Regional Coordinator

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

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.

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. Deliver 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:

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.

Are you ready to make waves with us? 🌊

+ Who We’re Looking For:

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.

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

• Master Planner: Contribute to the development of an Engagement Plan that will guide how we conduct regional dialogue sessions with Traditional Owners over the next 12 months.
• Relationship Builder: Forge and maintain strong connections with Traditional Owner groups throughout the Great Barrier Reef catchment in your allocated region.
• Event Maestro: Organise workshops and meetings with Reef Traditional Owners, handling all the logistics like venue, catering, and transport.
• Session Designer: In collaboration with the Comms & Creative team and the rest of the Programs & Engagement team, prepare clear and accurate materials, and deliver engaging dialogue sessions, including setting the agenda, leading discussions, and recording outcomes.
• Insight Synthesiser: Gather and compile information from dialogue sessions to inform our next steps. Contribute to team processes to analyse and synthesise data from multiple dialogue sessions.
• Communications Collaborator: Work closely with the Comms & Creative team to keep Traditional Owner groups informed and share insights from the sessions.
• Briefing Pro: In consultation with the Ops Manager, prepare short briefing papers to update the ReefTO Leadership Team and/or the ReefTO Taskforce on progress and preliminary outcomes, as required.
• Cultural Guardian: Collaborate with Traditional Owner groups to ensure any Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data (ID) shared is protected and accessible, and ensure free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) is practiced.
• Team Player: Participate in strategic planning workshops and team-building activities as a member of the ReefTO Coordination Unit.

Ready to unleash your superpowers and make a real impact? 🌟

+ Why You?

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!

 ___________________________________________________ 

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.