Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager

The Centre for Population Genomics (CPG) is a joint national initiative of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI). The Institutes are national leaders in genomic  research,  with complementary  strengths  spanning  large-scale  genomics,  data  science, population health, and clinical impact. 

The Centre for Population Genomics is a young not-for-profit research initiative working to build a more equitable future for genomic medicine. We are a remote-first, geographically distributed hub for innovation in genomics, data science, and clinical translation, with over 40 team members located across Australia and New Zealand. 

THE OPPORTUNITY 

This  position  is  an  opportunity  to  contribute  extensively  to  the  OurDNA  Program’s  work  to  drive equitable genomic medicine in Australia. The Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager is a senior member of the OurDNA Program team, responsible for managing CPG's community partnerships, co-design and engagement activities and strategies. Working closely with direct reports, other  OurDNA  teams  and  reporting  to  the  Program  Lead,  this  role  drives  the  implementation  of community-led  approaches  to  promote  inclusive  participation  of underrepresented  communities  of African, Middle Eastern, Oceanian, and Southeast Asian ancestries who are especially underrepresented or missing from genomics data. 

This role will be instrumental in maintaining existing community stakeholder relationships and further building long-term partnerships with participating communities, as well as supporting community and workforce  capacity  building  in  line  with  OurDNA’s  participatory  ethos  to deliver  on  the  promise  of  a future for genomic medicine that includes all Australians. 

Salary: Up to $130,000 + 11.5% super + salary packaging (depending on experience) 

Employment Type: 2-year fixed term 

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS 

• Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom) 

• Ample opportunities for on-going training and development 

• Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment 

• Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times  

• 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation 

• A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave 

• Discounted Health Insurance 

• Lifestyle discounts with our community partners 

WHAT YOU WILL DO 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITES 

Key responsibilities include: 

Community Engagement and Partnership Development 

• Develop,  lead  and  implement  culturally  responsive,  participatory approaches,  materials  and processes in close collaboration with community partners, as well as with other relevant OurDNA and  CPG wider  teams,  to  enable  community  engagement  and  inclusive  recruitment  pathways within the Program.  This includes: 

• organising  and  facilitating  co-design  workshops,  forums  and  co sultation  groups  to gather insights on community needs and perspectives 

• fostering connections with co-leads and champions to empower their communities and support recruitment in ways that align with OurDNA’s values and commitments  

• translating community insights into actionable reports, recommendations and practical implementation to enable inclusive participation and engagement in the Program 

• identifying and advising relevant team members and Program Lead in a timely manner on risks and strategies to reduce barriers to inclusive engagement and participation for communities,  including  ethical considerations  around  data  sovereignty,  privacy  and informed consent 

• Build and maintain trusted, positive and ongoing relationships with community leaders, networks, advocates and members from multicultural communities, including those from ancestry backgrounds prioritised  by  OurDNA  such  as  Samoan,  Fijian,  Tongan,  Filipino, Vietnamese, Lebanese and Sudanese 

• Consider  community  partnership  and  collaboration  opportunities that  align  with  the Program’s operational  and  strategic  needs,  as well  as  facilitate  those  opportunities  and  connections between community stakeholders and relevant parts of the Program 

• Provide proactive feedback and guidance support to the Program’s communications materials and stakeholder engagement strategies, with support from the Community Relations and Strategic Communications Specialist, to ensure that they are well executed, culturally aligned, and reflect community and CPG values in promoting inclusive participation in genomics 

• Develop and manage sustainable long-term engagement models with diverse communities to ensure community-centred approaches that respond to the needs of communities in Program delivery and continuous development 

• Support recruitment activities at community and recruitment events to increase representation of diverse populations in OurDNA  

• Support the coordination and development of consultation sessions with community consultation and advisory groups 

• Represent the interests and showcase learnings from OurDNA within relevant public forums, workshops and conferences 

Capacity Building and Support 

• Support community and bicultural workforce capacity-building activities, in close collaboration with Research Ethics & Workforce and Genomics Education Managers, to improve community engagement, co-design, partnership and recruitment outcomes through: 

• co-developing and delivering genomics education materials and OurDNA resources to (1) strengthen genomic literacy, knowledge and communication; and (2) promote trust and culturally appropriate information sharing within prioritised communities 

• adapting these materials and resources based on community and staff feedback, as well as disseminating them through relevant community channels and networks throughout various stages of the Program’s components to enable meaningful participation in OurDNA 

• Where relevant, providing feedback and inputs to support CPG’s staff and researchers in embedding equity-focused and community-centred approaches into their work 

Team Leadership and Management 

• Effectively lead and guide the Community Engagement and Partnerships team, including communicating organisational values and Program goals, providing a clear sense of direction to team members and supporting ongoing performance and professional development  

• Support the engagement and management of the Program’s Community Liaison Officers to assist with facilitating co-design, community outreach and recruitment activities 

• Actively contribute to strategic planning for the broader OurDNA Program, and advise on known strategic risks where relevant 

• Establish and maintain cohesive collaboration and clear communication with team members, senior managers and Program Lead to manage workload and priorities across teams and key functional areas 

• Undertake work in a timely, collaborative and responsive way that reflects and upholds team values, mutual respect and confidentiality 

• Foster a positive, open-minded and collaborative work environment within the OurDNA and wider CPG team 

• Where relevant, comply with all CPG’s and founding institutes’ policies, procedures and directions 

ABOUT YOU 

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED 

The key skills and experience include: 

Essential 

• Extensive experience (5+ years) in community development or engagement roles 

• Demonstrated success and strong track record in leading community engagement strategies, co-design and participatory approaches, particularly within multicultural, under-represented communities 

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills 

• Strong understanding of cross-cultural awareness and engagement practices 

• Strong knowledge of health disparities, cultural competence and commitment to ethical research practices and community-led approaches 

• Experience managing and mentoring team members 

• Strong project management capabilities 

• Ability to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible information for diverse audiences 

Desirable 

• Lived experience with navigating health and research environments in the multicultural context 

• Experience in health or research settings 

• Understanding of genomics or medical research context or willingness to learn 

• Experience with ethics frameworks in community engagement 

• Experience in capacity building initiatives 

Key competencies 

• Culturally appropriate and respectful communications 

• Cultural competency and sensitivity 

• Strategic thinking and planning 

• Team leadership and development 

• Stakeholder relationship management and interpersonal skills 

• Program implementation 

• Problem-solving and adaptability 

• Project management and organisation 

FURTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT 

As the appointed candidate will hold an honorary appointment with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, a Working with Children & National Police Clearance (if appointed) in compliance with the Victorian Government's Child Safety Standards is required. 

HOW TO APPLY 

To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.