Head Of First Nations Engagement

About the National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is Australia's audiovisual archive, telling the national story by collecting, preserving and sharing audiovisual media, the cultural experience platforms of our time. The collection itself dates back to making it one of the world's oldest audiovisual collections. It is also one of the country's most used cultural collections, with around 125 million views of collection content each year. The NFSA is in a period of significant change. Following increased Government investment, the institution is in a process of transformation, with a goal to establish the NFSA as Australia's most dynamic and valued cultural organisation. The NFSA aligns our work with the National Cultural Policy Revive, with the principle of 'First Nations First' being our priority. The NFSA collection includes significant First Nations film, video and audio recordings that are representative of culture, language, ceremony, story and song. We take our responsibility as custodians of this important material seriously, and our approach to collecting, preserving and sharing First Nations material in the collection takes place across every part of our organisation, led by our First Nations Engagement team and by First Nations individuals, communities and organisations. Our First Nations Engagement Strategy outlines the NFSA's objectives : to ensure a culturally safe workplace and deliver First Nations employment pathways; to improve our understanding of First Nations collection material; to develop and preserve the First Nations collection; to repatriate and provide cultural access to the collection for First Nations communities; and to ensure First Nations perspectives and stories are front and centre in our sharing activity. This is an exciting and ambitious agenda, and one which the NFSA is already well advanced in delivering, in partnership with First Nations people and organisations across Australia. Our work is guided by the expert advice of the NFSA First Nations Engagement Committee, comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across the GLAM and audiovisual sectors. Further information on the membership of the Committee can be found at First Nations Engagement Committee | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Cultural Values NFSA is an ambitious organisation, and we aim to be an employer of choice within the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector, providing exciting and challenging work, as well as favourable employment conditions and unique development opportunities for our staff. 3.5% of NFSA staff identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and our goal is to increase this. NFSA actively works across the GLAM sector and screen industry to attract skilled First Nations staff. We also partner with training providers such as Artsready to provide professional training opportunities and career pathways for First Nations people. NFSA has had a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in place since , and in the NFSA launched its first Stretch RAP which sees reconciliation activity embedded across the organisation. The NFSA CEO is the RAP Champion, and the whole of the NFSA Senior Executive team is responsible for facilitating and encouraging reconciliation activity. We are an equal opportunity employer, embracing a diverse range of applicants such as those identifying as LGBTQIA community members, individuals with disabilities and / or health conditions, as well as those from varied faith and cultural backgrounds. At the NFSA we prioritise the development of a safe, inclusive, and high-performance culture through shared actions and behaviours that align with our strategy and direction. This empowers our employees to effectively contribute to our goals. The NFSA is committed to ensuring a child-safe and child-friendly environment. All employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and support for these principles in theory and practice. About the Team The First Nations Engagement team comprises six staff based in Sydney and Canberra. The team is supervised by the Deputy CEO and works closely with the CEO, the Chief Curator and the Chief Collection Preservation Officer. The team comprises First Nations and Non-Indigenous staff with a broad range of expertise including curatorial, archival, digitisation, audiovisual production and project management skills. The team works with every area of the business to guide the responsible management, custodianship and appropriate sharing of First Nations material within the national collection. The Opportunity The Head of First Nations Engagement is a leadership role within the NFSA. The role reports to the Deputy CEO and works closely with the CEO (who is the RAP Champion) and the Senior Executive Team. The position also advises the Board and the First Nations Engagement Committee. The successful candidate will be an established First Nations leader in the Australian audiovisual industries or GLAM sector, as a curator, practitioner, producer, academic or executive. They will have a deep understanding of and experience with First Nations values and communities, experience working with audiovisual material and, ideally, an understanding of the archival collecting environment. The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an affirmative measure under section 8(1) of the 'Racial Discrimination Act '. This vacancy is only available to Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander people. Please note : This recruitment process is intended to fill both current and future vacancies. While the position on offer is ongoing, a merit pool of suitable applicants may be established to fill similar ongoing and non-ongoing positions within the next 18 months. The key duties of the position include The Head of First Nations Engagement is responsible for : Leading research into the provenance of materials in our collection which includes identification of language and Country of origin; and existing or likely restrictions around or protocols for viewing or use. Through deep and considered community engagement, re-connecting with individuals and communities with ties to First Nations materials, and to explore opportunities to repatriate knowledge from the collection to Country in useful, digital formats. Ensuring that the collection's catalogue is enriched by including more metadata created by First Nations people to inform future researchers and users; and / or to inform appropriate viewing and usage protocols, including restrictions. Actively engaging with Australian and global First Nations practitioners and institutions (including First Nations broadcasters, academics and community organisations) as well as other broadcasters, producers and cultural sector professionals in terms of best practice in managing First Nations collections within legacy institutions in a way that ensures First Nations leadership in determining how those collections can best be made available for cultural practice, re-use and research. Ensuring that NFSA not only complies with its obligations under ICIP, but goes beyond ICIP to ensure that collection use is at all times culturally appropriate and safe. Developing and recommending courses of action to the senior leadership team to ensure that NFSA can innovate in the cultural sector and maximise the value it can provide to First Nations practitioners, institutions and communities. As a senior leader in the institution, the role will : Consult with other leaders, and coordinate the work of the First Nations Engagement team, to ensure that NFSA's work is respectful of and compliant with our own organisational principles as expressed in the First Nations Engagement Strategy, which includes taking part in decisions that affect collection, preservation, re-use and publishing activity. Partner and collaborate with peers and colleagues within the institution to consider, design and deliver the best outcomes. Represent the institution to appropriate external forums, including speaking at conferences to share knowledge and to promote First Nations led and co-designed approaches in the cultural sector. Contribute to cross-organisational strategic and planning groups. Lead by example to create and sustain a safe, productive, collegiate and enjoyable workplace culture for all. Selection Criteria The successful candidate will demonstrate their capacity against the following : Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of First Nations cultures including an understanding of issues affecting First Nations peoples. Demonstrated engagement and acceptance within the First Nations community. Demonstrated leadership capacity and high-level project management experience, including ability to work effectively within a diversified workplace. High-level communication and interpersonal skills including demonstrated ability to liaise with a range of stakeholders and communicate sensitively and effectively with First Nations people. Experience working with audiovisual material, and a demonstrated understanding of issues relating to collection and use of First Nations audiovisual content. Strong understanding of the film, television and radio industries, and / or the cultural and GLAM sector and their relationship to First Nations cultures and issues. Desired Skills and Experience Mandatory : Relevant experience working with First Nations material in either the film, broadcast and sound industries, the cultural and arts sectors, media or academia, or transferable experience working in a different field. Desirable : Relevant tertiary qualifications (such as media, journalism, production, curatorial, arts). #J-18808-Ljbffr