Research Manager

📍Minga Bunaan Gunyah | Nowra

💲Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award

🕛Full Time | 35 Hours Per Week

✨Identified Position – Female

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Research Manager to lead and strengthen Aboriginal-led research, evaluation, and knowledge creation across our organisation. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to meaningful change by ensuring community knowledge, lived experience, and cultural perspectives inform research, policy, advocacy, and service delivery.

About the Role

The Research Manager provides strategic leadership across Waminda’s research function, overseeing research projects, partnerships, and evaluation activities while strengthening research capability across the organisation. Reporting to the Executive Leader, the role works closely with communities, staff, universities, government agencies, and research partners to ensure research is culturally safe, ethical, and driven by community priorities.

This role will lead the development and implementation of Waminda’s research strategy and support evidence-informed approaches that improve outcomes for Aboriginal women, families, and communities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Waminda’s research strategy, ensuring research priorities align with community needs, organisational goals, and Aboriginal self-determination.
• Manage and oversee research projects, staff, governance, and ethical research practices, including Aboriginal Data Sovereignty principles.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Aboriginal communities, universities, government agencies, and other key stakeholders.
• Support the design, delivery, evaluation, and translation of research into practical improvements across programs, services, and advocacy efforts.
• Strengthen organisational research capability by mentoring staff, promoting knowledge sharing, and fostering evidence-informed practice.

About You

You are a strategic and collaborative leader with a strong commitment to Aboriginal-led research and self-determination. You have the ability to build trusted partnerships, manage complex projects, and translate research into meaningful outcomes for communities.

You will bring:

• Demonstrated experience in research, evaluation, public health, health sciences, social sciences, or a related field.
• Experience leading or coordinating research projects and research teams.
• Strong understanding of Aboriginal-led research, Aboriginal Data Sovereignty, and ethical research practice.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience working respectfully with Aboriginal communities using strengths-based and culturally safe approaches.
• The ability to translate evidence into practical service, policy, and organisational improvements.

Essential Requirements

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Research, Public Health, Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Evaluation, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Current NSW/ACT Driver Licence.
• Current Working with Children Check.
• National Criminal Record Check.
• This is an identified position for women under Section 31 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

Why Join Waminda?

At Waminda, you will be part of an organisation that places culture, healing, and community at the centre of everything we do. We are committed to supporting our staff through professional development, wellbeing initiatives, and opportunities to make a genuine impact in the lives of Aboriginal women, families, and communities.

We are committed to creating a workplace where culture, connection and wellbeing come first. Waminda employees enjoy a range of benefits beyond standard award conditions, including additional wellbeing supports, professional development opportunities, cultural leave provisions, flexible work practices where operationally appropriate, and opportunities to contribute to meaningful community-led change. Our team is supported to grow, learn and maintain a healthy balance between work and life.

Apply Now!

If you are passionate about Aboriginal-led research and using evidence to drive positive change, we encourage you to apply.

Applications for this role will close Wednesday, 9 September 2026.

For more information, please contact the People and Culture team at peopleandculture@waminda.org.au.

Applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are strongly encouraged.