Education Officer

About RSPCA NSW

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New South Wales (RSPCA NSW) is a not-for-profit animal welfare organisation. We provide a strong voice for animals experiencing cruelty and neglect. RSPCA NSW is committed to the care and welfare of animals, providing extensive professional facilities, including fully equipped veterinary hospitals and our state-wide shelter network, with approximately 500 staff across NSW to care for animals.

Why Work For Us?

• A broad range of leave entitlements, including 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Access to a range of mental health and wellbeing supportive initiatives, including confidential counselling services and education programs
• Generous discount on products and services, including pet food, retail, and vet clinic products and services
• Access to a range of learning and development opportunities that will benefit and support you in your role
• Staff parking and a newly renovated work environment

Keeping Cats Safe at Home

Keeping Cats Safe at Home is an exciting new behaviour change project funded by a major grant from the NSW Environmental Trust. This education and social marketing project aims to encourage cat owners to keep their cats contained to their properties, both to keep cats safe and to reduce negative impacts on wildlife.

The project will be conducted in 10 local government areas across NSW and will involve working closely with local stakeholders, including councils, veterinarians, wildlife organisations, animal welfare organisations, and the public.

The first phase of the project (year 1) will involve extensive community consultation to develop tailored behaviour change strategies that address specific local barriers and drivers to cat containment.

The second phase of the project (years 2-4) will involve implementing the behaviour change strategies. These will be informed by the community consultation phase but might include components such as an advertising campaign, community engagement events, targeted incentives such as free or subsidised desexing, school education visits, and a phone advice line.

The project's impacts will be measured through two research projects in collaboration with the University of New England. The first will investigate cat owner behaviour change. The second will evaluate the ecological impacts of the project through GPS and camera trap monitoring of cat activity.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Education Officer plays a key role in advancing the goals of Keeping Cats Safe at Home Phase 2 (KCSAH) by delivering high-quality, evidence-based education targeted towards primary school-aged children that promotes responsible cat ownership, fosters empathy for animals, and supports community-wide behaviour change. This role contributes directly to the project's mission of reducing the environmental impact of free-roaming cats on native wildlife by increasing awareness and uptake of cat containment and desexing.

Key Accountabilities:

Deliver engaging education programs to learners from Kindergarten to Year 6 through face-to-face sessions at the RSPCA NSW Education Centre in Yagoona, with a focus on fostering empathy, responsible pet ownership, and awareness of cat containment as part of the Keeping Cats Safe at Home initiative.

• Conduct outreach education sessions in schools and community settings, reinforcing the environmental and welfare benefits of responsible cat guardianship.
• Support project impact measurement by monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of KCSAH education activities, providing insights to refine and improve educational content in alignment with both project outcomes and RSPCA NSW objectives.
• Develop and adapt curriculum-linked resources that support learning outcomes and promote key KCSAH messages, ensuring materials are engaging, age-appropriate, and culturally inclusive.
• Train and mentor Education and Community Speaker volunteers, ensuring they are equipped with accurate information, presentation tools, and ongoing support to deliver KCSAH-aligned education and outreach talks.
• Manage administrative and reporting tasks, including booking coordination, impact tracking, stakeholder follow-ups, and timely responses to enquiries about education services, in line with RSPCA NSW protocols.
• Maintain excellence in educational practice, applying current teaching strategies and inclusive engagement approaches, and upholding the highest standards of delivery and learner wellbeing.
• Actively promote Keeping Cats Safe at Home education programs within schools, local communities, and the government sector to strengthen recognition of the organisation's role in companion animal education and welfare.

ABOUT YOU

Requirements:

• Demonstrated experience delivering education programs across a wide range of learner ages—from early childhood through to adult audiences—in both formal and informal settings.
• Strong public speaking and facilitation skills, with the ability to adapt content and delivery to meet the needs of diverse learning and behavioural styles.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, with a flair for creating engaging, age-appropriate, and inclusive educational content.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Confidence using digital tools and platforms to support program delivery and communication, with proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with Salesforce and Canva highly regarded.
• Ability to work respectfully and effectively with people from varied backgrounds, lived experiences, and community contexts.
• Sound professional judgment and high sensitivity to reputational risk, with a commitment to upholding RSPCA NSW values in all public-facing and collaborative work.
• A collaborative, solutions-focused mindset, with a strong sense of personal accountability and a commitment to achieving high-quality outcomes.
• Empathy for both people and animals, and a belief in education as a tool for positive behaviour change.
• Tertiary qualifications in education, teaching, community engagement, or a related field—or equivalent experience delivering education in an animal welfare, environmental, or outreach setting.
• The ability to travel frequently across NSW, including some weekend or out-of-hours work as required.
• A current NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) is essential for this role.