Director, Comms & Creative

Join a cracking leadership team in a new, Traditional Owner-led initiative!

This is a newly created, full-time role for a talented Aboriginal &/or Torres Strait Islander person (preference for a Reef Traditional Owner). It’s based in Queensland (remote; location flexible), but may require occasional travel. 

Fixed-term appointment until 31 March 2028.

+ The Scoop:

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:

1.      Engage with Traditional Owners to establish a Sea Country Alliance.

2.      Oversee strategic policy and capacity building actions in the TO Implementation Plan.

3.      Monitor and report on the delivery of actions in the TO Implementation Plan.

ReefTO is hosted by Pollination Foundation until a Sea Country Alliance is set up.

+ The Opportunity:

Are you a creative dynamo with a passion for making waves? ReefTO is on the hunt for a Director of Comms & Creative to join our leadership team working towards transformational change for Reef Traditional Owners!

As our Director of Comms & Creative, you'll be at the heart of our mission, working hand-in-hand with the General Manager, the broader ReefTO leadership team, and the ReefTO Taskforce. Your mission? To help us achieve our three key objectives and make a real impact.

You'll lead a vibrant, culturally inclusive team, crafting and executing innovative communication strategies that resonate. Sure, there's the usual strategic planning and campaign management, but this role is anything but ordinary. We're looking for someone who can think outside the box and bring a fresh, creative perspective to everything they do. You’ll have genuine scope to get creative.

If you're ready to dive into a role where creativity meets purpose, and where your ideas can truly make a splash, then we want to hear from you!

+ Who We’re Looking For:

A master storyteller. A digital dynamo. A brand guardian. A creative powerhouse. Someone who can turn up the volume on the voices that matter most—Reef Traditional Owners—and make sure their stories are heard, felt, and celebrated far and wide. The Director is an important member of the ReefTO leadership team If you thrive on crafting compelling narratives, building buzz, leading a passionate team, launching strategic initiatives, and turning ideas into eye-catching, heart-grabbing content, keep reading—this gig is for you.

+ What You’ll Be Doing (A.K.A. Your Superpowers): 

• Digital Domination: Keep our website fresh (WordPress/Squarespace), our socials buzzing (LinkedIn, FB, Insta), and our digital presence sharper than a reef shark in hunting mode.
• Media & PR Magic: Build relationships with the media, get our name in all the right places, and handle any curveballs like a pro. 
• Content & Storytelling Wizardry: Shape and share stories—especially those of Reef Traditional Owners—that make people stop, think, feel, and take action.
• Newsletter Ninja: Send our regular ReefTO e-newsletters (MailChimp). Lead the creation of the quarterly print publication Sea Country Bulletin, making it an essential read for all who care about the Reef and its Traditional Owners. Foster a team of young contributing writers and columnists.
• Creative & Design Visionary: Lead the charge in developing top-notch creative assets—from scroll-stopping social posts to stunning print materials.
• Brand Guardian: Make sure everything we put into the world reflects who we are, what we stand for, and the communities we serve.
• Artist Wrangler: Commission and collaborate with artists, designers, and creatives (including First Nations artists) to bring our vision to life.
• Our Reef Stories Champion: Elevate and amplify Our Reef Stories, ensuring that the voices, knowledge, and experiences of Reef Traditional Owners are front and centre. Design a roadmap for how we could reimagine and build on Our Reef Stories for things like monitoring and reporting, and then bring that vision to life.
• Strategic Comms Maestro: Dream up, develop, and deliver big-picture initiatives that take our communications to the next level, from high-impact campaigns to groundbreaking storytelling projects.
• Doco Maker: Document the journey of the ReefTO Taskforce with a view to turning those assets into a feature-length, inspirational, documentary-style piece.
• Team Leader & Mentor: Build and lead a small but mighty communications and creative team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.

+ Why You?

Because you get it. You understand that great communication isn’t just about slick content—it’s about honouring and amplifying the voices of Reef Traditional Owners and creating ways for them to be heard. You bring creativity, strategy, and a deep respect for storytelling that uplifts and empowers. You don’t need ICIP spelled out in full, because you already know what it is. And, you know how to build and inspire a team to make it all happen. If you’re ready to make waves (the good kind), let’s talk!

Due to the volume of hiring the ReefTO is currently doing, we don’t have the capacity to handle individual enquiries about positions.

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.