Lived Experience Project Lead

About the role

• Opportunity to work at the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (National Centre), a national purpose-driven organisation which is a symbol of hope and an essential vehicle for action for many victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

• We partner with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and trauma in all that we do. We will be centering these relationships through the building of our Lived Experience team, and in light of this, people with Lived Experience will be prioritised for this role. It is essential that we engage safely and in a trauma informed way; this approach will be a critical focus of our recruitment process.

• Join at an exciting period of growth, as the National Centre expands its team.

• Two full time (1.0) fixed-term positions available until October 2026 – with flexible working arrangements available (eg. part-time).

• A national remote role, available in every major Australian city with occasional in-person collaboration with other team members.

• The successful candidates will undertake domestic travel occasionally as part of this role.

• $85,000 – $105,000 (FTE) per annum excluding superannuation.

Note: this advertisement refers to child sexual abuse and may bring up strong feelings. Please take care of yourself and seek support if you need. Support services can be found on our website.

Role summary

The Lived Experience Project Lead will drive a range of projects and initiatives across the Lived Experience team, that centre, enable, and elevate the leadership and participation of people with Lived and Living Experience to shape advocacy, influence systems, and inform change across and beyond the National Centre.

Through trauma-responsive and inclusive engagement, this role fosters meaningful partnerships with survivors and victims of child sexual abuse, ensuring diverse voices are embedded in planning, decision-making, and systems change.

At the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse, we are committed to elevating the wisdom and expertise of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Values of safety, inclusion and trauma-responsiveness guide our interactions, including in our recruitment process. The National Centre team commit to authentic and meaningful engagement with people with Lived Experience – ensuring their voices are heard, valued, and embedded in our work.

Who you are (selection criteria)

• Tertiary qualifications in health, education, community development or social sciences, or the equivalent experience will be viewed favourably.
• You have a demonstrated commitment to championing Lived and Living Experience as a privileged and essential source of knowledge, leadership and expertise.
• You bring experience designing and delivering co-designed, participatory and community-led initiatives that uphold safe, ethical, trauma-responsive and culturally affirming practices.
• You have experience building the capability of others to work alongside people with Lived and Living Experience through tools, resources, coaching or other initiatives that enable ethical engagement.
• You are a thoughtful collaborator, who is skilled in building trust and sustained partnerships through an authentic leadership style.
• You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and contributing to an evolving body of work with purpose, care and humility.
• You are aligned with the National Centre's mission to disrupt child sexual abuse and bring about systemic change.
• You demonstrate a trauma-responsive, ethical and trauma-responsive approach in your work, and understand the critical importance of working in partnership with people with Lived Experience; ensuring their voices are heard, respected and meaningfully embedded in all that you do.

Research indicates that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised individuals often wait until they fulfil every requirement. If you believe you have the attributes to do the job but don't match every point on the job ad, we welcome and encourage your application.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, coordinate and facilitate outreach and engagement activities that reflect the diversity of victim and survivor experiences.
• Work alongside the Director, Lived Experience and Lived Experience Managers to identify engagement priorities and connect with underrepresented voices and communities.
• Provide guidance and support to team members and relevant partners to strengthen their co-design and participatory practice with people with Lived Experience.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of evaluation processes that assess the outcomes and impact of engagement activities.
• Apply inclusive design methods that centre diverse voices and support shared decision making.

Please see the Lived Experience Project Lead position description for more.

What we offer

• Join a team of dedicated and compassionate professionals who are deeply committed to creating meaningful change and fostering a positive, purpose-driven workplace culture.

• Be part of an organisation that genuinely values diversity, inclusion, and belonging; where every individual is empowered to show up as their authentic self in a safe, supportive, and respectful environment.

• As a fully remote organisation, we embrace flexibility and adaptability in how we work. Supporting flexible work arrangements for all employees is a core commitment across the National Centre.

Additional adjustments

We are committed to providing an inclusive experience to all candidates. If you have a disability, condition, illness or access requirements, please let us know how we can best support you throughout your recruitment experience.

We recognise that each individual's needs are different. Some examples of adjustments we can provide include (but are not limited to):

• Alternative formats or ways to submit your application (verbal or video)
• Flexible communication methods
• Additional time to complete tasks, assessments or pre-interview work
• Support from a support person or advocate during interviews
• Modifications to the interview structure, environment or timing

If you require additional adjustments, or would like to discuss any access needs as a part of the application and recruitment process, please contact us via email

Our candidate experience

We aim to be transparent and kind to all of our candidates. We value your time, and as such want to share how we do things so you know what to expect with no nasty surprises. For more information on our end-to-end candidate experience, please visit the SHE HR Consulting website.

Position Description : Lived Experience Project Lead - Position

To express your interest, submit an online application through our application portal and include a professional resume. All applicants must also provide brief responses to the application questions that are included as part of the online application.

Note: we do not accept cover letters as part of our application process.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and we may close our job advertisement without notice, so don't delay your application.

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse is an equal opportunity employer and strives to maintain a workplace environment that is fair and free of discrimination, is safe and accessible for all employees, and provides working arrangements that accommodate the diverse needs of our staff. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people from culturally- and linguistically-diverse backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people and people of every ethnicity, faith, ability, culture, language, gender identity, age, and sex.

Employment in this position is conditional upon reception and maintenance of reference checks as part of pre-employment screening, and a Working With Children Check (or state equivalent).

As part of our employment screening process, we do run police checks. But don't worry—having a criminal record doesn't automatically disqualify you.

Please quote in application: Lived Experience Project Lead via Pro Bono Australia.

Profession: #Advocacy, #Project_Management

Sector: #Community_Development