Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: $143,076 - $166,922
Grade: Grade in advertisement
Occupation: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: VG/VLA/FNS/1942424
About the role
The First Peoples Cultural Strategy Specialist provides strategic leadership in strengthening Victoria Legal Aid's (VLA) organisational cultural capability, cultural safety, and improving systems, policies and practices for First Peoples employees and service users.
This role leads the design, oversight and continuous improvement of VLA's cultural capability framework, ensuring that organisational culture, workforce practices and internal policies are aligned with First Peoples perspectives, self-determination principles and community expectations. It will provide strategic oversight of relevant policy, workforce capability development, and guidance on embedding of cultural safety practices reflect First Peoples' ways of knowing, being and doing.
This role will provide authoritative cultural advice to senior leaders to improve and embed sustainable and meaningful organisational cultural change.
This role is based at our Melbourne CBD office on Wurundjeri Country.
This is a special measures role and only Australian First Peoples are eligible to apply, as per the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.
Please ONLY apply if you identify as Australian First Peoples.
About you
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:
Demonstrated cultural authority and deep understanding of First Peoples communities and systems
Proven experience leading cultural strategy and organisational change
Ability to influence senior stakeholders and provide authoritative advice
Strong capability in stakeholder engagement and partnership building
Experience in governance, monitoring and accountability
Highly developed communication skills
Understanding of the justice sector and commitment to VLA's values
Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we strongly encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate. However, we are unable to consider applicants who do not identify as Australian First Peoples.
About VLA
We offer legal representation, family dispute resolution and non-legal advocacy to those who need it most. With over 1400 staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems. Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.
Employee benefits
How to apply
To be considered for this role, please submit your current resume and a cover letter indicating how your skills and experience are aligned with the expectations of the role.
If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.
For further information, please review the attached position description or contact Melissa Harrison on 0437892624 or [email protected].
No agency applications will be expected.
Applications close by 11.59pm on Thursday 3 September 2026.
Other relevant information
It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.
VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.