At Deakin you will have access to benefits such as a variety of leave options including generous parental leave and the ability to purchase additional leave; flexible working arrangements to help manage your work-life balance; ongoing learning and development opportunities to grow your career; an inclusive and supportive culture and environment to work in, both online and on campus.

Who are we?

Deakin is a Victorian university with a global impact. We are agile and innovative, and committed to making a positive impact through our excellence in education and research and the contributions we make to the wider community. 

The Health Consumers Centre (the Centre) is part of the Deakin Institute for Health Transformation. The Centre aims to enable and improve the engagement of communities and people with lived experience within health and related sectors. We advocate for high-quality engagement as standard practice. We contribute to building the trust, evidence, systems, skills and confidence needed to ensure this work leads to meaningful influence and lasting impact.   

About the role:

The Senior Engagement Officer is responsible for supporting the Centre to partner effectively with consumers and members of the community in all the work we do. This includes people that have lived and living experience of health conditions and related issues, including carers, family members and supporters as well as leaders and members of communities across Victoria.

The incumbent will work closely with the Consultant, Learning & Engagement and wider team on fee-for-service consultancy and research projects supporting the delivery of recruitment, facilitation, training or other related services. The Senior Engagement Officer will also support the activities of the Centre as we implement our first Strategic Plan (2025-2030).

As a Senior Engagement Officer, you will: 

• Undertake lived experience and community engagement activities from end-to-end: scoping, recruiting, designing, delivering, and evaluating.
• Facilitate safe, meaningful and effective engagement activities such as co-design workshops and Community Conversations.
• Collaborate with and support consumer partners involved in engagement activities.
• Develop and nurture relationships with priority groups including grassroots organisations, consumer leaders, engagement practitioners and researchers.
• Co-create resources such as guidelines, videos, or checklists that support others in their engagement practices.
• Provide learning and development services like training sessions or webinars tailored to diverse health sector audiences.
• Provide support as needed to Project Leads including coordination of engagements, development of briefing and training materials and co-facilitation of engagements.

To be successful, you’ll have:

• Relevant degree with a minimum of three years' experience in community engagement, health, consultancy, or related fields; or six years' experience in similar roles, complemented by relevant education and training.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with proven experience liaising with external stakeholders.
• Extensive experience in designing and facilitating engagement activities, including focus groups, interviews, and workshops.
• Expertise in applying inclusion and equity principles, with demonstrated experience working with individuals from diverse intersectional backgrounds.
• Understanding of trauma-informed practices and approaches to enhancing psychological safety in consumer and community engagement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and engagement tools such as Miro, Mentimeter, Qualtrics, and Canva, with a keen interest in integrating emerging technologies and online engagement platforms.

Special Requirements

• Occasional work outside standard business hours is required.
• Occasional travel to regional Victoria, Melbourne, metropolitan areas, and interstate will be necessary.
• Must have a Working with Children Check and a National Police Record Check, as per Recruitment Procedure.

Here's how to apply: 

Please submit your updated resume and a short cover letter outlining your skills and experience.

For a confidential discussion regarding this role, please contact Alison Coughlan (Senior Manager, IHT Health Consumer Centre) at alison.coughlan@deakin.edu.au

For a copy of the position description, please see below:

 PD_572317_Senior Engagement Officer.docx

Applications for this position close on 8th June 2025 at 11:55 PM

Are You Ready?

Deakin is a Victorian university with a global impact. We are an agile, dynamic, and innovative university committed to making a positive impact through our excellence in education, research and innovation and the contributions we make to the wider community.

We understand that our reputation has been built on the dedication and expertise of our staff and we offer a dynamic and diverse working environment with opportunities to grow and develop careers. We believe that a progressive, thriving culture will ensure that people choose to come, and stay at Deakin and contribute to our ongoing success.

We value diversity and aim to build an inclusive environment that champions, embraces and respects differences. We support and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people of all abilities, cultures, sexual orientation, and genders.