• Full Time | 9-day fortnight | 36 hours per week 
• Salary: From $111,401 plus Superannuation
• Position Brief - Senior First Nations Officer

  About the team

The Environment, Heritage and Resilience directorate is dedicated to strengthening the Gold Coast way of life through sustainable, culturally informed and community-focused outcomes. Within this, the Sustainability, Heritage and Compliance branch plays a critical role, with the First Nations team leading how the City engages with Traditional Owners and First Nations communities.

Through strong collaboration across the organisation, the team drives meaningful engagement, facilitates cultural awareness initiatives and leads the City’s Reconciliation journey. By partnering with internal stakeholders and community representatives, the team ensures engagement is respectful, impactful and aligned with the City’s reconciliation commitments.

About the role 

As the Senior First Nations Officer, you will provide strategic leadership and expert guidance to shape and strengthen First Nations engagement across City projects. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, you will leverage your strong communications expertise to influence decision-making, deliver high-impact outcomes and contribute to frameworks, policies and practices that support best-practice engagement.

You will play a pivotal role in the successful delivery of subsequential City Reconciliation Action Plan’s (RAP’s), overseeing development, governance and implementation end-to-end, while ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and managing potential risks

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the design, implementation and socialisation of the City’s First Nations Engagement Framework
• Providing expert advice on complex and sensitive engagement matters, including risk and reputational considerations
• Coordinating and delivering First Nations engagement activities across diverse City projects and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Building and maintaining strong, trust-based relationships with Traditional Owners, First Nations stakeholders and internal project teams
• Driving strategic communication initiatives in partnership with internal and external Marketing communications
• Championing continuous improvement to enhance engagement practices and outcomes
• Preparing high-quality reports and recommendations to inform senior leadership and Council decisions
• Mentoring and strengthening organisational cultural capability

This is a highly collaborative and influential role, ideal for someone who excels at building relationships, navigating complexity and delivering meaningful outcomes.

We’re looking for people who have: 

• Demonstrated experience in First Nations engagement, including the development and delivery of culturally appropriate strategies and trusted community relationships
• Proven ability to work effectively in complex, sensitive environments with Traditional Owner groups and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence and advise on complex matters
• Proven project management experience, with the ability to coordinate multiple initiatives, manage competing priorities and deliver outcomes
• Experience in developing and implementing frameworks and processes that drive organisational outcomes
• A track record of building effective internal and external partnerships to support successful project delivery
• Ability to provide strategic advice, inform decision-making and produce high-quality reports for senior stakeholders
• Strong collaboration skills, with experience working across multidisciplinary teams

Qualifications / Requirements

• Diploma in Project Management (or equivalent experience)
• Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Current driver’s licence (mandatory)
• IAP2 Certificate in Engagement (desirable)

Be part of shaping the Gold Coast’s future 

The Gold Coast is inspired by lifestyle and driven by opportunity. We are the second largest Council in Australia.  

We care about being the most flexible government organisation in Australia. We have a range of benefits to help you create the right balance:   

• 9-day fortnight  

• Flexible work arrangements to suit your lifestyle, including hybrid/work from home options, flexible working hours and locations  

• Personal and professional development courses 

• Access to 350+ fitness facilities through Fitness Passport  

• 4 free confidential counselling sessions a year for you or an immediate family member 

• 1 free nutritionist and financial advice session per year 

 We pride ourselves on our shared mission of being a high-performing, customer-focused organisation which delivers value-for-money services to the community.  

How to apply
To submit your application, please click apply now and complete the application form. You will be required to upload your resume and a cover letter (no more than two pages) outlining how your skills, experience and personal attributes will enable you to be successful in this role. Please note that you may also be asked to provide relevant qualifications, where applicable.

Contact Person Anneliisa Tonisson 

Contact Email ATONISSON@goldcoast.qld.gov.au  

Closing Date Sunday 14th June 2026, 11:59pm AEDT   

Our selection process may include a one-way video interview via Criteria, a face-to-face or virtual interview via Microsoft Teams, reference checks via Xref and additional checks including police checks, employment history checks, qualification checks, pre-employment medical reviews and drug and alcohol testing.  

We’re committed to creating a diverse workplace and inclusive culture. We take pride in people who align with our high-performance principles. We believe that the diverse makeup of our workforce reflects the community we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and identities, and encourage candidates to discuss any support or adjustments they may need throughout the recruitment process.