This is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under 'special measures' of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. ONLY Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply.

About the organisation

The First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria (the Assembly) is the voice of Aboriginal people in Victoria in the next stage of the Treaty process. It is made up of Victorian Traditional Owners, elected by Aboriginal Communities, for Aboriginal Communities, to advance our rights, interests and benefits.

Our mandate is to work with the State to establish Treaty processes that recognise our sovereignty as the First Peoples of Victoria, support self-determination, and realise our human rights, to make Victoria stronger for everyone.

Walk with us and make history!

the role

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual, who will be responsible for developing policy advice and managing projects to support to the leadership team. This includes supporting the delivery of core Assembly services whilst identifying emerging risks and challenges.

The position does not require in-depth knowledge about Treaty or similar processes. The ideal candidate for this position is a person with solid policy and project management skills who has a good understanding of Victorian Aboriginal Communities.

Reporting to: Policy Manager

Skills & experience required

• Comprehensive knowledge of Victorian Aboriginal Communities
• An understanding of Government decision making processes
• Previous experience in the provision of strategic policy advice and guidance
• Demonstrated management of relationships
• Working to challenging deadlines
• A collaborative and respectful approach
• Being a creative problem solver
• Solid influencing skills
• Conceptual thinking
• The ability to synthesise complex information and communicate it simply and effectively
• Degree qualified or equivalent experience

Salary & Term

• Ongoing, subject to continued funding
• Salary of $98,000 - $120,000 per annum (full-time equivalent) plus superannuation, based on experience and expertise of the occupant
• Salary sacrificing up to $15,000 per year available due to the Assembly’s Public Benevolent Institution status.

Key Duties

• Develop policy advice to support the development of strategic policies and projects.
• Develop and lead key strategic projects delivered within agreed timeframes.
• Provide support to the Assembly’s community engagement processes by developing and contributing to community engagement materials (eg fact sheets, discussion papers, slide packs), collating responses from community and developing reports. ·
• Provide meeting support where required, this may include coordination of, and attending meetings of the Assembly and preparing meeting papers.
• Provide written and verbal advice to the CEO, Co-Chairs, and the Management team of the Assembly.
• Support the Assembly team across all its work

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Comprehensive knowledge of Victorian Aboriginal Communities and experience working with Aboriginal communities and Traditional Owner organisations.
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve and understand an issue from many viewpoints.
• Previous experience in a policy role OR similar position such as engagement and communication, legal or advocacy with exposure to policy design, development, implementation and/or communication.
• Excellent communication skills - able to write clearly and plainly for different audiences, and able to explain complex issues so they can be understood by different audiences.
• Demonstrated experience in managing projects
• Demonstrated ability to think and write at a high level while also having attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to create and maintain positive work relationships internal and external to an organisation that is collaborative and respectful.
• Able to and enjoy working to challenging deadlines. · Degree qualified or equivalent experience.

Key Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated capacity to work effectively and with integrity in the context of a Victorian Traditional Owner representative body. Willing and able to support the leadership of an organisation that is Aboriginal controlled and representative of Aboriginal communities in Victoria. Demonstrated understanding of the Aboriginal community in Victoria. Able to navigate complex relationships and act in accordance with the Assembly values. Willing and able to behave in a way that supports the achievement of the Assembly values and builds the reputation of the Assembly.
• Demonstrated experience in problem solving, analysis, seeing an issue from different viewpoints and thinking creatively about an issue Experience in problem solving, thinking creatively about an issue, including the ability to understand an issue from different viewpoints. Able to translate complex evidence into analysis that supports advice. Willing and able to take responsibility for policy development, delivery and project management where required. Able to support the promotion, resilience and perseverance across the Assembly and maintain focus on the primary goal of achieving Treaties in a way that best furthers the achievement of the rights of Aboriginal Victorians.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write and speak clearly and plainly to different audiences. Experience writing documents to a high standard, including briefings, engagement materials, guidance documents, submissions or reports. Able to think and write at a high level while also having attention to detail.
• Demonstrated capacity for engagement and collaboration Engages stakeholders and the community, establishes and builds relationships within and outside the Assembly including board, members, staff and other leaders in Victoria who play a critical role in achieving Treaties. Able to understand and manage a range of expectations, and develop and implement solutions in a collaborative manner.
• Great organisational skills to plan and manage work. Able to manage competing and changing priorities and timeframes to deliver advice and projects to a high standard and on time. Has experience in applying different methodologies to managing projects.

Technical Skills

• MS Office proficiency
• MS Projects or related project planning/management tools

For further information regarding this role please email [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Policy Officer (Identified) enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.