The Role

The Special Projects Manager leads the delivery of discrete strategic projects that sit outside Gayaa Dhuwi’s core implementation and policy workstreams, including time-limited or priority projects as determined by the CEO and Director, Reform.

The role requires the ability to take responsibility for a project from scoping through to delivery, including project planning, managing timelines, stakeholders, deliverables and reporting with a high degree of autonomy and without close day-to-day supervision. Special projects by their nature are varied, often sensitive, and require the person in this role to adapt quickly to different contexts, build credibility with different stakeholders, and deliver to a high standard.

The role works within the Reform stream under the Director, Reform, and will engage with the CEO, Director, Policy and external partners depending on the nature of the project. The successful candidate will be a self-directed within their delegation, organised and credible operator who brings both project management discipline and substantive knowledge of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention policy context.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and delivery of special projects as determined by the CEO and Director, Reform, including developing project plans, timelines, budgets, stakeholder engagement strategies and reporting frameworks.
• Manage all aspects of project delivery, including tracking progress, managing risks, coordinating across stakeholders, and ensuring projects are completed on time and to a high standard.
• Provide regular progress updates and reporting to the Director, Reform and CEO, flagging risks and issues early.
• Produce high-quality written outputs connected to special projects, including reports, briefs, correspondence and stakeholder materials.
• Lead Gayaa Dhuwi’s engagement with the 13YARN partnership, managing the relationship, coordinating relevant internal activity, and ensuring Gayaa Dhuwi’s contribution is purposeful and well-managed.
• Maintain clear documentation of 13YARN-related commitments, activities and outcomes.
• Identify and escalate strategic issues or risks in the 13YARN partnership to the Director, Reform and CEO.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with external partners, government agencies and other stakeholders connected to special projects.
• Represent Gayaa Dhuwi in project-related forums and meetings with professionalism and cultural respect.
• Work constructively with the Director, Reform, Director, Policy and other internal staff to ensure special projects are connected to organisational priorities.
• Undertake other duties as required.

Selection Criteria

1. Demonstrated ability to work respectfully within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership organisation, including understanding of culture, self-determination, community control and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership.
2. Demonstrated understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention, including the national policy and reform context.
3. Demonstrated experience leading and delivering strategic or special projects, including the ability to develop project plans, manage timelines and stakeholders, and produce high-quality written outputs.
4. Demonstrated ability to work autonomously, exercise sound judgement in complex or sensitive contexts, and manage competing priorities without close supervision.
5. Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with external partners and stakeholders, and represent an organisation credibly in project-related forums.

This Position is open to Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra based applicants.

About Gayaa Dhuwi

Gayaa Dhuwi is the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention. As a members based, community-controlled organisation, we are governed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experts and peak bodies.

Our vision is the highest attainable standard of social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Our role is to lead and advocate for systemic change that places the voices, strengths, and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples at the centre of national policies and reforms.

We work in a fast-paced national policy and reform environment where priorities can shift quickly in response to government processes, parliamentary inquiries, sector developments, member priorities, emerging evidence, and national reform opportunities. As a result, our team needs to be made up of individuals who can understand complex policy and service systems, work respectfully within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and organisations, and produce high-quality work across social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention.

Gayaa Dhuwi’s work is long-term with progress often requiring sustained advocacy, careful relationships, strong evidence and the ability to keep work moving over time. People who thrive at Gayaa Dhuwi are steady, thoughtful, organised, respectful, clear in their communication and able to maintain perspective while working on issues that matter deeply to our peoples and communities.

Eligibility

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply for this opportunity under section 51 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984.
• Applicants must be an Australian citizen or have permanent residency status pending the granting of Australian citizenship. All successful applicants for the position will be asked to complete pre-engagement checks including national police check and a working with vulnerable people check.

A position description is attached.