Project Officer

**Role Type**: Part Time 12-month contract (3 days per week/22.8 hours)
**Salary**: $95,133 - $99,946 p.a (pro rata) plus super
**Location**: Melbourne/Sydney/Hybrid
**The opportunity**:
Join OurDNA’s vibrant Community Engagement team as a Project Officer (Community Relations) and play a vital role in strengthening partnerships with Australia’s diverse communities. This part-time role focuses on respectful communication, collaboration, and co-design to ensure meaningful and lasting engagement around genomics and health.
Working primarily from home with regular visits to either our Sydney Garvan office or Melbourne MCRI office, plus quarterly team meetups, you’ll help foster two-way dialogue, produce accessible resources, and support community partners in sharing key messages about genomics and health. If you thrive in a hybrid work environment and enjoy connecting with multicultural communities, this role offers a unique chance to contribute to a nationally significant program. The role can be based in either Sydney or Melbourne.
**Your responsibilities include**:
Build and maintain a streamlined communication framework to nurture ongoing community relationships
Support priority partnerships through targeted updates and partner forums
Facilitate meaningful two-way conversations between communities and CPG
Develop accessible educational materials, including presentations and translated resources
Empower community partners to share key messages within their networks
Collaborate with internal teams to align messaging and enhance community experiences
Maintain accurate records of engagement activities and communications
**What we need from you**:
Relevant tertiary qualification or 3+ years’ experience in communications, community development, public health, social sciences, or genomics
Proven experience managing stakeholder engagement, especially with multicultural or under-represented groups
Strong communication skills, including creating accessible resources and managing grassroots media
Confident facilitator and presenter, able to engage diverse audiences
Commitment to cross-cultural communication and inclusive practices
Familiarity with co-design and community engagement methodologies
Fluency in an under-represented community language is desirable
Experience living or working across multiple communities is regarded
What’s in it for you?
Flexible hybrid work model combining remote and onsite collaboration
Opportunity to work with diverse and under-represented communities
Meaningful impact in cutting-edge genomics research and public health
Supportive and inclusive team environment
Professional development and networking opportunities across Melbourne and Sydney
Access to world-class research facilities at MCRI and the Garvan Institute
Contribution to culturally responsive and community-led health initiatives
Who we are
The Centre for Population Genomics is a leading non-profit research organisation at the cutting edge of genomic medicine, combining biomedicine and data science. A joint initiative between the Garvan Institute (Sydney) and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (Melbourne), it builds large-scale genomic and clinical data resources to drive real-world scientific and clinical outcomes. The Centre employs a diverse team—including software engineers, data scientists, and community engagement specialists—and operates a remote-first, flexible work model with staff across Australia and New Zealand. It offers clear career paths beyond academia and focuses on projects that prioritise meaningful community impact, especially through co-design with under-represented populations.
We are committed to the safety of children and young people and takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of child abuse, exploitation and harm. Child safety is prioritised in our decision-making at all levels of the Institute.
Your resume
A cover letter addressing the selection criteria
Ensure these documents are combined into a single PDF file.
No recruitment agencies please.
Position Description
**Applications close**: 3 October 2025 AUS Eastern Daylight time