First Nations Health and Welfare Group Head – Affirmative Measures, First Nations

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is Australia’s authoritative source of health and welfare data and analysis. As an independent national information and statistics agency within the Commonwealth’s Health portfolio, the AIHW publishes more than 400 data products each year, maintains and administers specialised national data standards and classifications, and supports high quality research.

The First Nations Health and Welfare Group Head, SES Band 1 reports to the Executive Director, Community and First Nations Insights Division, and leads the development, analysis and reporting of information and statistics about the health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Group provides authoritative evidence and meaningful insights to support policy development, service planning, allocation of resources, and monitoring of progress against national priorities, including Closing the Gap. Its work spans health performance reporting, burden of disease, primary health care, mental health and wellbeing, regional data and community insights, with a strong focus on partnership with First Nations people and organisations. The Group is committed to incorporating in its work Indigenous concepts of social and emotional wellbeing as well Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance.

As the First Nations Health and Welfare Group Head, you will provide strategic and professional leadership to one of Australia’s leading health and welfare data agencies. Working closely with the Executive Director, senior leaders and stakeholders, you will drive the collection, analysis and reporting of data that informs national policy and improves outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. You will build strong partnerships across government, community and research sectors, lead high-performing teams, champion Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance, and shape innovative data products, systems and services. This is a unique opportunity to influence national priorities, advance Closing the Gap reforms and strengthen the impact of health and welfare data for First Nations communities.

To be a strong contender for this critical leadership role, you will be an accomplished leader with an understanding of the Australian health and welfare landscape and the power of data, analytics and evidence to drive meaningful outcomes. You will bring exceptional judgement, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear insights, influence decision-making, and shape policy and strategic direction. You will have a track record of leading high-performing teams, fostering innovation and continuous improvement, building trusted partnerships across government, community and research sectors, and delivering results in complex and evolving environments. 

To be eligible to apply for this vacancy, you must:

• be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and be accepted by your community as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
• be an Australian citizen
• undergo any required pre-employment checks, including a police records check
• obtain and maintain a valid Security Clearance if required by the institute

If you are successful in being progressed to the interview stage, you will be required to provide suitable evidence of your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage.

A probationary period of six (6) months will apply to any new engagement to the APS.

Please submit your application online via the AIHW e-Recruit system. When applying online for the first time, you will need to register and provide a valid email address.

Your application should include a CV, two referees, and a statement of claims (a short ‘pitch’ of no more than 1000 words) drawing out why you are interested in the role, what you offer the agency, your skill set, relevant career history and achievements, and your leadership attributes.

In preparing your application, we suggest you take account of the following alongside the role specific responsibilities and capabilities:

• SES Performance Leadership Framework. This sets the expectations for all APS SES employees.
• Secretaries Charter of Leadership Behaviours. This sets out the behaviours Secretaries expect of themselves, the SES and across all levels of the APS. The Charter focuses on behaviours that support modern systems of leadership within the construct of the APS Values and Code of Conduct.
• Integrated Leadership System upon which the above behaviours are built.

For more information, please visit the Australian Public Service Commission’s page on Senior Executive Service (SES) recruitment.