nations engagement strategies, frameworks, protocols and action plans.
• Strong understanding of First Nations cultural protocols and community priorities, with a demonstrated ability to build trusted and respectful relationships.
• Highly developed communication, influencing and advisory skills, including experience building cultural capability across an organisation.

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, whose lived experience, cultural knowledge and perspectives are highly valued in this role.

This position will be offered on a permanent full-time basis with a salary range of $127,025.81 to $138,202.28, plus 12.75% superannuation.

Appointment to this role is subject to the provision of a national police check and may be subject to other medical/character requirements. Please note that people with criminal records are not automatically deemed ineligible. Each application will be considered on its merits.

Unlock job insights

Hirer responsiveness Salary match Number of applicants

Seqwater ensures a safe, secure and reliable water supply for South East Queensland, as well as providing essential flood mitigation services and managing catchment health. The organisation also provides irrigation services to about 1,200 rural customers and provide recreation facilities to the community. Seqwater is one of Australia's largest water businesses with the most geographically spread and diverse asset base of any capital city water authority. Seqwater's operations extend from the New South Wales border to the base of the Toowoomba ranges and north to Gympie. Source: this is an extract from the company's own website