About Return of Cultural Heritage
The Return of Cultural Heritage (RoCH) program sits within the Partnership and Engagement Group. In close cooperation with communities, AIATSIS is leading the Return of Cultural Heritage (RoCH) program to return Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage material held overseas to Australia. AIATSIS facilitates the return of objects, photographs, audio-visual records, artwork, and archival items to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander custodians. AIATSIS enables custodians to make decisions about their cultural heritage material and through the return process decided where and how their cultural heritage material is best cared for in the present.

About the Role
The ideal candidate will be culturally competent (with practical experience with Indigenous engagement or demonstrated capacity to develop this experience), a clear and effective communicator, with emotional intelligence and self-awareness, and a creative thinker with research experience or qualifications in research or repatriation. This position reports to the Assistant Director Return of Cultural Heritage.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• preparation and production of high-quality research, developing reports and other correspondence.
• assisting with the preparation of official return requests, policy papers and other outputs.
• support the Assistant Director and Director to ensure the successful facilitation and negotiation of return requests.
• work in partnership with peak representative bodies and identified communities to understand their requirements in relation to their cultural heritage held overseas, and to build ongoing relationships.
• support the Assistant Director and Director to engage with communities to identify relevant material for return, organise return logistics and assist with the organisation of any events or ceremonies to welcome and celebrate returned material.
• assist in the development of productive and mutually respectful relationships with international collecting institutions, governments and private collectors.

Our Ideal Candidate
To be successful in this role, you will have a high level of demonstrated cultural competency that ideally includes experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. You will have a successful record of community engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
You will come with the following skills, experience and attributes:

• high level of demonstrated cultural competency that ideally includes experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• successful record of community engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
• strong track record of research experience, with demonstrated capacity to lead and build research projects, including an understanding of the principles of the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research.
• excellent writing and analytical skills and the ability to communicate with influence.
• strong time management and organisational skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage competing deadlines and tasks.
• ability to model ethical and appropriate behaviour, build collaborations and partnerships, and develop relations with Indigenous communities and other stakeholders.
• experience or qualifications in
• research/cultural heritage management.
• cultural collections or repatriation.
• repatriation environment (legal, policy, cultural) dealing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait cultural heritage, are highly desirable.
• the position requires reasonable amounts of domestic and the possibility of international travel.

Cultural Capability
Roles at AIATSIS require candidates to have an understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and proven culturally appropriate engagement and communications skills. The nature of this role requires the candidate to consistently demonstrate the following specific cultural capabilities:
• understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business within the agency and the outcomes the agency is responsible for delivering.
• show respect for the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, knowledge and material when designing and undertaking research.
• engage and negotiate in good faith, with the intent to benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

AIATSIS embodies Yindyamarra in everything we do.

Contact
If you have any questions about the role, you can contact Jay Kickett on 02 6246 1139 or [email protected]