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An established industry player is seeking passionate community engagement specialists to join their dynamic team. This role offers a unique opportunity to work closely with Traditional Owners, ensuring their voices are integral to decision-making processes for the Great Barrier Reef. As a Regional Coordinator, you will lead workshops, foster relationships, and create an Engagement Plan that shapes the future of a Sea Country Alliance. If you are driven by purpose and eager to make a significant impact in the community, this position is perfect for you. Join a vibrant team dedicated to honoring and amplifying the voices of Reef Traditional Owners!
We have three (3) newly created, full-time roles for talented Aboriginal &/or Torres Strait Islander candidates (strong preference for Reef Traditional Owners) with a passion for community engagement and consultation. You’ll be part of a fast-paced, core team working to engage and consult Reef Traditional Owners on options and preferences for a Sea Country Alliance. The roles are based in Queensland (remote; location flexible within the Great Barrier Reef catchment) and will require frequent travel regionally.
The Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owner Taskforce (ReefTO) is a Traditional Owner-led, grassroots initiative that honours the decades of work by Elders to assert their cultural authority and rights to sea country and to drive genuine partnerships across the Reef. In doing so, ReefTO aims to achieve Traditional Owners’ aspirations for the health, management and protection of the Reef and interconnecting Country.
ReefTO has three key objectives over the next 2-3 years:
Dive into an exhilarating adventure with ReefTO! We’re on the lookout for three dynamic and passionate community engagement specialists to join our Programs & Engagement team.
Over the next 12-18 months, you’ll be at the forefront of building authentic, lasting relationships with Traditional Owners across the Great Barrier Reef. Your efforts will ensure their voices are at the heart of our decision-making process. This isn’t just another consultation – it’s a genuine co-design journey where the insights you gather from these detailed, regular yarns will shape the future of a Sea Country Alliance.
We’re seeking three (3) culturally competent Regional Coordinators who are not only passionate about Traditional Owner rights but also have the skills to lead group meetings and simplify complex information. The job to be done is meaningful and the roles provide the opportunity to influence a key moment in history for Reef Traditional Owners, though it will require resilience and determination.
As a Regional Coordinator, you’ll have the chance to apply your community development and engagement expertise, contributing to a transformative vision for the Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef. You’ll work alongside an inspiring team of leaders within the ReefTO Taskforce and the Coordination Unit, making a real impact.
Ready to unleash your superpowers and make a real impact?
We are on the hunt for three exceptional individuals who can build strong, trust-based relationships with Traditional Owner groups throughout the Great Barrier Reef catchment. As a key player in our team, you will contribute to the development of an Engagement Plan that will guide regional dialogue sessions over a 12-month period. Your role will involve organising workshops and meetings, and coordinating logistics for the dialogue sessions. You will also design and deliver dialogue sessions, collate the information gathered, and work closely with our Communications & Creative team to keep Traditional Owner groups informed.
We need someone who is comfortable presenting in front of groups and preparing short briefs to report on progress and outcomes. You should be analytical, organised, and a team player who can relate easily to different people, from Elders to youth to management. Strong cultural competency is a must, and you should be able to develop and follow processes while also being flexible and adaptable.
To apply for this role, you must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person. Strong existing networks within one or more regions of the Great Barrier Reef are essential, as is demonstrated experience in building trusted relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people more broadly. An understanding of Reef policy and management initiatives, such as TUMRAs, Sea Country IPAs and Native Title will be a major advantage.
You should be confident speaking in public, presenting complex information concisely and engagingly, and handling potentially difficult questions in a meeting format. You will be supported with presentation materials and resources to ensure consistent messaging, but you will also need to think on your feet in meetings, drawing on the deep understanding of ReefTO’s objectives, which you will develop.
We are looking for someone with deep listening skills, the ability to craft insightful questions, good organisational skills, and proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite (especially PowerPoint) and familiarity with Teams. You should be curious and analytical, able to identify themes and read the story behind the data, and have a genuine interest in elevating the role of Traditional Owners in the management, governance, and decision-making related to the Great Barrier Reef. Familiarity with ICIP/ID and FPIC would be ideal but is not essential.
We’ll provide on-the-job training and any upskilling you might need, but this is a job for someone experienced in community engagement who knows the ropes and who is comfortable working autonomously.
You’ll love this role if you thrive in a fast-moving, dynamic team environment and have exceptional attention to detail. You are resourceful, adaptable, and proactive, staying calm under pressure and communicating effectively. You can prioritise and manage the needs of diverse stakeholders with ease.
Your curiosity, commitment to good process, and belief in the rights of Traditional Owners mean that even when the going gets tough, you will find a way to work through the weeds because what you’re doing really matters. You are excited to work in a purpose-driven organisation, sharing our ambition and commitment to honouring and amplifying the voices of Reef Traditional Owners.
You have experience working in an Aboriginal organisation or corporation, and perhaps also in a government agency or not-for-profit organisation, making you familiar with different systems and ways of doing things. Your background equips you with the skills and insights needed to excel in this role and make a meaningful impact.
Most importantly, you have a positive, can-do attitude, and a sense of humour, making you a good fit in our high-performing team!
To perform this role, it is essential that the person is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. It is therefore a genuine occupational requirement under section 25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991. Applications will only be considered from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people with a strong preference for suitably qualified and experience Reef Traditional Owners.
For a detailed position description, please access the Info Pack for Applicants.
How to Apply
Click APPLY RIGHT HERE and submit a cover letter addressing your suitability for the role together with a current CV, by noon Friday 25th April 2025.
Due to the volume of hiring the ReefTO is currently doing, we don’t have the capacity to handle individual enquiries about positions.