Project Officer

• 12 months contract, part time, 22.5 hours per week, Sydney or Melbourne

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), the independent national community voice on refugee issues, is seeking a skilled Project Officer.

RCOA is the peak body for organisations who work with and for refugees and people seeking asylum. RCOA conducts research, raises awareness and advocates on national and international issues affecting refugees and people seeking asylum.

The candidate we are seeking

The Project Officer works as part of the Community Engagement Team and is responsible for the implementation of the Face to Face Schools and Community Education Program. The successful applicant will be a self-motivated team member with excellent organisational skills, have keen attention to detail and understanding of community education programs.

As an organisation dedicated to enhancing the role of Australia’s refugee communities in the national discussion about refugee issues, RCOA strongly encourages applications from people with lived refugee experience and people with close personal and cultural connections to refugee communities.

Selection criteria are outlined in the attached position description.

The position is a 12-month, part time contract working 22.5 hours a week, with possibility of extension. The position can work from RCOA’s Melbourne or Sydney office. The hourly rate is $36.50 per hour plus 10.5% superannuation. The overall value of the package is increased further by access to tax-free salary packaging options extended to staff of public benevolent institutions (which can increase the take-home pay for this position by up to $6300 p.a. at current rates).

Key responsibilities

Reporting to the Director Community Engagement, the Project Officer is responsible for the implementation of the Face to Face School and Community Education Program. The program raises awareness, addresses negative perceptions about refugees. It includes facilitated, interactive sessions, where refugee speakers share their personal, powerful stories. The program raises awareness and addresses negative perceptions about refugees by sharing their lived experiences and contributions at schools, community groups, and businesses across Australia. It also seeks to enhance refugees’ active community participation, build their confidence and skills to strengthen social integration, and highlight the value of diversity and inclusion within communities.

The position is responsible for the following:

• Coordinate the Face-to-Face School and Community Education Program including:
  • Overseeing the administrative processes for the Face-to-Face Program. This includes responding to email and website inquiries, booking speakers, processing invoices and speaker payments.
  • Promoting the program and identifying schools, community groups, business and government agencies which could potentially host Face to Face program activities.
  • Preliminary contact with interested schools and groups to negotiate dates, times and format of activities.
  • Assigning refugee speakers to deliver presentations and, where appropriate, delivering presentations to schools, community groups, business and government agencies.
  • Coordinating the evaluation of the Face-To-Face Program.
  • Contributing to the development and delivery of training of refugee speakers.
  • Developing promotional materials for the Face-To-Face Program including website content, social media (in conjunction with Communications Team), award nominations etc.
  • Developing classroom workshop lesson plans, based on the school/group needs.
  • Assisting the Partnerships and Relationships Manager to develop grant applications and reports for grant funded projects.
  • Supervising volunteers for discreet projects and tasks.
  • Assisting the Director of Community Engagement with the development and implementation of the Refugee Ambassadors program.
• Carry out other duties as directed by the Director of Community Engagement and Deputy CEO and CEO.

This position is a child related position. The successful candidate must have a working with children check clearance and must agree to being screened through as contractors in the Department of Education's eCPC system when required.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential

To be successful in this role, you must meet the following selection criteria:

1. Tertiary qualifications (diploma or above) in a relevant field
2. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate with members of the public
3. High attention to detail and accuracy in data entry
4. Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
5. Understanding and skills in developing education, training, and providing support to speakers
6. Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and Outlook
7. Experience using databases
8. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

Desirable

1. Lived refugee experience or knowledge of refugee and asylum seeker issues
2. Experience managing volunteers
3. Understanding the Australian education system and protocols in engaging schools

Enquiries can be emailed to [email protected] using the subject line: Project Officer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.