National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) Graduate Programs & Internships

The National Indigenous Australians Agency acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present.

What does the NIAA do: We lead and influence change across government to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a say in the decisions that affect them.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is a key partner in fulfilling the commitments to elevate First Nation’s voices, and ensure First Nations people have a say in the decisions that affect them. We are committed to implementing the Government’s policies and programs to provide the greatest benefit to all First Nations peoples. Our priorities are informed by the Government’s commitment to work in genuine partnership with First Nations peoples for better outcomes.

NIAA’s vision is to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are heard, recognised and empowered. 

We are responsible for:

• Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart – Voice, Treaty and Truth.
• Leading the implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap
• Developing policies and delivering programs with and for First Nations Peoples
• Working with and advising other government agencies on Indigenous affairs matters
• Champion reconciliation throughout Australia.

To learn more our responsibilities please visit the Executive Order.

Staffing: We a large national footprint with approximately 1,300 passionate staff spanning across our 70 offices, this allows our staff to work closely with communities in urban, regional and remote locations.

Our Culture: The NIAA Experience

Our Agency is unique: we are about people, purpose and partnerships. We're committed to a common goal, we care about each other and our stakeholders, and we work with our partners to support the self-determination and aspirations of First Nations p​eoples.

Purpose

• We’re all about supporting the self-determination and aspirations of First Nations Peoples—it’s our driving force and inspiration.
• Valuing and sustaining the world’s oldest living cultures strengthens the whole nation.
• We offer lots of career opportunities in a wide range of positions, from developing policy to enabling service delivery on-the-ground throughout Australia.
• At the NIAA, our work is transformational—you can follow your passion, shape your career and make a difference.

People

• We value our people—they're at the heart of everything we do.
• Our leaders inspire a sense of purpose and are accessible and supportive.
• Our working style is collaborative and agile.
• We invest in each other's success and share fundamental values. A driven, diverse and inclusive workplace is very important to us, so we champion multiple perspectives and encourage continuous cultural learning and professional development.
• We have generous remuneration and employment conditions, including flexibility so you can balance work with other commitments.

Partnerships

• Our work relies on strong and trusted relationships—supporting the aspirations of First Nations Peoples can't be done in isolation.
• We build partnerships by being authentic, sharing information and giving honest feedback.
• A key strength is our national footprint. With offices across remote, regional and urban Australia, we’re on-the-ground, actively partnering with First Nations communities and all levels of government to co-design policies, deliver programs and influence change.
• We hold ourselves, and our partners, accountable to achieve positive outcomes.​​​

The good bits:

While working across the NIAA in our Graduate Program, you will develop knowledge and understanding of the Agency’s key priorities. 

Some key facts about the program:

• 12-month program consisting of three rotations through various work areas with a potential rotation in one of our metropolitan, regional or remote locations.
• Commencing as an APS4, salary of $77,558 p.a. + superannuation with eligible advancement to the APS 5 level.
• Various locations on offer Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin and Perth
• Choose from one of our tailored streams Policy and Program, Corporate and Enabling and Operations and Delivery
• Extensive professional learning and development opportunities to support your career progression and possible future promotions.
• Experience our award-winning cross-cultural learning ‘Footprints Program’
• An inclusive and diverse workplace including our 6 employee networks:
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Network
  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Network
  • Disability Network
  • Pride Network
  • Wellbeing Network and
  • Women’s Network
• People are the heart of NIAA, Graduates are no different we provided tailored dedicated support through, buddies, mentors, pastoral care as well as networking opportunities.

The work you will do is transformational!

As a NIAA graduate, you will develop the skills, capabilities and networks to progress in their APS careers while contributing to implementing the Government’s priorities to provide the greatest benefit to all First Nations people. 

You will be involved in complex and fulfilling work at the forefront of Indigenous Affairs, including important initiatives such as the Indigenous Voice and the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

You will help develop, implement and evaluate policies and programs while working closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, state and territory governments and Indigenous organisations to make sure the policies and programs address the individual needs of each community.

You will provide advice to the Minister for Indigenous Australians on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Streamline your Graduate Program: 

Policy and Program Stream: This stream is for graduates who are inquisitive, flexible and keen to contribute and learn about policy and program design, development, implementation and evaluation.

We work with First Nation’s communities and across the public service to implement policies and programs on the ground. The Policy and Program stream will allow you to work in various strategic, social and economic policy and program areas of the Agency.

Rotation opportunities in:

• closing the gap, culture and heritage, early years and education, families and safety, health and wellbeing, housing and infrastructure, employment, land and environment, business and economics, constitutional recognition & truth telling and much more.

Operations and Delivery Stream: The stream is aligned to graduates that are interested in working in our regions to work on implementing and delivering range of government initiatives and commitments.

We offer challenging, interesting and stimulating work, engaging across all levels of government and working directly with the community and other invested stakeholders. The Operations and Delivery stream works to engage with First Nations communities, leadership and service providers to deliver outcomes in line with community aspirations on behalf of the Australian Government.

Rotation opportunities in:

• community engagement and consultation, regional strategy and policy including local and place-based initiatives, data and evaluation, grant design, administration and reporting of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

Corporate and Enabling Stream: for individuals who are excited by the opportunity to provide high quality professional services to support the work of the Agency.

For the NIAA to implement policy and programs to benefit First Nations peoples our staff need the best capabilities and support to succeed. Our staff are supported by the Agency’s corporate and enabling functions, which are integral to the achievement of the NIAA’s key priorities.

Rotation opportunities in:

• human resource management, legal services, governance and communications, financial management, business operations, data and digital, evaluation, IT strategy, program compliance and fraud office of the CEO, transformation management and portfolio bodies.