ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

Relationships

Liaises with all staff, Cultural Heritage Site Workers, the Members and the Board of Directors.

Cultural Heritage Management

Ensure the timely response to cultural heritage notifications and native title notifications in line with the corporation’s governance and corporate processes.

Review and evaluate of Cultural Heritage Management Plans.

Ensure a high level of communication and liaison with Gunditjmara Traditional Owners as well as a range of government, industry and business stakeholders involved with land and infrastructure development on public land that affects Gunditjmara native title rights and interests on public land; and with land and infrastructure oversee development on both public and private land requiring cultural heritage assessments and management.

Supervise and coordinate the cultural heritage site workers, that are engaged on a regular basis to assist Heritage Advisors with archaeological investigations out in the field.

Ensure the ongoing professional development of cultural heritage site workers in areas that include archaeological methods and cultural interpretation of sites, places and objects.

Successfully Implement, manage, monitor and evaluate programs and projects.

Ongoing program and project development and planning to address identified needs.

Program reporting to the Executive Manager of Programs, the Board of Directors, the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council and stakeholders.

Manage and support staff and team members.

Aboriginal Heritage Officer

Responsible for directing and overseeing Cultural Heritage Audits.

Assess compliance with a Cultural Heritage Management Plan or a Cultural Heritage Permits.

When necessary, enforce protection measures and/or issue 24 hour stop orders.

When necessary, gather relevant information to assist in the investigation of offences and prosecutions under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2018.

Ensuring safety is maintained at the forefront of any service provision provided is essential to this position. A Job Safety Analysis and induction is to be completed as the first point before work commences. Daily toolbox meetings are to be held and compliance with Covid Safe Plan and Guidelines is mandatory.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) will be provided in line with our Dress Code policy and OH&S Manual and in line with any Heritage Advisors Safe Work Methods Statement.

Cultural Awareness and Other Programs

Responsible for building programs to be delivered to businesses and organisations through Indigenous Cultural Awareness workshops. These workshops will provide flexibility to incorporate specific needs of organisations working in particular fields with Aboriginal communities including education, health, justice and land & resources. The intended learning outcomes of our workshops will be to:

- Develop awareness of Aboriginal culture and identity

- Develop awareness of the strengths of Aboriginal culture and people

- Assist in making the connection and understanding the impact of colonisation and past policy for Aboriginal people today

- Develop capacity to be more understanding and responsive to Aboriginal colleagues and clients

- Motivate participants in their cultural competence journey

Co-ordination, design and delivery of other cultural programs such as, but not limited to:

- Smoking ceremonies

- Welcome to Country

- Language requests

- Educational talks

- Any other cultural heritage requests

- All other relevant requests as directed.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

The key selection criteria specified below outline the capabilities required for the position.

Specialist / Technical Expertise

An awareness and understanding of historic and current issues affecting Gunditjmara and Country; as well as the broader Australian Aboriginal and Torres Islander community and their relationships with the broader Australian society in order to communicate effectively and sensitively with Gunditjmara and other stakeholders.

Experience in establishing partnerships and/or effectively engaging with Gunditjmara and building Gunditjmara community capacity with a community development approach is highly advantageous.

Experience working with government departments or agencies to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes is desirable.

An understanding of the GMTOAC, its operations and activities.

Qualifications

Qualifications in Cultural Heritage and or Natural Resource and Land Management or equivalent, demonstrated experience.

Certificate IV in Government Investigations.

Or the ability to complete these courses during the duration of employment when availability is offered by Aboriginal Victoria.

Desirable Skills

Has equipment and mapping software skills.

Knowledge and Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Well-developed skills in Communication and strong interpersonal skills.

Clearly and confidently communicates with people at all levels of the organisation.

Understands and meets the needs of target audience.

Handles difficult and sensitive communications well.

Realises the complex causes (underlying concerns) of others long- term behaviour patterns and plans responses and reactions accordingly.

Uses understanding of individuals to get the best outcomes for the person and organisation.

Stakeholder Management

Identifies and manages a range of complex and often competing needs.

Identifies issues in common for one or more stakeholders and uses them to build mutually beneficial partnerships.

Finds innovative solutions to resolve stakeholder issues.

Planning and Organising

Liaises with others when organising work.

Anticipates barriers and finds effective ways to deal with them.

Ability to prioritise and control workload.

Problem Solving

Continually liaises with key stakeholders to ensure full understanding of the issues.

Evaluates implemented courses of action and make adjustments as required.

Information Technology

Knowledge and experience using computers and software, particularly Microsoft Office.

Able to follow instructions and communicate when unsure

Be able to work part of a team and support constant improvement in the team’s community engagement practice.

Documentation and Reporting

A clear understand of the importance of documentation and data collection and related processes

Able to evaluate data and report in a clear and concise manner.

Employee Risk Management Responsibilities (including OH&S)

The following items are the duties of each employee:

To take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others affected by their acts or omissions

To co-operate with their employer in relation to any action taken to comply with the OH&S Act.

Not wilfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interest of health and safety

Identify risk and be able to manage and escalate issues

Not wilfully place at risk the health and safety of any person at the workplace

Report all safety hazards and risk exposures, including losses to their supervisor

Maintain physical security of all property, equipment and buildings within your jurisdiction and control

All staff are required to actively reduce GMTOAC’s exposure to losses related to security, public liability and professional indemnity and reporting areas of concern

Correctly use and wear any personal protective gear/equipment at all times.

Eligibility

Appointments are subject to satisfactory completion of relevant screening checks.

The filling of this position is intended to constitute a special measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), and s12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) and s8(4) of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic).

This is an identified position, successful applicants must be able to provide evidence that they have worked with, managed and supported Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people; and understand the historic and current issues affecting Gunditjmara people and country; as well as the broader Australian Aboriginal and Torres Islander community.

Successful applicants must be able to provide proof that they are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders descent; identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; and are accepted by their community as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Conditions of Employment

Must have a Victorian Drivers Licence

Ability to obtain a positive National Police and Working With Children Check (fees for checks can be reimbursed by GMTOAC)

GMTOAC is an equal opportunity employer – If you believe you may be unable to achieve a positive check result, we have the ability to review your results and act with discretion. This allows us to employ staff only if we consider the outcome of this record will not have any negative impact to GMTOAC operations or reputation, or the role the staff member is completing.

Applicants must submit a CV and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) detailing their suitability for the role, specifically addressing the Key Selection Criteria or main responsibilities of the position.

This position will close at 5.00pm on Monday, 18 August 2025.