Lead a high-impact portfolio delivering cultural heritage, reconciliation and outcomes for First Nations communities.

As Executive Director, Culture and Community, you will provide strategic leadership across cultural heritage legislation, community and personal histories and reconciliation initiatives. You will lead complex functions of significant cultural and legislative importance, applying astute judgement and problem solving to ensure programs and services are delivered lawfully, respectfully and aligned with government priorities while responding to community expectations. Partnering with communities and stakeholders, you will build trust, provide expert advice and strengthen governance, performance and collaboration to achieve meaningful outcomes.

Job details

This is a rare opportunity to lead transformative change, drive innovation, strengthen accountability and deliver outcomes with lasting impact.

The Opportunity

The Executive Director, Culture and Community leads a diverse, high-impact portfolio within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (ATSIP) division. Reporting to the Deputy Director-General, you are responsible for cultural heritage regulation, community and personal histories, and culture and reconciliation functions.

You will administer the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003, ensuring lawful, culturally appropriate, high-quality outcomes. You will also lead sensitive programs such as access to historical records and delivery of the National Redress Scheme responsibilities, applying trauma-informed and culturally respectful practices.

As a senior executive, you will provide strategic advice to the Minister, Director-General and executive leadership, influence policy and program direction, shape organisational strategy and represent the department at national and whole-of-government forums, and, You will drive collaboration, strengthen governance, manage risk, and foster innovation and continuous improvement to increase the performance and impact of programs.

The leader we are seeking 

You are a strategic, results-driven leader with a strong track record in regulatory leadership, policy implementation and service delivery. You bring:

• Demonstrated success delivering measurable outcomes in complex, regulatory environments
• Excellent critical thinking and the ability to exercise expert problem solving and judgement
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills enabling you to influence outcomes across government, community and sector partners
• Experience leading teams through change, driving performance, innovation and continuous improvement
• A proven ability in building and leading high-performing, inclusive teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and respect
• Strong understanding of, or the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and contexts

Mandatory requirements 
To be eligible for this role, you must have:

• Working rights in Australia
• A current driver's licence
• Capacity to travel, including to remote indigenous communities
• Ability to meet employment screening requirements, including criminal history and disciplinary checks

Interested? 

Review the Role Description and follow the instructions to apply or arrange a confidential conversation about the role by contacting Wil Ivinson, Chief Human Resource Officer at Wil.Ivinson@dwatsipm.qld.gov.au.

Applications to remain current for 12 months.             

Job Ad Reference: QLD/690076/26

Closing Date: Tuesday, 09 June 2026

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

Please ensure you download all attachments and follow the instructions on how to apply.

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• 690076 26 Role Description (Word, 4.77MB)