The Team

As a team member of the Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC’s) Indigenous Electoral Participation Program you will have a unique opportunity to work with your peers to direct and lead the work we undertake with our community level partners who help us identify and respond to barriers faced in relation to First Nations electoral participation. Our staff contribute to this in different ways, and your knowledge and expertise will ultimately help the AEC make Australian elections more accessible for culturally diverse people.

You will use evidence and best practice to create and maintain key resources, support legislative change, and uphold the AEC’s commitment to continuous improvement. Additionally, you will play an instrumental role in the Branch Leadership Team, ensuring that our work has a strong strategic focus, shaping a proactive and inquisitive culture within the Branch, and championing a commitment to service design and human-centred outcomes.

The Opportunity

This role is an Affirmative Measures position, specifically designated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, therefore this vacancy is only open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The role is responsible for delivering on business outcomes, including taking the lead on engaging partners who will help the AEC realise maximum benefits for Indigenous Australians. You will represent and explain agency views in various forums which will involve travelling, sometimes to remote localities and you will collaborate and maintain relationships both internally and externally.

To excel you’ll have:

Extensive experience in building and sustaining relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, ensuring that Indigenous voices and perspectives are central to the design and delivery of our work.
An ability to communicate genuinely and intently with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and to build trust and rapport through consistent leadership behaviours, authenticity and openness in communication.
Demonstrated ability to lead when change is a constant, embrace ambiguity whilst delivering quality results with a focus on continuous improvement.
Demonstrated ability to empower individuals to grow, lead, and transform with purpose through immersive, experiential learning.
Strong written and verbal communication skills including the ability to tailor messages and information for a variety of audiences of varying seniority and in a culturally appropriate manner.
Organised administrator with ability to find and detail stories of success through change.
Ability to identify problems and work to resolve them, engaging with risk maturely.
A visionary and proactive learner who thrives on exploring new ideas and mastering emerging skills.
A strong commitment to working harmoniously within a small, geographically dispersed team to achieve positive program results.

Desirable

You have relevant qualifications in Indigenous studies or community engagement/education.
You know about or can quickly learn about legislation and programs and policies.

Affirmative Measures - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment

The Affirmative Measures - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment process is open only to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who meet the criteria below.

To be eligible to apply for this role, you must:

be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent or identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
be accepted by community as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage will only be required from candidates who are found suitable at the end of the process.

The AEC will consider allowances in some circumstances, however evidence of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is likely to include the following:

a letter signed by the Chairperson of an incorporated Indigenous organisation confirming that the applicant is recognised as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, or
a confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent document executed by an Indigenous organisation.

Note: The need to provide confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage is not required as part of the application process. Confirmation will be requested prior to the onboarding process.

Eligibility

AEC employees must be Australian citizens.
Any person who is, and seen to be active in political affairs, and intends to publicly carry on this activity, may compromise the strict neutrality of the AEC and cannot be considered.
Applicants are required to consent to, undergo, obtain and maintain a character clearance.
Applicants are required to consent to, undergo, obtain and maintain the security clearance required for this role.

Contact: Rain Wenitong, rain.wenitong@aec.gov.au

Due Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 11:59pm AEDT

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Senior Engagement Officer, Indigenous Electoral Participation Program

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