Community Engagement & Participation Specialist

Hunter Medical Research Institute – New Lambton Heights NSW

Help communities shape the future of health and medical research.

Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) is seeking a Community Engagement and Participation Specialist with expertise in community education, research translation and engagement design.

In this unique role, you will transform complex health and medical research into clear, relevant and accessible research knowledge for community audiences, while designing education and engagement initiatives that enable people to learn, contribute and participate in research with confidence.

Based at the HMRI Building in New Lambton Heights, this is a unique opportunity to drive community engagement and participation strategies that generate valuable community insight and strengthen health literacy, while creating lasting connections between people and research.

Working across the organisation and alongside researchers, community leaders and partner organisations, you will help foster a participatory culture where community voices are heard, valued and embedded in decision‑making.

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Strategy and Performance Officer, the Community Engagement and Participation Specialist will lead the design of HMRI’s community engagement, participation and education approaches under the Community Insight and Engagement Framework.

Key focus areas of the role include:

- Collaborating with internal teams to design and implement community engagement, participation and education initiatives that support HMRI’s strategic priorities;




- Developing evidence-informed learning experiences that translate complex health and medical research into accessible, engaging and actionable information;
- Create pathways that connect community members with research participation opportunities, advisory groups, community activations and health improvement activities;
- Facilitate inclusive community conversations, workshops, forums and engagement activities that encourage dialogue, learning and collaboration
- Build strong partnerships with community organisations, advocacy groups, local councils, researchers and key stakeholders;
- Generate meaningful community insights that inform decision‑making, strategy and research translation outcomes; and
- Support the development of community trust, participation and ongoing engagement through transparent and responsive engagement approaches.

This position is offered on a part‑time 0.8 FTE (30.4 hours per week) basis for a maximum term contract of 12 months.

About you

You are an experienced engagement professional who understands how to bring people together, build trust and facilitate participation in ways that are inclusive, accessible and impactful. You are equally comfortable working with community members, researchers and executive stakeholders and you have a genuine passion for improving health outcomes through collaboration and shared learning.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:





- Formal qualifications or significant professional experience (10+ years) in communications, adult learning, journalism, marketing, community engagement or a related discipline;
- Demonstrated expertise in designing and delivering evidence-informed learning approaches, including adult learning principles and health literacy frameworks.
- Proven ability to translate complex health, medical or research information into accessible and engaging content.
- Strong experience in community engagement, participation and co‑design methodologies including frameworks such as IAP2 or NHMRC principles.
- Strong facilitation skills, including the ability to design and deliver inclusive workshops, forums and community‑led conversations.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship‑building capability across community, research and partner environments.
- Experience in health, research or social impact sectors, including research translation and community impact pathways, would be highly regarded.

If you are passionate about creating meaningful community participation pathways and helping people connect with research that can improve lives, we would love to hear from you

Why join HMRI

At HMRI, you will contribute to world‑class medical research that improves health outcomes for communities locally and globally.

We offer:

- Onsite parking
- Flexible & Supportive work arrangements
- Great salary packaging options
- Access to leading researchers and strategic initiatives
- A modern workplace located in the HMRI Building at Recent Lambton Heights

Applications close: 30 October 2026

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📌 Community Engagement & Participation Specialist (Newcastle City Council)
🏢 the HMRI As
📍 Newcastle City Council