The Organisation

The Bidwern Butj Uni is a partnership between Warddeken Land Management Limited (Warddeken) and the Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation (Mimal). The partnership is built on the vision of delivering benefits to Country and to culture for the landowners and people of West and Central Arnhem Land.

Both organisations have strong, holistic ranger programs with each featuring robust, highly valued women’s ranger programs. The duties of the Warddeken and Mimal rangers include savannah burning (aerial and ground), monitoring the populations of native animals and culling the populations of invasive species that threaten their numbers, conserving and protecting highly biodiverse regions, and running education sessions to ensure the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.

To support their roles, rangers undertake both accredited and unaccredited training, however, that training is not always fit for purpose. Bidwern Butj Uni aims to develop a comprehensive solution to this issue. Warddeken, in partnership with Mimal, have secured dedicated funds for a five-year program that will address the gap in available and suitable professional development opportunities for rangers. The program intends to trial methods to strengthen adult education and to deliver more effective ranger training across Arnhem Land.

As a Bininj-led program, it will strengthen skills and competencies so that Bininj staff can move from ranger to senior ranger, to project officer and coordination roles, and beyond. This program will then demonstrate to others what is possible when training and development is conducted on Country and in the right way.

Under Bidwern Butj Uni, the program will deliver training to the ranger workforce through on-the-job learning methods that have historically produced the best results. This will include:

• Learning camps and exchanges with other ranger groups;
• On the job learning in a supportive environment;
• Mentors with one-on-one support to map out the pathway forward for each person; and
• Structured training focussed on developing applied skills.

The Opportunity

The Training and Development Officer will report to the Bidwern Butj Uni Program Manager and work alongside the Program Coordinator. This position will be largely Mimal focused, however at times there will need to be coordination with Warddeken. The Training and Development Officer will support the implementation of the initial two-year pilot program and delivery of the 3–5-year plan. This position will also be required to provide quality documentation and reporting and will involve monitoring and adapting the program as it is implemented.

As the program develops it will involve partnership development with a diverse range of people and will often require a face-to-face approach working with traditional landowners, program staff and rangers across the three ranger bases on the Mimal area. The position will require at least one week every month spent at the Mimal ranger base. For the rest of the month, the Training and Development Officer can operate from Darwin.

Position objectives

• Support rangers and community members in mapping their training and career pathways
• Identify individual strengths and interests to develop personalized learning plans
• Provide advice and recommendations to the Program Manager through monthly activity reports
• Collaborate with the Program Coordinator to develop annual training plans for ranger groups
• Support the implementation of the Bidwern Butj Uni Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
• Design and deliver tailored training sessions using various methods, including learning camps and on-the-job training
• Evaluate training effectiveness and provide recommendations for improvement
• Assist in organizing learning exchanges with other ranger groups
• Maintain accurate training records and prepare reports on training activities

Stakeholder relationships

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with rangers, traditional landowners, and program staff
• Collaborate with training providers and relevant government agencies
• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with Aboriginal communities, corporations and clans to identify and develop future training and development opportunities.

About You

• You hold a current Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and have extensive knowledge of the Australian Qualifications Framework and may have experience with VETTRAK
• You have demonstrated experience consulting and working with Aboriginal people in relation to training activities and resources, and experience delivering tailored training and development activities
• You have demonstrated experience in designing and delivering both accredited and non-accredited training programs for Indigenous communities 
• You have a strong understanding of adult learning principles and their application in remote contexts
• You have exceptional organisational, coordination and administration skills
• You are proactive and self-motivated
• You are strong communicator with experience in community and stakeholder engagement
• You have the ability to develop and maintain work plans
• You have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders
• You have a current manual drivers license with experience in off-road 4WD driving
• You have a current ochre card
• You may have experience living and working in a remote Aboriginal community
• You may be familiar with Northwest Arnhem Land

Your Reward

• Embrace the outdoor classroom with frequent travel to breathtaking locations
• Work with a dedicated team making a real impact on environmental education
• 6 weeks annual leave + 17.5% leave loading
• Salary sacrifice + 12.5% Superannuation
• Competitive Salary