Principal Project Officer

**About the Department**:
The Department of Education are dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the community and schools we support by treating everyone with respect and dignity. This starts with recruitment and selection. The methods of assessing suitability in the recruitment process may vary. This includes making reasonable adjustments to support applicants at all stages of the process and employee lifecycle.

**Your Role**:
**To be successful in this position you must be willing to**:
- Support relevant regional based personnel to deliver First Nations Strategy and Partnerships programs and relevant strategies.
- Ensure effective communication, integration, coordination and liaison occurs within First Nations Strategy and Partnerships Division, across the department and with other external stakeholders.
- Maintain positive relationships and partnerships with team members, Regional Offices, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and a range on internal and external stakeholders.
- Participate and support in the development, implementation and delivery of stakeholder engagement strategies that influence behaviour change and boost advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

**Focus on the following key areas will be recommended**:
- Ensuring the representation of First Nations perspectives is crucial for the successful implementation and support of the Shared Decision Making Partnerships Initiatives framework.
- Ensuring a collaborative approach to working with other leading government agencies to prioritize indigenous engagement and decision making.
- Representing and organizing significant days and cultural events.
- Promoting and supporting First Nations business's, ensuring understanding and connection to the community.
- Understanding and valuing First Nations cultures and voices, sharing lived experiences and expertise.

**Mandatory Requirements for and Identified Role**:
It is a genuine occupational requirement for Identified roles that the position be filled by an Aboriginal person or a Torres Strait Islander person as set out in Section 7 of the Anti Discrimination Act 1991 for the purposes contained in Section 25 of that Act. 
Verification of Aboriginality and/or Torres Strait Island heritage 
For administrative purposes, in relation to an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified role, an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is a person who identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and is either:  
- of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent;
- accepted as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person by the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community in which he or she lives.

By definition a person who is not an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cannot be employed (on any basis) to perform the duties of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified role.
Applicants to this position may have to provide confirmation of their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage. Requesting proof of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage from applicants helps to make sure that this intention is honoured.

**How to Apply**:

- Attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant work history)
- A 2-page written response outlining your suitability for this role in response to the attached role description and within the context of the role as described above.

We welcome all applicants to share any support needed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive.
Applications remain current for 12 months from the closing date and may be considered for appointment to identical or similar vacancies within the Department.
Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted.
When working in regulated employment an employee must have a current Working with Children Clearance (blue card) issued by Blue Card Services.
Salary rate shown is reflective of full-time (1.0 FTE).
The Department of Education is a family inclusive workplace. Click here to find out more about our Inclusion and Diversity strategies.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License.