DAC Offers:

• Lead delivery of Healthy Country land and sea management programs
• Manage and support Rangers to deliver safe, culturally aligned work on Country
• Oversee budgets, partnerships and reporting to support Traditional Owner-led outcomes
• Full-time Position
• Hybrid: Broome or Derby, Kimberley

About the Dambimangari People and Country

The Dambimangari (Dambeemangaddee) people are the Traditional Owners of the land and waters along the north-west Kimberley coastline, from the Robinson River north of Derby to the Prince Regent River in the far north — a homeland they have cared for across many thousands of years.

Their Country is of extraordinary conservation significance: mighty rivers, coral reefs, rugged coastlines, more than 700 islands, and habitat for many threatened and endemic species. The Dambimangari carry the cultural responsibilities of their ancestors — to know Country, protect it, and pass it on.
Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) is the community-driven organisation that represents and works for the Dambimangari Traditional Owners. With a team of over 50 — most of whom are Traditional Owners themselves — DAC delivers programs across land and sea management, native title, cultural heritage, health, education, economic development and remote infrastructure, guided always by Law and Culture.

The Opportunity

This is more than a program management role. As Healthy Country Manager, you will lead the delivery of DAC's Land Management program — the engine room of Dambimangari's long-term commitment to caring for Country. Guided by the Healthy Country Plan and ILUA commitments, you will oversee fire management, carbon programs, feral animal and weed control, threatened species monitoring, biosecurity, cultural heritage activities and Back to Country programs across one of Australia's most remote and ecologically significant landscapes.
You will manage a team of Ranger Coordinators and Rangers, building their capability and confidence to deliver culturally aligned, safe and effective operations on Country. You will hold the budget, the partnerships, the reporting and the relationships — and you will do all of it in service of Traditional Owner-led decision-making and the long-term health of Dambimangari Country.

If you are a land management professional who understands that this work is fundamentally about people — their culture, their connection to Country, and their right to determine its future — this role will matter to you.

Key Responsibilities:

Program & Project Delivery

• Lead day-to-day delivery of all land management programs — fire, weeds, feral animals, threatened species, biosecurity, carbon, cultural heritage and cultural activities.
• Coordinate on-Country operations, fieldwork schedules, remote logistics and safe access to Country for Traditional Owners and the ranger team.
• Maintain robust systems for monitoring, evaluation, reporting and adaptive management in line with Healthy Country Plan priorities.
• Oversee program budgets, compliance reporting and contribute to grant development and funding proposals to sustain and grow the program.

People Leadership & Capacity Building

• Support and develop Ranger Coordinators to deliver safe, effective and culturally aligned operations.
• Contribute to workforce planning, mentoring and staff development across the Healthy Country land team.
• Foster a team culture grounded in mutual respect, cultural learning and shared purpose.

Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Traditional Owners, government agencies, research organisations, tourism operators, neighbouring groups and industry.
• Support cultural governance frameworks and ensure Traditional Owner-led decision-making is embedded in all land management activities.
• Work collaboratively across the Healthy Country and Sea Country team to share knowledge, coordinate joint activities and strengthen integrated land-and-sea management.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure strong WHS practices across all activities and contribute to risk management and continuous improvement in safety.
• Maintain compliance across all program activities in line with DAC's standards and relevant regulatory requirements.

About you:

You are a proactive, culturally respectful leader who brings genuine commitment to working alongside Aboriginal communities. You can hold the strategic and the operational simultaneously — managing program budgets, partner relationships and compliance while being equally at home in the field on Country.

You will bring:

• 5+ years' experience in land or conservation management in remote Australia, supported by relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience working with Indigenous communities — delivering conservation, community development, training or capacity-building programs.
• Broad operational skills across fire management, weeds, feral animals, threatened species, biosecurity, marine science, cultural programs and remote infrastructure.
• Experience maintaining monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management systems across Healthy Country programs.
• High-level stakeholder engagement skills across government, community and industry.
• Financial management competence — budgeting, reporting, compliance and experience securing grants and/or partnerships.
• Experience with Healthy Country Planning, Conservation Action Planning or Open Standards (highly desirable).

Other Requirements:

• Valid C Class Driver's Licence — manual with 4WD experience highly desirable.
• First Aid Certificate (or willingness to obtain).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Working with Children Check and National Police Clearance.
• Comfortable travelling in light aircraft and helicopters; able to maintain the physical fitness needed for remote Kimberley conditions.
• Able to pass a pre-employment medical including drug and alcohol screening.

next steps

To submit your application, please click 'Apply Now' by the closing date.

Learn more about DAC and the Dambeemangaddee people: https://dambimangari.com.au/

For more information about the position, please email [email protected] using the subject line: Healthy Country Manager - Derby enquiry via EthicalJobs or call (08) 9383 3293