Lead Heritage Compliance

• Monday to Friday – Perth Airport Location and moving to West Perth mid 2026
• Performance, Retention and Profit Share Bonuses
• Company contribution towards private health cover for employees and immediate family
• 18 weeks full pay or 36 weeks half pay for primary caregivers

About the role:

The Heritage team is currently seeking an experienced Lead Heritage to join them on a Monday to Friday role based in Perth. Reporting to the Manager Communities & Indigenous Affairs, you will be responsible for providing senior leadership across the heritage function, ensuring strong engagement with native title groups, robust compliance with heritage and native title obligations, and clear integration of heritage requirements into operational and project planning. This role shapes Hancock Iron Ore’s long-term heritage strategy, leads approvals and on‑Country programs, and ensures culturally respectful, safe and consistent heritage practices across the portfolio.

Duties:

Traditional Owner & Stakeholder Engagement
• Build and maintain strong, respectful relationships with Native Title holders, PBCs, community leaders and relevant stakeholders.
• Lead and participate in Implementation Committees, liaison/monitoring forums, heritage surveys and Social Surrounds engagements.
• Represent HIO in government briefings, industry forums and community events.
• Support the execution of community projects and contribute to Community Stakeholder Engagement Plans.

Heritage Approvals & Strategy
• Lead development and execution of heritage approval strategies aligned to operational and mine planning requirements.
• Manage Section 16 and Section 18 approvals, including all required engagement with native title groups and knowledge holders.
• Interpret and apply the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 1972, Native Title Act 1993, Environmental Protection Act 1986 and Land Administration Act 1997.
• Facilitate Social Surrounds engagements and coordinate heritage components for EPA proposals.

On-Country Heritage Activities
• Lead the planning and execution of ethnographic and archaeological surveys, repatriation trips, cultural mapping and heritage monitoring.
• Ensure fit-for-purpose resources for ground disturbance monitoring and on-Country activities.

Compliance & Agreement Management
• Ensure compliance with Native Title agreements, CHMPs, SCHMPs and all external obligations.
• Conduct CHMP reviews and ensure timely submissions of annual reports.
• Manage heritage components of environmental and mine closure reporting.
• Lead investigations into heritage breaches and implement corrective actions.

Operational Integration
• Embed heritage considerations into the GDP/LUC process, demarcation audits and field inspections.
• Work closely with mine planning teams to identify and mitigate cultural heritage impacts.
• Provide oversight on approvals, spatial data, GIS integration and the Heritage Management Database.

Leadership & Team Development
• Lead and mentor Specialists, Advisors, the compliance function and the graduate position.
• Set performance standards, coach capability and ensure consistent delivery across the heritage portfolio.
• Contribute to budgeting, reporting, planning cycles and safety leadership.

Skills and Experience:

• Tertiary qualifications in archaeology, anthropology or related discipline.
• Extensive experience in cultural heritage management within the mining/resources sector.
• Demonstrated leadership of heritage approvals, including Section 18s and CHMP development.
• Deep understanding of WA and Commonwealth heritage and Native Title legislation.
• Proven experience working collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, PBCs and native title groups.
• Strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally.
• Experience with GIS systems and spatial data management highly regarded.
• Current WA C‑class driver’s licence.