This is an Identified position open to all Australian Citizens

About the Group

The Collections Services Group is responsible for the development, management, preservation and provision of access to the AIATSIS Collection at both Maraga (Canberra) and Mparntwe (Central Australia) sites. The Group manages, describes, preserves, digitises and provides access to the AIATSIS Collection.

About the Program Area

The Collection Access and Family History Unit sits within the Collections Services Group. The Unit manage services and policies for culturally appropriate access to the AIATSIS collection and Indigenous family history research.

Role Summary

This position plays a key role in the Family History team. You will support the Senior Family History Officer to provide culturally protected and ethical family history research services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those affected by past government removal policies. This is a customer-focused role primarily responsible for conducting family history research requests and providing access to information to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undertaking their own research. This role requires well-developed communication and interpersonal skills including a demonstrated ability to communicate respectfully and sensitively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including our key stakeholders, the National Link-Up organisations. You will have a strong commitment to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and sound understanding of cultural sensitivities as they specifically relate to family history research and use of the AIATSIS collection.

The work is grounded in respect for privacy, confidentiality, and cultural protocols, ensuring meaningful and ethical engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The key duties of the position include:

- conduct basic family history research using the IATSIS Collection and external collections, including archives, mission and church records, oral histories, and public data sources to complete research reports.
- support clients through guided self-help, providing clear advice and practical tools to empower their research journey.
- contribute to the development and delivery of presentations, training, and outreach sessions, both at AIATSIS and in community settings.
- maintain databases, assist with monitoring and reporting to family history unit business plans.
- other administrative tasks as required.

Eligibility

Cultural capability - essential

Roles at AIATSIS require candidates to have an understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and proven culturally appropriate engagement and communications skills. The nature of this role requires the candidate to consistently demonstrate the following specific cultural capabilities:

- understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business within the agency and the outcomes the agency is responsible for delivering.
- understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and the dynamics of engaging with them respectfully.
- understand the heritage, cultural and intellectual property rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities as they apply to research.




- understands the sources of knowledge resting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, stakeholders, and networks.
- understands the impact of attitudes, beliefs, and past experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the engagement and consultation process.
- an authentic and respectful interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, policy, and implementation matters.

AIATSIS embodies Yindyamarra in everything we do.

Skills, knowledge and personal attributes

To be successful in the role, you will bring a balance of empathy, cultural understanding, and practical research skills. You will enjoy working closely with community members and families and take pride in helping people reconnect with their history through respectful, accurate, and timely research support.

You will come with the following skills, experience and attributes:

- demonstrated ability to locate, interpret and summarise information from archival and public sources with a high attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when recording or sharing family information.
- demonstrated ability to undertake research and clarify copyright and Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property rights of collection materials to support research reports.
- demonstrated ability to explain research findings in plain language that supports clients to understand and make decisions about their own records, paired with strong listening and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and support clients in a calm, respectful and supportive manner.
- demonstrated ability to manage multiple client requests concurrently and work to deadlines efficiently and effectively.
- demonstrated ability to share information and assist colleagues to achieve team goals. While maintaining a flexible and cooperative approach, contributing to a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
- ability to work independently and as part of a team to achieve desired outcomes and goals.
- demonstrated ability to adapt to changing priorities and use of initiative to solve day-to-day problems within established guidelines. As well as a proactive mindset that contributes ideas for improving client service, systems or research processes.
- proficient in using
- Microsoft office suite.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- SharePoint.

- experience in the following will be highly regarded

- archives, libraries, or research environments.
- collection management systems such as Axiell, Drupal or similar platforms.
- working with or high understanding of our key stakeholders, the National Link Up Network.
- working with Indigenous family history, genealogical research, or community records.

Notes

Applications close 11.30pm Sunday 02 August 2026.

The successful candidate/s will need to undergo:

- Police check
- 6 month probation

This vacancy is being advertised concurrently under an identified and affirmative measure recruitment process. There is 1 position available across both processes.

Identified positions





Identified positions are roles that require people to understand the issues affecting Indigenous Australians and a proven ability to communicate sensitively with them. These requirements are generally for jobs that involve providing services or developing policies for Indigenous Australians, and/or direct interaction with Indigenous communities.

Identified positions are crucial in ensuring that the APS has the right people working on initiatives to improve the delivery of services and close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and are open to all Australian citizens.

At AIATSIS all positions are Identified positions where candidates are required to demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their cultures, and their issues and to be able to communicate respectfully with them. You must provide the name and contact details of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander referee. This referee will be contacted to determine your cultural capability.

What is Cultural Capability?

As all positions at AIATSIS are ‘Identified’ each position will have various elements of involvement with the delivery of Indigenous specific services, programs, and policies as part of AIATSIS core functions. AIATSIS therefore needs to also identify the cultural knowledge; skills and personal attributes needed to deliver the required outcomes.

Every part of how we work, who we work with and for, requires varying levels of knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, protocols and an understanding of issues that enable effective communication and ultimately effective performance in the role. To assist you in determining the required cultural capabilities of this role, you can refer to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability – A Framework for Commonwealth Agencies

Getting to know the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

We are Australia’s only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures, and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. We house the world’s most important and extensive collection of cultural information and material and we provide leadership, publish and promote greater understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We create opportunities for people the world over to engage with and be transformed by the knowledge, the culture and the story of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. We are Australia’s national institution for leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research. We care for a priceless collection, including films, photographs, video and audio recordings as well as the world’s largest collection of printed and other resource materials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies. We undertake and encourage scholarly, ethical, community-based research in a variety of sectors, including health, native title, languages and education. Our publishing house, Aboriginal Studies Press, regularly publishes outstanding writing that promotes Australian Indigenous cultures. Our activities affirm and raise awareness of the richness and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

📌 Family History Research Officer (Canberra)
🏢 Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
📍 Canberra