Principal Cultural Heritage

DISCOVER A BRIGHTER FUTURE

At South32, we’re meeting the challenge of enabling a sustainable future through our focus on responsibly producing commodities critical for a low-carbon world.

As a collaborative, caring and inclusive company, there’s no better place to make a genuine difference. Together we’re making a positive, global impact that has the potential to change lives.

Whatever career path you choose, we’ll support you every step of the way to learn, grow and succeed. So join us, step towards a brighter future and leave your legacy.

ABOUT GEMCO

Located on the tropical Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, GEMCO is an open-cut mine that is accountable for over 15% of the world’s manganese ore production. Groote Eylandt is home to the Anindilyakwa people, who are the traditional owners of the land and have been working alongside GEMCO since 1963.

The onsite accommodation includes meal services and access to excellent facilities, including a gym, beachside workout area, swimming pool, golf course, tennis and squash courts, a sports oval and a range of scenic walking tracks.

WHAT SOUTH32 OFFERS

• 26 weeks full-paid, or 52 weeks half-paid parental leave for primary carers
• 14% superannuation contributions
• Flexible work options include working from home and flexible hours
• The opportunity to become a shareholder of South32 through our share plans
• Residential option offers low-cost living and generous reimbursable family Holiday Travel Assistance

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role is a Permanent position on a 4:3 roster (Monday-Thursday), FIFO from Darwin or Cairns. Residential option to live on Groote Eylandt considered.  

As the Principal Cultural Heritage, you will be responsible for protecting cultural heritage across GEMCO’s activities by embedding robust governance, ensuring informed consent, strengthening relationships with Traditional Owners and supporting responsible operational and closure planning.

Other key responsibilities include, but aren’t limited to:

• Oversee cultural heritage surveys, scopes, records and approvals
• Maintain heritage registers and manage AAPA processes from application to Certification
• Guide operational teams on heritage risk, compliance frameworks and governance
• Build alignment between operational priorities and Traditional Owner expectations

ABOUT YOU

You will have experience and demonstrate capability in the following:

• Strong stakeholder engagement across diverse communities and organisational levels
• Ability to navigate complex issues with sound judgement and cultural awareness
• Skilled communication that supports influence, clarity and trust
• Capacity to balance competing priorities while upholding ethical standards

Qualifications for this position are:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in heritage, anthropology, archaeology or associated discipline
• Current C Class Drivers Licence

South32 is committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we operate.  We provide a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all and we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

This job advert will close on Tuesday 17th March 2026.