Join Us

Engagement Officers

Join a Traditional Owner-led initiative driving systems change towards an empowered future for Healthy Reef and Healthy People!

Two identified positions for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates
Flexible Location – Queensland, within the Reef catchment (remote)
Fixed-term appointment until 30/06/2026 + possible extension

About ReefTO

The Reef Traditional Owner Taskforce (ReefTO) is a Traditional Owner-led, grassroots initiative that honours the decades of work by Elders to assert their cultural authority and rights to sea country and to drive genuine partnerships across the Reef. In doing so, ReefTO aims to achieve Traditional Owners’ aspirations for the health, management and protection of the Reef and interconnecting Country.

Establishment of the ReefTO Taskforce is a key recommendation in the Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan (the Plan). Operational since July 2024, the ReefTO Taskforce is responsible for overseeing delivery of the Plan.

ReefTO has three key priorities over the next 2-3 years, which it is resourced to deliver:

Engaging with Traditional Owners on options for a Sea Country Alliance (Reef-wide and regionally) and implementing the preferred option
Overseeing the delivery of strategic policy and capacity building actions listed in the TO Implementation Plan while a Sea Country Alliance is being established
Monitoring and reporting on the delivery of Traditional Owner actions in the TO Implementation Plan, including actions delivered by ReefTO and by other agencies

ReefTO is hosted by Pollination Foundation until a Sea Country Alliance is set up.

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for two talented and passionate cultural engagement specialists to support ReefTO in delivering its objectives!

Over the next couple of years, ReefTO will actively foster genuine, lasting relationships with Traditional Owners throughout the Great Barrier Reef, ensuring their voices lead decision-making processes. This engagement will inform the design and implementation of ReefTO’s work. This is not a tick-and-flick consultation exercise, and the outcome is not pre-determined. ReefTO is a Traditional Owner-led initiative that is listening and gathering insights through a genuine co-design process to inform next steps.

For this, we need two culturally competent Engagement Officers who are passionate about Traditional Owner rights and who have the skills and confidence to lead group meetings and present complex information clearly and simply. These will be rewarding and exciting roles but could at times be challenging and demanding; you’ll need a certain amount of ‘grit’.

ReefTO will bring together up to 300 Traditional Owners in March 2025 in a Reef-wide Sea Country Forum, followed by regional dialogue sessions. Exactly what the regional engagement process looks like will be informed by what we hear at the Sea Country Forum.

In this role, you’ll have an opportunity to apply your community development and engagement skills and work towards a big picture that has the potential to be truly transformative for Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef. In doing so, you’ll work alongside a talented and inspirational group of leaders that comprise the ReefTO Taskforce.

The roles are full-time on a fixed-term contract until 30 June 2026. You’ll need to be based in the Reef catchment area, with the capacity to work remotely and to travel frequently for meetings and workshops. The Engagement Officers report directly to the General Manager and will interact with the Taskforce Members and Co-Chairs.

Key Responsibilities

Contribute to the development of an engagement plan to guide how regional dialogue sessions will be conducted with Traditional Owners throughout the Great Barrier Reef catchment over a 12-month period.
Build and maintain strong relationships with Traditional Owner groups in the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
Organise workshops and meetings, including coordinating event logistics, such as venue, catering and transport.
Coordinate the procurement of any vendors or service providers required as part of organising meetings, including obtaining quotes and managing invoices.
Design and deliver dialogue sessions, including crafting the agenda, preparing presentation materials, leading discussions and recording outcomes.
Synthesise information gathered from dialogue sessions and analyse insights to inform next steps.
Work closely with the Communications Officer to keep Traditional Owner groups informed and to provide insights gathered during dialogue sessions back to participants.
Prepare short briefing papers, as required, to update the ReefTO Taskforce and General Manager on progress and preliminary outcomes arising from engagement activities.
Collaborate closely with Traditional Owner groups to develop and implement strategies that rigorously protect Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data (ID). This includes overseeing data management practices that prioritise free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) to uphold the rights of Reef Traditional Owners.
Participate in strategic planning workshops and team building activities as a member of the ReefTO team.

How to Apply

What You Need:

We’re seeking two individuals who can build strong relationships with Traditional Owner groups based on trust and respect. You should be comfortable presenting in front of groups and in preparing short briefs to report on progress and outcomes. You are analytical, organised and a team player. You relate easily to different people from Elders to youth to management, and you have strong cultural competency. You can develop, and follow, a process but you also know how to be flexible and adapt where you see things could be improved.

You must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person to apply for this role.

At ReefTO, we all work closely together, simply because we’re a small team and we’re all working on the same objectives. You won’t be alone!

You will ideally have the following knowledge, skills, competencies and personal attributes:

Strong existing network with Traditional Owner groups in the Great Barrier Reef catchment and/or demonstrated experience in building trusted relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
Confident speaking in public and presenting complex information in a concise, engaging way.
Personal resilience and the ability to handle potentially difficult questions in a meeting format.
Deep listening skills and the ability to craft insightful questions to explore all angles and get to the heart of an issue or viewpoint.
Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands.
Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite (especially PowerPoint – or programs such as Canva) and (ideally) familiarity with Teams.
Curious and analytical – the ability to identify themes and read the story behind the data.
Strong cultural competency.
Familiarity with ICIP/ID and FPIC would be ideal, but not essential.
A genuine interest in and commitment to elevating the role of Traditional Owners in management, governance and decision-making related to the Great Barrier Reef.

To apply, click here, or contact Vicky Drake, Talent Acquisition Partner at Pollination (vicky.drake@pollinationgroup.com) for further information and to obtain a copy of the Candidate Information Pack.

Please submit a cover letter (and/or a 2-minute video) addressing your suitability for the role together with a current CV.