Project Engagement Officer – Workforce Capacity

Position Overview:

NDS has successfully tendered to undertake a project to work with stakeholders in the ACT to build workforce capacity and capability. The project – operating under the name the Workforce Impact Collective (WIC) – aims to facilitate innovation in attraction, utilisation and organisation of the disability frontline workforce through a Collective Impact approach.

Reporting to the State Manager, this position will be part of the ACT NDS staff team and a broader NDS Australia-wide team providing guidance and support to a collective of ACT stakeholders. The goal is for the ACT community to have the frontline disability workforce with the quality, capacity and sustainability required to contribute to people with disability having greater choice and control.

This position will assist in the administration of the WIC project on a day-to-day basis and have particular responsibility for stakeholder engagement. A key element of the WIC project is that it is led and informed by a wide and diverse range of ACT stakeholders and shares its learning with the wider community. Stakeholder engagement in this project is characterised by communication that not only informs but also actively seeks input and feedback from different groups in this community. This requires a diverse and flexible approach both in messaging as methods of engagement.

Key roles and responsibilities:

1. As the project engagement officer, refine and implement a comprehensive engagement plan in consultation with the WIC project team and NDS Communications. This will include targets, timescales and deliverables.
2. Develop, produce and manage a range of communication structures and processes (including platforms, media, meetings and content) that will allow the WIC project to regularly inform and actively engage stakeholder groups and share the learnings from the project.
3. Provide secretariat or administrative support as needed, in particular, to one or more project groups comprised of stakeholders piloting activities intended to grow and or develop the front-line disability workforce. This could include making meeting arrangements, taking minutes, ensuring IT access as well as implementing or seeing to the implementation of meeting outcomes.
4. Present at meetings or other forums to explain and promote the work of the WIC, facilitate engagement and participation of the wider community and share key outcomes and learnings.
5. Support, liaise and advise on implementation of promotional aspects of workforce pilot projects whether for attracting or retaining/training of workers.
6. Along with other members of the WIC team undertake data collection, collation and measurement and analysis as part of an evaluation framework and support the development of pilot proposals by working with pilot leads.

Key attributes:

1. Understanding of the impact of the NDIS on the disability workforce. An understanding of frontline service provision in disability or another sub-sector in community services and health industries is desirable.
2. Strong and proven stakeholder engagement skills and an understanding of how to implement diverse strategies and tools effectively in a Collective Impact approach. Or the ability to quickly acquire this understanding.
3. Excellent project management and stakeholder engagement skills and an engaging communication style.
4. Strong knowledge of and experience in delivering effective community engagement strategies and online and other digital technologies for collaboration and information access and sharing.
5. Well-organised with the ability to work autonomously in a team setting and a demonstrated capacity to meet milestones and deadlines.
6. Proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of people and organisations, including government and sector stakeholders.
7. Highly competent in use of MS Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) and knowledgeable about online communication software.
8. Qualifications and/or experience relevant to the role (e.g. social sciences, project management, public relations?).
   
9. An enthusiastic team player with an interest in people.