Program Officer

About the role

Stronger Communities for Children (SCfC) is a place-based community development initiative designed to give children and young people in participating NT communities the best possible start in life so that they grow up strong, healthy, and confident.

As the Implementation Support Provider for SCfC, Ninti One works alongside Local Community Boards (LCBs) and Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to strengthen capacity, governance, and local decision-making.

The SCfC Program Officer provides mentoring, tools, and data support to help communities design and implement activities that foster safe and positive environments for children and families.

Key Responsibilities

• Support LCBs and ACCOs: Deliver tailored mentoring and governance support through community workshops, regular check-ins, and online engagement to strengthen local leadership and decision-making.
• Facilitate collaboration and relationships: Build and maintain respectful and productive working relationships with LCB members, ACCOs, service providers, and government representatives to ensure strong partnerships.
• Provide capacity-building resources: Develop and share practical tools, templates, and culturally appropriate resources that support communities in program planning, project management, governance, and implementation.
• Enable learning and knowledge sharing: Facilitate participation in online Communities of Practice, the annual Knowledge Sharing Seminar, and the Youth Leadership Forum to build skills, share learnings, and strengthen networks across SCfC communities.
• Support evidence and accountability: Assist LCBs and ACCOs to capture and use data for monitoring, evaluation, and community reporting, ensuring evidence informs decision-making and demonstrates impact.
• Contribute to Ninti's role as ISP: Work with the Program Manager and SCfC team on reporting, resource development, communications, event management, and other tasks that strengthen Ninti's support role.

Selection Criteria

• Qualification or experience in project management, coordination, community development, or a related field.
• Strong cross-cultural skills and ability to work effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience building community capacity through governance support, workshop facilitation, and coordination of meetings and events.
• Knowledge of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Ability to travel to remote communities (including via 4WD and light aircraft).
• Current driver's licence and ability to drive a 4WD off-road.
• Working with Children Check (or ability to obtain).

Desirable

• Experience in Understanding, Monitoring and Evaluation (UMEL) of activities and programs.
• Experience developing practical resources, templates, and tools.

Skills

• Strong governance, facilitation, and capacity-building skills.
• Ability to plan and deliver workshops, meetings, and events.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Proven ability to work autonomously, manage competing priorities, and use initiative.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Understanding of place-based community development and local decision-making approaches.
• Flexible and responsive to changing priorities.
• Innovative and solutions-focused mindset.
• Comfortable working remotely or independently while staying connected to a dispersed team

Ninti considers that being Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander is a genuine occupational requirement for this position under sub-s 35(1)(b)(ii) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (NT), sub-s 56(2) of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA).

The filling of this position is intended to constitute a special/equal opportunity measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), and [select appropriate jurisdiction/s from: s s 57 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (NT), s 65 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA).

The position is therefore only open to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants.