First Nations Engagement and Programming Manager

Netball Queensland

Netball Queensland is a unifying leader responsible for the growth, sustainability and success of netball across the state. Our vision is to become a world leading sports organisation respected for transforming lives through netball. We are responsible for the highly regarded Queensland Firebirds, the ever-growing participation and delivery of netball in our Queensland communities and the management of our $45 million state of the art venue, Nissan Arena.

The Opportunity

In May 2024 NQ launched its Innovate RAP. The Innovate phase of NQ’s journey reconciliation journey affords NQ the opportunity to apply the learnings from consultations and relationship building with First Nations stakeholders to embed change within the organisation. The First Nation Engagement & Programming Manager will play an integral role in progressing organisational change for the success of NQ’s Innovate RAP and one of its key reconciliation activities, the Diamond Spirit Educate program, offering expertise and leadership to build cultural capability.

Diamond Spirit is a school- and community-based program designed to Engage, Empower and Educate First Nations peoples and their communities across the state through the power of netball. Diamond Spirit Engage and Empower are both delivered in school, community and PCYC settings in the Far North Queensland localities of Aurukun, Mapoon, Napranum and Yarrabah, supported by Netball Queensland’s participation team. 

Diamond Spirit Educate (DSE) builds culturally safe and supported learning environments to drive academic and post-school outcomes for First Nations girls and young women in Years 7-12. DSE activities are delivered under four focus areas: Cultural connection; Leadership and confidence; Retention, employment and pathways; and Netball as a vehicle for health and wellbeing outcomes. The program has been offered at Bremer State High School in Ipswich since 2017 and Marsden State High School in Logan has recently been confirmed as the second Educate Hub.

The First Nations Engagement & Programming Manager is responsible for a dynamic range of strategic and operational activities to ensure the program’s continued success at Bremer State High School and will be responsible for establishing DSE at Marsden State High School in Logan, in consultation with the school’s leadership team and First Nations stakeholders.

Although this is advertised as a full-time role we will also consider part-time hours if requested by the successful candidate. 

Responsibilities

• Provide cultural advice and leadership to build NQ’s cultural capability and drive strategic engagement and communication with First Nations stakeholders for the success of NQ’s First Nations programming including the Diamond Spirit Educate program and NQ’s Innovate RAP 
• Oversee the delivery of DSE at two schools in Queensland, clarifying and championing the program’s point of difference. 
• Provide advice on ways to allocate and maximise resourcing to promote cohesion across two sites and optimise different funding and delivery models.
• In consultation with the schools, identify opportunities to streamline and integrate DSE activities to enhance existing school processes and tracking and support systems, ensuring all activities are aligned with the schools’ strategies and priorities, including the Queensland Department of Education’s Equity and Excellence plan under which all state schools in Queensland operate. 
• Oversee the planning and delivery of 8-week and one-off capacity building sessions, career and university site visits, student leadership forums and camps and netball clinics, ensuring all funded and other DSE activities across its four focus areas are delivered on time and within budget. 
• Oversee student success planning, with a focus on Years 11-12. 
• Convene, coordinate and attend meetings and forums designed to promote engagement with DSE and consultation with First Nations stakeholders, including DSE students, their parents, and local First Nations community members. 
• Identify and build strategic relationships with First Nations and other stakeholders to enhance program outcomes, acting as a point of contact for First Nations stakeholders where relevant, including NQ’s First Nations Board Subcommittee. 
• Work collaboratively with school leadership, educators, funders and other partners, and across NQ departments to implement strategies to drive students’ emotional engagement and academic and post-school outcomes. 
• Provide supervision to direct reports. 
• Offer timely cultural guidance to DSE and NQ’s leadership teams.
• Coordinate the collection of qualitative and quantitative data to monitor and evaluate DSE’s impact and prepare timely and regular reports for NQ’s Head of Social Impact that demonstrate alignment with operational and strategic plans, including NQ’s RAP. 
• Any other tasks required by Netball Queensland to achieve program outcomes. 

About You

• This is an identified position, to be filled by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. 
• A minimum current competency standard of Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or above in Education Support and/or similar (i.e. Community Services and Youth Work), with relevant skills, experience and knowledge in promoting Indigenous outcomes in education. 
• 3+ years’ experience in education, project management, program planning, health promotion and/or the delivery of diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives, with experience delivering programs and initiatives with similar goals to that of Diamond Spirit Educate. 
• A strong personal brand which personifies Netball Queensland’s values driven culture of excellence based on trust.
• Knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, traditions, history, lifestyle and health particularly in relation to gender cultural beliefs, family and communities, and demonstrated high level interpersonal skills to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable in a challenging yet rewarding working environment.
• Be an influencing leader across all areas of our business to support a truly inclusive and diverse workplace environment.
• High standard of written and verbal communication and collaboration skills, including negotiation, interpersonal, stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.
• Effective time management skills with a demonstrated ability to work autonomously and meet multiple deadlines and commitments. 
• Proven ability to work autonomously and achieve outcomes under minimal supervision. 
• Able to work flexible hours to suit sporting industry needs, this may include weekends and evening work.
• Willingness to travel across sites.

The following experience is desirable:

• Knowledge and understanding of netball or other sports programs at a community level.

Why work for Netball Queensland?

To achieve the vision of becoming a “world-class sports organisation respected for transforming lives through netball”, Netball Queensland must have the best and brightest team on the court. Your reward for stepping into this challenge will be:

• Culture: a high-performance culture defined by NQ’s values and accepted behaviours and norms
• Flexibility: a hybrid work model that recognises the benefits of working in the office and working remotely
• Family: 18 weeks paid primary carer leave and 4 weeks paid secondary carer leave
• Wellness: access to employee assistance programs and a fully equipped high-performance gym 
• Growth: professional development opportunities and a strong commitment to support your career growth
• Reward and Recognition: remuneration reviewed annually in line with our performance review and career discussion process, regular feedback provided and wins celebrated
• Facilities: modern office facilities in Nissan Arena
• Location: easily accessible location with onsite parking and public transport
• Benefits: tickets to events at Nissan Arena and sponsor discounts
• Social: social committee who organise quarterly all-team events

And above all, the opportunity to directly impact the great game of netball and ensure its sustainability for generations to come