Job Description

Identified Role: Senior Project Lead – Sorry Time Listening Project (Short Term Contract)

About the job

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS).

Initial consultancy engagement planned during 2026, with potential for further engagement in 2027. As a partnership with government, the timeline of this project is subject to government approval.

Fees by agreement, at a daily rate commensurate with experience Flexible location, with travel to the West Kimberley required during community engagement and fieldwork

About This Opportunity

Join ANROWS in a significant research leadership role supporting the Sorry Time Listening Project, a community-led review of family and domestic violence-related deaths in the West Kimberley.

As the Senior Project Lead, you will provide First Nations research leadership and culturally informed advice for the project. During the initial phase, you will lead the co-design of the research methodology, contribute Aboriginal research and cultural-authority expertise to ethics and governance processes, and lead community engagement in partnership with local organisations, Elders and the ANROWS project team.

Subject to ethics approval, confirmed project dates, available funding and a separately agreed scope of work, there may also be an opportunity to lead and/or contribute to the project’s fieldwork, analysis, interpretation, community feedback and reporting activities during 2027.

You will work as part of an established multidisciplinary team, with family and domestic violence subject-matter expertise contributed by ANROWS and other members of the project team.

This is an important opportunity to shape culturally grounded research that centres Aboriginal knowledge, experiences and community priorities, while contributing to a potentially precedent-setting approach to statutory death-review processes.

This is a contracted position involving an initial 40 days of work, with the possibility of extending this work if required and mutually agreed.

Key Responsibilities Will Include

During the initial 2026 engagement:

• Participating in project inception and scoping activities and leading development of the co-design approach and detailed workplan.
• Leading the co-design of a culturally grounded, yarning-based research methodology in partnership with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, Elders and community members.
• Leading the development of culturally appropriate participant information and consent processes, including approaches to confidentiality, the limits of confidentiality and recognition of participants’ time and contribution.
• Providing Aboriginal research leadership and culturally informed advice throughout the ethics, governance and project-planning processes.
• Building and maintaining respectful relationships with Aboriginal communities, Elders, local organisations and project partners.
• Leading or co-leading community engagement and consultation activities alongside community representatives and advisors and ANROWS project teams.
• Preparing documentation that consolidates the co-design process, methodology and community-engagement outcomes and informs the subsequent fieldwork phase.
• Guiding the application of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and governance principles to community-generated data and research processes, including decisions about access, interpretation, use, storage, return and reporting, consistent with community agreements and project governance requirements.

Subject to a separately agreed 2027 engagement, further responsibilities may include:

• Leading yarning-based data collection during the fieldwork phase and supporting community researchers to undertake culturally safe and trauma-informed research activities.
• Leading the analysis and interpretation of qualitative data, ensuring that community knowledge, cultural context and Aboriginal perspectives are appropriately represented.
• Authoring or co-authoring draft findings and project reports.
• Leading the process of returning draft findings to community for consideration and response.
• Advising on the communication of findings to the WA Ombudsman and other relevant stakeholders.
• Identifying and managing cultural, ethical and research risks in collaboration with the broader project team.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced senior Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander project designer, evaluator or researcher with demonstrated leadership in culturally grounded qualitative or Indigenous research methods.

You will have the ability to build and hold trusted relationships with Aboriginal communities, Elders and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. You will bring sound judgement, relevant cultural knowledge and a strong understanding of the ethical and governance responsibilities associated with research involving Aboriginal communities.

You will be comfortable working with sensitive subject matter, including grief, loss, death and family violence, and will approach this work in a trauma-informed, culturally safe and respectful way.

With strong communication and collaborative skills, you will be able to work effectively across community, research, government and organisational environments while maintaining the integrity of a community-led and culturally grounded research process.

You Will Also Have

• Demonstrated experience leading yarning-based research and/or other culturally grounded qualitative or Indigenous research methods.
• Experience designing, leading or delivering research involving Aboriginal communities.
• A sound understanding of Aboriginal research ethics, cultural governance, Indigenous data sovereignty and community ownership of knowledge.
• Demonstrated ability to build respectful and productive relationships with Aboriginal communities, Elders and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
• Experience undertaking research concerning sensitive or potentially distressing subject matter in a culturally safe and trauma-informed manner.
• Strong qualitative data collection, analysis, interpretation and report-writing capabilities.
• The ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary project team while providing clear research and cultural leadership.

It would be highly regarded if you also have:

• Experience with community-led co-design processes.
• Knowledge of coronial, death-review or statutory-review processes.
• Family and domestic violence research or practice experience.
• A higher degree, established research record, or equivalent professional and community-based research experience.

About ANROWS

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety is an independent, not-for-profit research organisation established to produce evidence that supports efforts to reduce violence against women and their children.

ANROWS works with governments, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and communities to develop, translate and communicate evidence that strengthens policy and practice responses to domestic, family and sexual violence.

Our work is collaborative, policy-relevant and focused on creating meaningful change for women, children, families and communities.

Engagement Arrangements

This opportunity will be offered as a consultancy engagement, either with an individual consultant or through an institution, organisation or consultancy firm.

The initial engagement will cover the project’s 2026 methodology co-design, ethics and community-engagement phase. It will comprise a series of agreed deliverables, including contributions to project scoping, methodology development, participant materials, ethics processes, community engagement and a consolidated co-design and methodology report.

Fees will be negotiated and agreed for each deliverable, taking account of the consultant’s experience, the final scope of work and the level of input required.

A potential second engagement covering fieldwork, analysis, community feedback and reporting during 2027 will be scoped separately. Any further engagement will be subject to ethics approval, confirmed project dates, available funding and agreement between ANROWS and the consultant.

Travel to the West Kimberley will be required during relevant phases of the project. Travel arrangements and associated costs will be agreed as part of the consultancy contract.

Interested?

To express interest in this opportunity, please provide:

• A current curriculum vitae; and
• A short capability statement outlining how your experience aligns with the requirements described in the About You section.

Other Information

This is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified opportunity.

Final engagement arrangements are subject to confirmation of the appropriate procurement pathway, completion of any required contracting and integrity processes, and relevant research ethics approvals.

ANROWS is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and culturally safe ways of working. We recognise that research expertise may be gained through academic, professional, cultural and community-based pathways. Applicants are encouraged to describe their experience and capability relative to the opportunity, including forms of expertise that may not be reflected through formal qualifications.

Please let us know of any accessibility or cultural support requirements that would assist you during the expression-of-interest process.