Ethics Committee Member (Voluntary)

If you are motivated, passionate, open minded and interested in helping deliver the services offered by Family Planning Australia, we’d love to have you join our Ethics Committee.

• Looking for the right candidate to contribute to our Ethics Committee on a voluntary basis
• We are a leading and continually growing NFP organisation
• We offer a friendly, collaborative team and you will have your contribution valued

Why Family Planning Australia?

Family Planning Australia is always on the lookout for talented and passionate individuals to contribute their skills to one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit reproductive and sexual health care organisations and we believe that a diversity of experiences and perspectives will help us build stronger strategies, teams and services.

About Family Planning Australia

FPA is the leading provider of sexual and reproductive health services in NSW, and has a strong history of achievement in research, evaluation, and research translation.

The FPA HREC reviews human research proposals from FPA staff and affiliates, to ensure compliance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025). Their role is to promote ethical human research, to protect the welfare of research participants, and to foster research that benefits the community.

Committee meetings are collegial, and their function is to bring together the various perspectives of members to consider the ethical implications of each research proposal.

Meetings are held online, typically on Tuesday evenings at six-week intervals.

Our Values

• All staff must fully support the FPA values
• FPA is a pro-choice organisation
• Refer to the FPA website for our Vision and Values 

Position Overview

Family Planning Australia (FPA) is currently seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified individuals to join its Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) in the following volunteer membership categories:

• Pastoral Care: People who perform a pastoral care role in the community (e.g., First Nations elder or minister of religion).
• Researcher: People with current health related research experience, particularly in the areas of sexual and reproductive health.
• Lay Member: People who brings a community or consumer perspective to the review of research.

Responsibilities of HREC Members

Members are expected to:

• Contribute to the ethical review and decision-making process for research that is greater than low risk, ensuring alignment with the National Statement (2025).
• Review research submissions and prepare comments prior to each meeting – approximately 1 to 2 hours of reading time per meeting.
• Attend online evening meetings (typically 6pm) every six weeks, each lasting approximately 1 hour.
• Participate in relevant training and professional development activities.

Selection Criteria

Suitable candidates will:

• Have an interest in, and commitment to, human research and the ethical principles that underpin it.
• Be able to commit to the responsibilities outlined below.
• Hold appropriate qualifications and/or experience relevant to their role (no previous HREC experience is required as all training will be provided).

How to apply

Click on the attached to access the full Scope of Role.

To submit your application please click 'Apply Now' by the closing date.

For more information about the Family Planning Australia HREC please contact Grant Castelyn, FPA Ethics Executive Officer at ethics@fpnsw.org.au using the subject line: Ethics Committee Member (Voluntary) enquiry via EthicalJobs.​​​​​​​

FPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we encourage all suitably qualified applicants to apply, including Aboriginal People and people from racial, ethnic or ethno-religious minority groups and people with disability.

Please submit your current resume and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria listed in the scope of role
(We will be reviewing applications regularly, and the advertisement may be closed early if the position is successfully recruited to).

Family Planning Australia does not accept unsolicited agency resumes or applications and is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited agency resumes or applications.