Public Health Engagement Officer Grade 1 or 2
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- Making an impact working collaboratively to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities living in the NEPHU catchment
- Full time, fixed term opportunity until June 2026
- Grade one or two position depending on experience and qualifications
- Generous salary packaging + super + monthly ADO + 5 weeks annual leave
- Located in Heidelberg, with multiple public transport options
Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.
About the North Eastern Public Health Unit
The North Eastern Public Health Unit (NEPHU) is one of nine public health units in Victoria: three in metropolitan Melbourne and six covering regional Victoria. Together these units form a coordinated network, working in partnership with the Department of Health to deliver a comprehensive public health program for Victoria. The NEPHU is hosted and supported by Austin Health with responsibility spanning approximately 1.81m people living in the northeast of metropolitan Melbourne. We work collaboratively to improve the health and wellbeing of the NEPHU population through health promotion, prevention and protection activity. The NEPHU is proud of its diverse multidisciplinary team who provide a service across extended hours seven days per week. Participation in a 7-day roster during periods of public health emergency may be required of all staff.
About the role
Reporting to the Public Health Engagement Lead the Public Health Engagement Officer (grade one or two depending on skills and experience) will contribute to the design, delivery and evaluation of place-based engagement and community capacity building initiatives that support effective public health interventions and outcomes within the NEPHU catchment. Working collaboratively with stakeholders and community, you will support and foster the development of the pathways, relationships and frameworks required to successfully deliver initiatives aligned with the NEPHU strategic plan across a population with significant cultural, language, health literacy and socioeconomic diversity.
A regular day will see you:
- Contribute to the development, delivery and evaluation of engagement activities aligned to the strategic plans, ensuring activity is data-led and stakeholder-informed
- Provide community and stakeholder insights through building and maintaining strong relationships, knowledge sharing, community listening and other activities and data sources, to identify priority issues and inequities and formulate relevant responses.
- Build and strengthen partnerships with health organisations, government bodies, and other relevant stakeholders.
- Respond as directed to emerging issues and emergencies under the direction of relevant staff and managers to ensure a timely and effective service in response to ad hoc requests.
- Contribute to the development of methods and materials that underpin engagement and capacity development activity.
About you
You will be someone who has excellent engagement and communication skills. You’ll bring energy and drive to your work, and have a keen interest in developing your skillset.
To be successful in this role, you'll bring with you:
- A tertiary qualification in health, public health, engagement, communications or other related fields, or equivalent relevant experience
- Experience building, developing and managing relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including stakeholder and community groups
- Strong communication and presentation skills with experience leading co-design processes with diverse teams, groups or coalitions
- Experience in group facilitation, with the ability to manage the dynamics of diverse stakeholder groups and engage community members
- Experience in public health promotion, prevention and/or protection activities
- Demonstrated experience working with diverse communities, including people living with disability, multicultural, migrant and refugee, LGBTQIA+ and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people and communities
- Analytical, project management and report writing skills
- Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and proven ability record in managing tight deadlines and competing priorities
- Flexibility and ability to operate under pressure, proposing and implementing workable solutions to problems, evaluating effectiveness and adjusting actions as required
Our benefits
Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:
- Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging, for living expenses, meals, and holiday accommodation.
- A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounted fitness memberships and special offers on health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program.
- Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options.
- Mentoring and career development opportunities.
Work with us!
We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures.
If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your passion, your drive and your willingness to learn and contribute. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date.
All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Nicole Chatterton, Public Health Engagement Lead - NEPHU at Nicole.Chatterton@austin.org.au or Cathryn Baldwin, Deputy Director - NEPHU at Cathryn.Baldwin@austin.org.au
Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details.
Application closing date: 27 January 2026
