BirdLife Top End Secretary

About BirdLife Top End

The BirdLife Top End branch is a central forum for community activities centered around the conservation of birds and their habitats in the ‘Top End’ region of the Northern Territory. The BirdLife Top End branch aligns with the core values of BirdLife Australia to make a real and positive difference for Australia’s birds in the Northern Territory.

We cover over 42,000 km2 of the continental landmass, based on the ~600 mm rainfall gradient and covering the entire breadth of the Northern Territory (QLD border to WA border), and the Barkly Region to the northern tip of the continent, as well as the Tiwi Islands, Groote Eylandt, and all other offshore islands.

What we do

Some of our activities include: conducting research and monitoring programs, running capacity-building initiatives, advocating for birds or their habitats under threat, sharing knowledge and raising awareness among community members through community events, and forming collaborative partnerships with groups and Indigenous owners that manage the land on which birds belong. We are very focused on conservation science activities, monitoring shorebirds in Darwin Harbour through monthly counts is a key activity for our volunteers.

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About the role

This role will suit someone who is well organised and has good computer literacy, good time management, and can make decisions relating to the distribution of emails and files to relevant committee members. The Secretary has core duties based around the function of the committee. It would be beneficial for the Secretary to be passionate about birds and have an interest in the conservation of the Top End to achieve the goals of stopping human-driven extinction of birds and to halt population declines. 

BirdLife Top End works closely with the national organisation BirdLife Australia to achieve long-term systemic change in the conservation of birds. The Secretary is a key administrative officer of the Network group, a crucial link between Members and the Committee and is often the first point of contact for people seeking information or details about activities.

The Secretary:

• Usually acts as the first point of contact to Members and volunteers (e.g. for emails to topend@birdlife.org.au);
• Monitors the BirdLife Top End inbox for correspondence and ensures the appropriate committee member receive relevant correspondence in a timely manner;
• Schedules and organises regular meetings, including the Annual Planning Meeting;
• Prepare meeting agendas in liaison with the Committee;
• Send out papers for the meeting to the Committee;
• Manages the process of the meeting (e.g. breaks, clarifications, timing);
• Securely store minutes, reports and records of the group’s activities in the the Google Drive;
• Manages the filing and naming conventions of documents in the Google Drive;
• Update program documents such as the program progress overview document following meetings;
• Maintain accurate records of the group’s attendance, a summary of discussions, decisions and actions in the minutes of the meeting;
• Circulate minutes after the meeting; 
• Understand and ensure compliance with Birdlife Australia governance, policies and procedures; and,
• Be willing to assist with in-person engagement events as a member of the committee. 

Attributes and Skills 

We are looking for someone who:

1. Has an interest and basic knowledge of Top End birds and/or the environment;
2. Has some experience in, or interest in developing skills in, record management for NGOs;
3. Is highly-motivated and takes initiative;
4. Has good communication and computer skills, and is comfortable using mail and record management programs (Google Mail, Drive and Calendar). 

 

For more information or to submit your expression of interest, please contact Brittany at topend@birdlife.org.au or complete the form below. If you would like to apply for the role, please provide a short paragraph about yourself and your background in relation to the role.