Lead Facilitator – Connecting with Country

About Arcadia

Arcadia is a leading Landscape Architecture and Urban Design practice working at the intersection of the built form and nature across Australia and New Zealand. Our work is driven by a clear purpose: to enrich Country and community, creating meaningful places that make a lasting difference in people's lives.

We take a deeply considered approach to every project, grounded in research, collaboration and a genuine respect for the cultural and environmental significance of place. Central to this is our commitment to Designing with Country. We work alongside First Nations knowledge holders, cultural leaders and communities to ensure every project reflects authenticity, respect and connection.

About the Opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to lead engagement and facilitation across Arcadia’s Connecting with Country projects. Working alongside our National First Nations Design Director, you will design and facilitate workshops involving Traditional Owners, Knowledge Holders, communities, clients and multidisciplinary project teams.

As a facilitator, your role is to create the conditions for genuine connection and constructive discussion. You will bring together different perspectives, manage complex stakeholder dynamics and help participants move towards clear outcomes.

You will also manage the engagement process from planning through to reporting, coordinating participants and activities and documenting key themes, areas of alignment, unresolved matters, agreed actions and how the group arrived at its outcomes.

Cultural knowledge and authority remain with Traditional Owners, Knowledge Holders and communities. Your role is to support a respectful process through which that knowledge can appropriately inform the work.

You’ll also contribute to the ongoing development of Arcadia’s Connecting with Country practice, including its facilitation methods,



tools and ways of working.

A Glimpse into Your Day

- You will plan and facilitate workshops, co-design sessions, Walks on Country, community consultation and stakeholder forums, creating environments where people feel heard, respected and able to contribute.
- You will manage group dynamics, guide complex or sensitive conversations and help participants explore different perspectives and move towards clear outcomes.
- You will coordinate stakeholders, schedules, workshop materials, actions and deliverables across multiple projects.
- You will listen carefully and capture what has been shared, preparing clear and balanced reporting that documents key themes, areas of alignment, unresolved matters, decisions and next steps.
- You will build productive working relationships across communities, clients, consultants and project teams.
- You will help strengthen Arcadia’s Connecting with Country facilitation methods, tools and capability.

What You'll Bring

- Demonstrated experience designing and leading workshops, co-design processes, stakeholder forums or community consultation.
- The confidence and judgement to facilitate diverse groups and navigate complex or sensitive conversations.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to work productively across communities, clients and multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong project management and organisational skills, including the ability to coordinate participants, activities, timelines and deliverables across multiple projects.
- Excellent listening, synthesis,



writing and presentation skills.
- The ability to capture different perspectives and translate detailed discussions into transparent outcomes, actions and balanced reporting.
- Cultural awareness, humility and respect for community-held knowledge, cultural authority and appropriate protocols.
- A collaborative and adaptable approach to working across different disciplines and project environments.

Desirable

- Experience in facilitation, community engagement, cultural strategy, design, planning, landscape architecture, architecture or a related field will be highly regarded.
- An understanding of First Nations engagement principles and the practice of Connecting with Country.
- Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent professional experience are welcomed.

Why You'll Love Working With Us

- Daily lunch and snacks
- Employee Assistance Program for you and your immediate family
- Annual skin checks and flu vaccinations
- Ongoing professional development and learning opportunities
- Studio events and a strong social culture
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- Bi-annual events, including our ski trip and end-of-year conference

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Reconciliation At Arcadia, we believe meaningful Country led design is built on respect, relationships and genuine collaboration.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where cultural knowledge, community relationships and lived experience are recognised, valued and supported. We particularly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

If you require any adjustments throughout the recruitment process, we encourage you to let us know.

A Note on Work Rights To be considered for this opportunity, you must hold the legal right to live and work in Australia.

📌 Lead Facilitator – Connecting with Country (Pyrmont)
🏢 Arcadia Landscape Architecture
📍 Pyrmont