• Fantastic opportunity to work within a leading conservation organisation and help protect Australian wildlife.
• Flexible location within Australia.
• Full time 3 year contract.

This is an exceptional opportunity to make a very real contribution to the protection of Australia's unique wildlife and their habitat.

Bush Heritage Australia, an independent, leading conservation not-for-profit, is seeking a Healthy Country Planner to work within our Science and Conservation team.

Our vision of Healthy Country, Protected Forever sees us work where we are needed most: in areas of high conservation value with low levels of protection. With the help of our donors, we buy and manage land, so we can protect our irreplaceable landscapes and our magnificent native species forever.

Currently we own 42 reserves and we protect and help manage 11.3 million hectares of land across the country. In our mission to return the bush to good health, we provide habitat for 6,700 native species, including at least 226 threatened species. Two proven approaches underline what we do: we carefully select, purchase and manage landscapes of high conservation value; and we work in partnership with Traditional Owners and others to achieve key conservation outcomes.

About the role

The Healthy Country Planner is a key leadership position and will project manage, facilitate, coordinate, and deliver collaborative plans using the Healthy Country Planning Process and Bush Heritage's Conservation Management Process. The Healthy Country Planner will work within the Bush Heritage Science & Conservation Team and work with Aboriginal partners, regional Bush Heritage staff and other key stakeholders.

The Healthy Country planner will possess comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture and will have established networks and excellent relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to achieve their aspirations through effective Healthy Country Planning.

As an experienced conservation coach themselves, the Healthy Country Planner is responsible for managing staff, contractors and volunteers and will use their high-level facilitation skills to identify planning requirements and support the development and review of Healthy Country Plans, including establishment, implementation, review and adaptation and sharing.

The Healthy Country Planner will also be asked to provide input into the strategic conservation and cultural goals of Bush Heritage operations including through conservation management plans, operational work plans, budgets, WHS processes, governance, stakeholder communication and partnership engagement across Bush Heritage operations.

The Healthy Country Manager is responsible for promoting safe work practices and culture within their team and in their work.

What you'll need to succeed

• Experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including well-developed facilitation skills working with Traditional Owners.
• Experience in community development.
• Tertiary qualification (or equivalent) (5 years' experience) in Conservation planning, biology, environmental management, social sciences.
• Demonstrated experience in cross-cultural conservation planning and project management including skills in project management, preparing and analysing data, report preparation and communication.
• Experience in effectively leading, managing and coaching staff including the capacity to manage volunteers and contractors.
• High level analytical and problem-solving skills to progress Bush Heritage Australia's strategic objectives.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively independently as part of a diverse and dispersed staff and volunteers, neighbours, regional bodies, and representatives of other organisations.
• High level of computer literacy and proficiency with personal computers including word processing, spread sheets, data software and editing and a high level of competence in Microsoft Office, and
• Knowledge of WHS and risk assessment procedures and requirements.
• Understanding and compliant with the protection and storage of traditional owner knowledge and intellect.

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, such as land management and agriculture, to apply for this role if they have the right skills and experience.

Bush Heritage Australia actively encourages applicants from diverse groups and communities including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, women, people with diverse ability and LGBTIQ (sexuality and gender diverse and intersex) communities.