Community Engagement Officer

 Community Engagement Officer

, Clerk Grade 5/6

• Full-time temporary role available until July 2027, with potential for extension, based in North Eastern NSW either Goonellabah and Grafton
• Part-time and job share arrangements will be considered
• Collaborate closely with community and build strong partnerships with Aboriginal stakeholders
• Contribute to planning and delivering responsive, community-prioritised co-design
• Join a supportive, purpose-driven team with ongoing learning and development opportunities

This is an Identified position and is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people only.

About the opportunity

You will play a vital role in working alongside Aboriginal communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from flood. Your focus will be on building trusted relationships and ensuring that, through meaningful engagement - local community preparedness, warnings, and evacuation procedures are culturally responsive. You will partner with Aboriginal people and communities to co-design culturally informed service delivery that reflects the rich connection to Country and Water, and how this interlocks with addressing cultural considerations around warning, evacuation, and response. Additionally, you will support targeted community engagement activities, build the capacity of SES units, and strengthen local partnerships to foster connectedness and local relationships. This unique role offers the opportunity to nurture community capability initiatives that protect lives, land, and culture while embedding SES's strength-based approach to working alongside communities.

About the NSW SES

Our Mission: NSW SES saving lives and creating safer communities.

Our Vision: A trusted volunteer-based emergency service, working together to deliver excellence in community preparedness and emergency response.

The NSW SES serves the community as the lead agency for Floods, Storms and Tsunamis. We are recognised as the most versatile and widely used emergency service organisation in NSW. Our volunteers are highly skilled, experienced, and well- trained in the wide variety of roles they perform.

With over 10,000 volunteers we are committed to protecting and supporting the diverse communities of NSW. Learn more here.

About you

To be successful in this role you will:

• Build and maintain strong, respectful relationships with Aboriginal communities, stakeholders, and internal teams.
• Have a passion for Aboriginal knowing, being, and doing, with a solid understanding of culture and community priorities.
• Experience co-designing and working alongside communities to shape culturally responsive service delivery and projects, and the ability to embed co-design in government processes.
• Be tech-savvy, communicate confidently with diverse audiences, and foster two-way dialogue.
• Hold a valid driver's license and be willing to travel across NSW.
• Work independently, manage priorities, and deliver results across multiple locations and teams.
• Support SES teams to build capacity in inclusive engagement and strong community partnerships.

As an Identified role, this opportunity is open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons only.

Where a position is identified, an applicant's race is a genuine occupational qualification and authorised by Section 14(d) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977.

There are two alternatives to confirming your Aboriginality, one of which must be uploaded to your profile to be considered for the role. Either will be accepted:

• Confirmation of Aboriginality form

or

• Written confirmation from 2-3 Aboriginal organisations within the community in which you live/work, which addresses the three criteria listed below:
• is of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, and
• identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, and is accepted as a such by the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.

What we can offer you

• You will enjoy a 35-hour work week
• You can enjoy a hybrid work environment, time in the office and time working from home.
• Attractive salary range of $99,938.00 to $110,271.00 plus 12% superannuation, leave loading and field allowance.
• Our work is meaningful and rewarding. The SES's mission is saving lives and creating safer communities, and you can be an important part of our work.
• We have attractive leave entitlements including parental, sick, flex and recreation leave.
• We care about our people. We have Mental Health & Wellbeing programs and services to support our people and operational and leadership training and development opportunities to develop our people. Some of these include:
• Fitness Passport
• LinkedIn Learning
• Member Assist Program for free confidential counselling support
• Flu vaccine program.

You Belong Here

• We care about people as individuals and are committed to diversity, inclusion, and new ways of working. We encourage applications from people of any age, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, faith, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
• We are committed to implementing our first Reconciliation Plan in 2025 and building respectful relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities.
• We want our people to reflect the diverse community we serve and are committed to creating an inclusive and flexible workplace. We want to know what this looks like for you so we can support your success at work.
• If you require reasonable adjustments, we are committed to supporting you throughout the recruitment processes and in the workplace, If you feel you may require an adjustment during the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@ses.nsw.gov.au for confidential advice on options.

How to apply

Your application should include as separate attachments:

• A cover letter (maximum of two pages) briefly responding to the essential requirements and your interest in the role;
• Response to the targeted question (maximum of one page); and
• An up-to-date resume of no more than five pages detailing your skills and experience relevant to the role

Targeted Question

Describe a time where you have worked in partnership with Aboriginal communities to co-design a program, initiative, or service.

What complexities or challenges did you need to navigate? How did you approach your role to ensure culturally responsive engagement and genuine collaboration? What were the outcomes, and what did you learn from the experience?

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about this opportunity, please contact Colin Renton via email colin.renton@ses.nsw.gov.au or phone 0409 679 844.

The role description is available here.

Need extra assistance?

Below are some useful links that can assist you throughout the recruitment process.

• How to apply for a NSW government job, including how to prepare an application
• The recruitment process at the NSW SES
• The NSW Public Sector Capability Framework
• Where to ask for extra support - the NSW SES has a dedicated Recruitment Advisor that can assist you with any questions throughout the recruitment process. Contact Akshata at akshata.surati1@ses.nsw.gov.au should you require extra support.

Talent Pool

A recruitment pool may be created for ongoing and temporary roles of the same role or role type that may become available for filling over the next 18 months. Further information here

Applications close: Sunday 7th June 2026, 11:55pm