Indigenous Affairs Lead

Blackwoods Group is on a journey of growth and transformation, and we are seeking a new Leader, Indigenous Affairs reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, to build on our foundations of Inclusion and Diversity. This role is central to our commitment to creating meaningful pathways for Indigenous employment, leadership, and cultural inclusion across our Australian operations.

Using your mix of practical skills and lived experiences, you'll lead initiatives that support Indigenous inclusion and capability across our business units. You'll work closely with our people and partner with our suppliers and communities to make connection with Traditional Owners and create culturally safe spaces and meaningful employment pathways.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead Indigenous Inclusion Strategies: Design and deliver programs that attract, retain, and support Indigenous talent. Deliver Indigenous employment outcomes including talent pipelines and recruitment opportunities (including internships, graduate programming and school-based traineeships, etc.).
• Promote Cultural Awareness and Engagement: Facilitate training and embed Indigenous perspectives into policies and practices. Development of the Indigenous Affairs strategy for Blackwoods and how it supports the Wesfarmers Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and ensure activities are embedded and delivered upon. Execute significant cultural and Cultural Awareness and Competency components in order to educate, ensure a culturally safe environment and bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous team members together to celebrate and further Indigenous values and culture.
• Partner Across our Business Units: Work closely with internal stakeholders to embed inclusion into everyday practices.
• Procurement Opportunities: Improving our procurement opportunities with our Category teams and our value chain to improve the customer offer while creating real value for Indigenous businesses.
• Support Leadership Development: Create opportunities for Indigenous employees to grow into leadership roles
• Track Progress and Ensure Compliance: Monitor outcomes and ensure alignment with legal, cultural, and native title obligations. Provide regular reporting on Indigenous Affairs to a wide range of stakeholders, including to customers, to Wesfarmers, for various working groups and committees, as well as part of the broader sustainability/CA reporting requirements. 

What You'll Bring:

• Experience developing and delivering programs that create real impact, especially in inclusion, capability building, or employee engagement
• Strong connections to Indigenous communities, cultural knowledge, or lived experience that informs your approach and builds trust
• Practical experience working in operational environment, community engagement, or inclusion-focused roles
• A strong ability to connect, build relationships, and foster respect
• A genuine commitment to creating spaces where Indigenous voices are heard, valued, and empowered
• Formal qualifications in Business Management, Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences, Human Resources, or related fields are valued but not essential

Why Our Team Enjoys Being Part of Blackwoods: 

To ensure our employees feel valued, supported, and celebrated, we provide a range of employee benefits including:

• Opportunity to grow and develop your career in a national business
• A supportive network of stakeholders
• Discounts to Wesfarmers retailers (Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, OnePass)
• Long term incentives through the Wesfarmers Share Plan
• A successful Refer-A-Friend program, earning up to $2,000 for each referral!
• Hybrid work options
• Ability to purchase up to 4 weeks annual leave
• Regular team events, celebrations and development opportunities
• Attractive paid parental leave policy for primary and secondary carers

Next Steps

If you meet most of the criteria listed above and would like to be considered for this opportunity, please send your application today. We will be contacting suitable candidates as we receive them.

As part of our recruitment process and commitment to safety, you may be required to undertake background checks (which may include a police check, a pre-employment medical assessment; and/or drug & alcohol testing) as part of your application process.

Blackwoods also promotes diversity and inclusion across our workplaces and encourages applications from all backgrounds, including people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the LGBTI+ community and people with disabilities.