Senior Project Officer, Disaster Resilience and Emergency Preparedness

About The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC)

The Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) is dedicated to assisting Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) across the four regions (Metropolitan, Northern, Southern and Western) of NSW to ensure they have access to an adequately resourced and skilled workforce enabling the ACCHSs to provide their local Aboriginal communities with holistic and culturally appropriate primary health care and Aboriginal health-related services.

Join our team of dynamic and innovative people who value and proudly play a meaningful role in delivering quality support and training to Aboriginal people and communities of NSW.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and proactive Senior Project Officer, Disaster Resilience and Emergency Preparedness to lead AH&MRC’s work in strengthening disaster resilience, emergency preparedness, response and recovery across the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector in NSW.

Reporting to the Public Health Manager, this role supports Member Services to build sustainable, culturally informed capability to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. You will help develop and maintain emergency management plans, business continuity arrangements and sector‑wide preparedness initiatives.

Working closely with Member Services, government agencies and key stakeholders, you will coordinate emergency preparedness activities, facilitate communication and information sharing, and provide operational support before, during and after emergency events to ensure continuity of culturally safe healthcare for Aboriginal communities.

Responsibilities:

• Lead AH&MRC’s Disaster Resilience Framework and sector‑wide preparedness initiatives
• Strengthen Member Services’ emergency and business continuity capability
• Deliver training, workshops and resilience‑building activities
• Support development and maintenance of emergency and continuity plans
• Identify sector risks, gaps and mitigation opportunities
• Coordinate AH&MRC’s emergency response arrangements and governance
• Facilitate communication and information sharing before, during and after emergencies
• Support early recovery, impact assessments and post‑incident reviews
• Maintain current stakeholder and emergency contact lists
• Build strong relationships with Member Services, emergency agencies and government partners
• Prepare briefings, reports and updates for leadership and stakeholders
• Monitor emerging risks and provide timely advice
• Develop emergency communication templates, protocols and messaging
• Work with Communications to ensure culturally appropriate emergency information
• Support evaluation and continuous improvement of preparedness, response and recovery activities

Essential Criteria  

Qualifications & Experience:

• This is an identified position. Applicants must identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. 
• Tertiary qualifications in emergency management, public health, disaster management, health administration, project management or related fields, or equivalent experience
• Experience in emergency management, disaster preparedness, business continuity or public health response.
• Experience managing projects with multiple stakeholders in complex environments.
• Experience working with Aboriginal communities and organisations, ideally within the ACCHO sector.

Skills & Capabilities:

• Strong project management, planning and coordination skills
• Understanding of emergency management principles, disaster response frameworks and business continuity planning
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship‑building skills
• Strong written communication skills for reports, briefings and emergency communications
• Ability to make informed decisions in time‑sensitive, high‑pressure situations
• Knowledge of public health emergency response frameworks is highly desirable
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management tools
• Willingness to travel across NSW and work occasional out‑of‑hours during emergency events

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter outlining their suitability for the role to talent@ahmrc.org.au. Please include “Senior Project Officer, Disaster Resilience and Emergency Preparedness” in the subject line.

Join Us!

Be part of a transformative initiative that prioritises the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through innovative research and collaboration. We look forward to your application!