Head of Aboriginal Partnerships and Community Conservation - Zoos Victoria

• Lead Zoos Victoria's vision for First Peoples partnerships and knowledge integration.
• Guide wildlife welfare and emergency response programs with a First Peoples lens.
• Champion community conservation initiatives that deliver impact at scale.

Zoos Victoria operates four landmark zoos, Healesville Sanctuary, Kyabram Fauna Park, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Victoria's zoos are made up of passionate, energetic and driven employees committed to fighting wildlife extinction. Every person, from the extensive range of disciplines, plays an important role in helping the organisation realise its vision to become a world leading zoo-based conservation organisation.

As Head of Aboriginal Partnerships and Community Conservation, you will provide strategic leadership for Zoos Victoria's Aboriginal partnerships, community conservation and wildlife welfare programs. You will lead the development of First Peoples partnerships and strategies, champion the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into conservation practice, and support cultural learning initiatives that strengthen outcomes for Country, culture, communities and wildlife. You will also oversee Zoos Victoria's wildlife welfare and emergency response programs, ensuring they are informed by strong partnerships and guided by a First Peoples lens. Through this role, you will help embed First Peoples perspectives across Zoos Victoria's conservation work, create opportunities for cultural leadership, learning and storytelling across our properties, strengthen reconciliation and ensure the delivery of more impactful and culturally informed conservation outcomes across Victoria.

The key skills and knowledge required for this role will include:   

• Strong leadership and managerial skills within a multidisciplinary team with reliance on external partnerships for delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in effectively managing staff, strong leadership skills, able to develop a unified team spirit and be an agent for organisational change.
• Knowledge of the contemporary governance landscape for Traditional Owners in Victoria, including relevant legislation, agreements, rights frameworks, and formal decision-making structures.
• Understanding of place based, community-led conservation and how cultural authority shapes decision-making about wildlife, land, climate and water.
• Demonstrated experience co-designing strategies or programs with First Peoples communities.

For more information on this role, please refer to the position description below.

Please submit a maximum two page cover letter, and resume by clicking on the 'Apply' link below.

If you have any questions about this role, please contact Dr Sally Sherwen at ssherwen@zoo.org.au .

Applications close Wednesday 14 October 2026.

At Zoos Victoria we value diversity, celebrate difference and work to be inclusive in everything we do. We welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people with disability and people from the LGBTIQA+ community. In addition, Zoos Victoria will provide reasonable adjustments for individuals with disability, illness or injury. If you require adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please advise via hrhelpdesk@zoo.org.au or visit https://www.zoo.org.au/about-us/careers/inclusion-and-diversity/ for more information.