Help Shape Australia's Next Economy

The Next Economy works with regions, government, industry and civil society leaders to build climate-safe, regenerative and socially just economies.

Across Australia, communities are navigating profound economic change. We work alongside them to identify practical opportunities, manage complex transitions and create positive economic futures that strengthen social, economic and environmental wellbeing.

As our work continues to grow, we are seeking an experienced researcher, analyst and writer to join our team for an initial three-month engagement. The successful candidate will contribute to place-based planning and regional economic development work in Northern Australia, helping generate the insights and evidence needed to support regional futures.

Who we're looking for

We are seeking someone who can quickly contribute to a project involving desktop research, stakeholder interviews, research, analysis and synthesis as well as the development of high-quality written outputs.

You will bring demonstrated experience in:

• Design-led methodologies, research and analysis relating to one or more of the following areas: economic development, regional development, economic systems change, wellbeing economy approaches, sustainable transitions, decarbonisation, climate adaptation or related fields.
• Community development and/or community engagement in complex and sometimes sensitive environments
• Analysing and synthesising complex information from diverse sources to identify key insights, opportunities and challenges
• Applying strategic and systems thinking to complex economic, social and environmental issues
• Producing high-quality briefing papers, reports and other written outputs for decision-makers

Experience working in Northern Australia and/or with First Nations organisations and communities would be highly regarded.

Additional experience in stakeholder engagement, facilitation, project management and client relationship management would be valued and may create opportunities to contribute more broadly across our work over time.

About you

You are motivated by creating positive economic, social and environmental outcomes and are committed to helping communities around Australia navigate change.

• Comfortable working with complexity and taking a whole-of-systems perspective
• Curious, adaptable and willing to learn new approaches and methodologies
• Experienced at collaborating effectively across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Able to work effectively and sensitively with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• Self-motivated, comfortable working independently without daily in-person supervision, and adept at communicating effectively through digital channels
• Committed to producing high-quality work with strong attention to detail
• Professional, trustworthy and respectful of confidentiality

This role is a flexible, remote-first arrangement. To thrive in this setup, you must be comfortable balancing your time, and working virtually from your own dedicated workspace (Brisbane based applicants are able to work from the TNE Head Office).

Working with us

We are seeking someone who can commence as soon as possible, ideally in July 2026. While TNE has an office in Brisbane, we are also open to the position being located remotely.

The initial opportunity is expected to involve approximately 0.6 FTE over a three-month period. There may be flexibility to increase this for the right candidate, depending on experience, availability and organisational needs.

We are open to different engagement arrangements, including employment or an individual contractor arrangement. The successful candidate will work as part of our team, contributing to a range of projects and initiatives.

Some travel within Australia and occasional work outside standard business hours may be required.

Next Steps

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

To discuss the opportunity, please email:

[email protected] using the subject line: Research, Engagement and Strategic Insight - Regional Futures - Brisbane / Remote enquiry via EthicalJobs.

We review applications as they are received and encourage interested candidates to apply early.