Shine People Solutions is an Aboriginal owned recruitment agency, and we assist organisations with recruitment of Indigenous executives and professionals. We are working with the SWHC Network to appoint their inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to be based in Darwin, NT. This is an Indigenous Identified role and is only open to female applicants who identify as Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander.

About SWHC Network

Instigated in 2019 by Dalabon, Rembarrnga, and Mayili Elders, Strong Women for Healthy Country Network brings together Indigenous women caring for Country and community from salt water, fresh water, and desert across the Northern Territory. SWHC gather, share, and maintain knowledge, and collectively advocate for each other, their work, communities, and Country. In November 2024, the Strong Women for Healthy Country Network Aboriginal Corporation was registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.

The SWHC Network are now seeking to appoint their first CEO.

2024 Strong Women for Healthy Country Overview on Vimeo

About The CEO Role

As the inaugural CEO, you will play a pivotal role in uniting the voices, knowledge, expertise, and experiences of our members to represent the needs, priorities, and aspirations of Aboriginal women and communities in the Northern Territory with cultural integrity.

You are an experienced and strategic leader with significant influence in the NT. You share a mutual responsibility to uphold the values, traditions, respect for Lore, and the authority of elders and connection to country alongside members and leaders.

As a people-centred leader with a broad skill set and experience across various sectors, you will manage the delivery of complex projects and programs. This includes implementing a unique model for Aboriginal governance, leadership structure, and decision-making.

About You

You will be a strong communicator who is able to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders and partners, particularly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including traditional owners and other cultural institutions relevant to the sector. You will need to have a strong understanding of strategic thinking, be self-motivated, display resilience, and be easily adaptable to a fast-paced, complex, and changing work environment.

You must have the ability to build strong, respectful, and productive working relationships with a range of stakeholders, to negotiate and implement significant and highly complex partnership agreements, in line with the SWHC Network's strategic direction.

To be successful in this role, you possess the below skills and experience and will be agile, innovative, and flexible with an outstanding record of achievement in leading people effectively and managing resources to accomplish high quality results.

About You:

• Experience with Aboriginal Boards: Proven experience reporting to and working with an Aboriginal Board of Directors to achieve strategic priorities.
• Community Engagement: Experience working with Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations and leaders in the NT, with an established network.
• Operational and Program Delivery Skills: Proven skills in contract management and budgeting.
• Visionary Leadership: High-level strategic leadership skills in a multi-disciplinary organisation to achieve positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
• Cultural Engagement: Willingness to engage with all Aboriginal cultures across the NT.
• Strategic Partnerships: Expertise in developing and maintaining cross-sector partnerships.
• Growth and Change Management: Ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams through significant growth and change.
• Understanding of Colonisation Impact: Knowledge of the impact of colonisation, socio-economic factors, trauma, and policy on Aboriginal people in the NT.
• Communication Skills: High-level interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills in a multilingual context.
• Advocacy: Ability to represent and advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women at various forums.
• Personal Qualities: Cultural sensitivity, empathy, maturity, flexibility, resilience, ethical work practices, and a willingness to learn.
• Conflict Resolution: Experience in mediation, conflict resolution, and peacemaking.
• Driver’s Licence and Travel: Current unrestricted NT Driver’s Licence and willingness to travel.
• Clearances: Working with Children’s Clearance (Ochre Card) or ability to obtain one, and a satisfactory Criminal History Check.

Desirable Criteria:

• Post-graduate degree in a relevant field.
• Experience in the caring for country sector.
• Currently reside and / or have ancestral linkages in the Northern Territory.
• Experience with relevant legislation (e.g. Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act, NT Land Rights Act).
• Multilingual in Aboriginal languages from the NT will be highly regarded.

For more information, please contact Broni Crear at Shine People Solutions via phone or email - [email protected] using the subject line: CEO enquiry via EthicalJobs or 0426 539 217.

This Indigenous Identified role is open only to female applicants who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The filling of this position is intended to constitute a special measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) and an affirmative measure under section 26 of the Australian Public Service Commissioner's Directions 2016. Equivalent provisions of State legislation also apply to this position.