Title:  Strategy Specialist (Traditional Owners)

This opportunity will allow you to enrich your career and continue to make a difference within a company that values your contribution and is committed to your growth, whilst shaping our cleaner energy future.

When you choose AusNet, you’ll join genuine people working together making Real. Progress

At AusNet, we’re the link between renewable energy sources and local communities, playing a key role in the clean energy transition and providing essential energy to every Victorian family. 

Help us lead the way, while enriching your career with real people who encourage you to bring your best and make real impact – for your career, our communities, and Australia’s cleaner energy future.


Purposeful work with genuinely good people. That’s refreshing.
 

The Western Renewables Link Project (WRL) is the largest transmission build of its kind in more than three decades. WRL is a critical piece of transmission infrastructure required to deliver energy from wind and solar farms in western Victoria to homes across the state and to the National Electricity Market.
 

As the Strategy Specialist (Traditional Owners), you will deliver positive social and economic outcomes for Traditional Owners that enhance the delivery and legacy of the WRL. You will lead WRL’s broader engagement with five Traditional Owner groups, designing and implementing strategies to ensure Traditional Owners and First Nations people benefit from the WRL benefits framework. Additionally, you will oversee the delivery of negotiations on benefits sharing and communicate project outcomes that support social license as it relates to Traditional Owners and First Nations people.
 

We are looking for someone with excellent project management skills, the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders, and exceptional time management skills, who thrives in dynamic environments. 
 

With a 3/2 hybrid split, this role is based in Ballarat but also flexible to working from our Melbourne office.  Travel is required from time to time, to meet with stakeholders.
 

This role will deliver real outcomes, including but not limited to:
 

• Present and represent project interests with Traditional Owner groups and First Nations people as a unique rights holder group, whilst demonstrating the ability to understand and capture a wider range of concerns, queries and opportunities relating to WRL.
• Prepare, review and share project and technical materials for internal and external audiences.
• Contribute to the Traditional Owner negotiation process to support AusNet to reach agreement on benefits sharing with the Dja Dja Wurrung, as part of the Traditional Owner Settlement Act, and with the four other Traditional Owner groups as part of the Native Title Act process.
   

Project management

• Application specific process and principles to initiate, plan, manage and deliver a project within the project constraints (e.g. scope, time, budget). 
   

You don’t need to check every box; however, we are looking for a good combination of:
 

• Project experience working with Traditional Owner groups and understanding of benefits modelling and delivery.
• Demonstrated practical experience in stakeholder engagement on complex projects.
• Applied experience with IAP2 principles and standards.
• Exceptional time, project management and planning skills.
• Experience in problem solving community issues and managing controversial issues.
• Proven experience in stakeholder management and frontline engagement activities, working in areas such as local government, regional development, community development or infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated management of multiple projects simultaneously from conception to implementation and realisation of program objectives.
   

A real place to belong 
 

We celebrate unique voices, refreshing perspectives and diversity in our team. Engage and connect through our social club, family day, wide range of events or by joining one of our Employee Network Groups.  


We believe in more than just competitive pay. Here’s what sets us apart:
 

• Flexibility: whether this is hybrid work, flexible hours, or part time arrangements, we’ll work with you to help balance work and life.
• Leave: more than typical personal leave and a generous 14 weeks of paid parental leave, with no minimum service.
• Community giving: a paid day to volunteer with our social impact partner, Foodbank, or for a cause that matters to you.
• Perks: we offer all the other perks you’ve come to expect like purchased leave, income protection insurance, novated leasing, corporate discounts, private health cover discounts and more.

As an industry in transformation, we’re excited by the possibilities ahead.
 

So, if you’re passionate about our purpose and committed to making real progress, bring your energy and join AusNet. Together, we can shape a new way forward.