Current opportunities to work with the Latrobe Health Assembly
Programs and Innovation Officer
Fixed-term maternity leave cover until 13 March 2026
The Programs and Innovation Officer is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of health promotion activities at the Latrobe Health Assembly.
Strategic thinking, the capacity to work autonomously, and the ability to progress priority activities and maintain relationships are critical to this role.
Experience in project management, health promotion and/or community development are an advantage. Community engagement activities may require occasional work outside of normal business hours.
Required skills:
- Skills and experience in independently leading project initiation, innovation, communications and engagement.
- Sound project planning and implementation skills.
- Creative approach to project development.
- Appropriate qualifications or experience in project management, health and/or community development.
- Experience in health promotion is an advantage.
Organisational environment
The Latrobe Valley has been designated as a Health Innovation Zone, the first of its kind in Australia. The State Government has committed to significant funding in health and wellbeing for the Latrobe Valley through the Latrobe Health Innovation Zone.
The Latrobe Health Assembly is one of the key components in the Latrobe Health Innovation Zone. The Assembly is a community-centered model to harness the strength, wisdom and collective talents of our community, putting Assembly members front and centre in identifying health and wellbeing priorities and innovating health services.
The Assembly has a strong focus on community engagement to ensure the community plays a vital role in determining health and wellbeing priorities and service design.
Purpose and accountability
As the Programs and Innovation Officer, you will understand the local context for program implementation, contribute to the full life cycle of projects, including complex projects, to meet Latrobe Health Assembly objectives.
This will include:
- Supporting research, analysis, and implementation of projects.
- Monitoring and managing project agreements independently, including the delivery of agreed milestones and project deliverables.
- Partnering with project delivery organisations and assisting in the successful implementation of projects within resourcing, timeline and budget parameters.
- Supporting the monitoring and evaluation of projects to ensure Latrobe Health Assembly objectives are met.
- Providing advice to internal and external partners and preparing and presenting detailed reports, briefings, and other documents as required on projects or complex matters.
- Building and maintaining positive relationships with the Assembly members and other key partners to facilitate a partnership approach.
- Possessing a practical understanding of corporate governance, risk and compliance within the context of government, local government and the community sector.
- Preparing budgets, undertaking forecasting, and completing reconciliation activities.
Selection Criteria
Please provide a response to the key selection criteria that demonstrates your experience and knowledge, using brief examples from previous roles where possible.
Personal qualities
- Relationship Building: Establishes and maintains relationships with people at all levels. Promotes harmony and consensus through diplomatic handling of issues. Forges useful partnerships with people across business areas, functions and organisations. Builds trust through consistent actions, values and communication and works on a ‘no surprises’ approach.
- Creativity: The ability to design and implement cut through ideas that appeal to the various audience groups in the Latrobe Health Innovation Zone. Has creative ideas and can project how these may enable innovation.
- Flexibility: Adaptable and open to new ideas. Accepts changed priorities without undue discomfort. Recognises the merits of different options and acts accordingly.
Knowledge and skills
- Written communication: prepares complex briefs, letters, emails and reports using clear, concise and grammatically correct language; edits written communications to ensure they contain the information necessary to achieve their purpose and meet audience needs; ensures appropriate style and formats are used.
- Problem solving: seeks all relevant information for problem solving; liaises with partners; analyses issues from different perspectives and draws sound inferences from information available; identifies and proposes workable solutions to problems; implements solutions, evaluates effectiveness and adjusts actions as required.
- Project management: consults, liaises with and influences key partners; produces detailed project plans where objectives are clearly defined and action steps for achieving them are clearly specified; monitors performance against objectives and manages project risks and issues; ensures project objectives are met.
- Self-management: invites feedback on own behaviour and impact; uses new knowledge or information about self to build a broader understanding of own behaviour and the impact it has on others; understands strong emotional reactions and seeks ways to more effectively manage them.
- Partnerships, collaboration and advocacy: Identifies partners and other partners through a process of proactive and responsive engagement; participates in, develops and maintains sustainable community and professional partnerships to enhance population health outcomes; collaborates with partners in the delivery of health promotion interventions; identifies community assets and resources; facilitates communities to articulate their needs and advocate for the resources and capacities required.
- Communication and engagement skills: Is able to break down complex topics or situations and communicate messages to a varied audience.
- Work planning skills: Is able to define and sequence work tasks to deliver on agreed outcomes and in line with agreed timeframes, resources and ways of working.
Specialist expertise (these should be addressed in your resume)
Communication and engagement skills: capacity to effectively communicate complex ideas in accessible ways to diverse audiences.
Public health practice: knowledge of epidemiology, health promotion planning, and evidence and evaluation are desired competencies.
Qualifications: tertiary qualifications or substantial experience in a relevant field or equivalent role.
Safety screening
- All competitive applicants are subject to a satisfactory National Police History Check as part of the recruitment assessment process.
- Applicants who have lived overseas for 12 months or longer during the past 10 years are required to provide the results of an international police check. Applicants should contact the relevant overseas police force to obtain this and submit as part of their application. Details of overseas police agencies are available on the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website (www.immi.gov.au) and search under ‘Character and Police Certificate Requirements – How do I obtain a police certificate?’
- A Working with Children Check is required.
How and where to apply
For further information or to request a copy of the Position Description please call 5173 8400 or email info@healthassembly.org.au
To be considered for this role, applicants must submit a resume or CV, a cover letter, and a response to the key selection criteria.
Applications are to be submitted by email to info@healthassembly.org.au and must be received by COB Friday 6th January 2025.