First Nations Program Delivery Manager | Consumer

Job ID

2811

Business Unit

Consumer Management

Job Family

Strategy & Transformation

Category

Project Management

Location

Melbourne, VIC, AUS, 3000

| Brisbane, QLD, AUS, 4000

Employment Type

Permanent

Employee Class

Full Time

Closing Date

06/11/2026

Are you ready to turn reconciliation commitments into real-world change and lead the journey toward culturally safe, accessible banking for First Nations communities?

It starts here. With Bendigo Bank… and you.

At Bendigo Bank, we believe that banking should empower everyone. As our First Nations Program Delivery Manager within the Consumer division, you’ll step into a high-impact, purpose-led role dedicated to bringing our Enterprise First Nations Customer Plan and Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) commitments for the division to life. This isn't about passive compliance or ticking boxes—it’s about spearheading genuine behavioural and systemic change, dismantling barriers to financial inclusion, and elevating cultural capability across our customer-facing teams nationwide.

Reporting directly to the Head of Customer Workforce Enablement – Consumer, you will be the driving force behind strategic partnerships with First Nations-led learning providers, co-designing practical, scenario-based learning solutions that resonate with frontline reality. Working in close, respectful partnership with our Mob@BEN employee network group, RAP Working Group, business leaders, and community partners, you will ensure that First Nations perspectives, lived experience, and principles of self-determination remain central to how we design, deliver, and embed meaningful outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Drive Program Delivery, RAP Implementation & Governance: Serve as the end-to-end implementation lead for the Frist Nations Customer Plan and all Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) actions owned by the General Manager Retail Banking and collaborate across all customer-facing actions, managing schedules, milestones, and risk governance across these workstreams.

Co-Design Cultural Learning Pathways: Partner with First Nations-led education providers to co-design culturally safe, practical, and scenario-driven learning modules, replacing generic compliance training with tailored pathways for high-impact teams (including our Dedicated First Nations Contact Centre Line, Retail Network, and Financial Crimes & Customer Protection).

Champion Financial Inclusion: Collaborate across customer-facing, operational, and product teams to identify and dismantle structural barriers, ensuring accessible, respectful, and culturally informed banking experiences for First Nations customers.

Uphold Cultural Safety & Manage Cultural Load: Foster authentic, trusted relationships with Mob@BEN, First Nations employees, and community stakeholders—ensuring diverse voices guide program design while actively protecting First Nations team members from unreasonable cultural load.

Embed Sustainable Change and Capability Uplift: Equip and coach people leaders with practical toolkits, conversation guides, and frameworks to embed cultural capability into everyday routines, onboarding, and 1-on-1 coaching.

Lead Constructive & Respectful Advocacy: Confidently and respectfully challenge existing processes, assumptions, and ways of working that may create unintended barriers for First Nations people.

Embed Risk Ownership & Cultural Safety: Navigate and operate within the Bank’s risk management and compliance frameworks, ensuring all program initiatives are delivered safely, whilst proactively identifying, managing, and escalating operational or cultural risks.

First Nations applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for this role.

To succeed in this role, we’d love you to have:

Deep Cultural Grounding & Connection: Demonstrated experience working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, or organisations, underpinned by a strong understanding of cultural protocols, diverse histories, contemporary issues, and self-determination. First Nations applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for this role.

Proven Delivery / Project Capability: A track record of successfully managing complex initiatives or programs of work from planning through to operational embedment, with strong risk awareness and governance acumen.

Genuine Co-Design Mindset: Experience in authentic collaboration and co-design, with the cultural judgment to know when and how to seek appropriate cultural authority and First Nations community advice.

Empathetic & Influential Communication: Outstanding interpersonal skills with the confidence to influence senior stakeholders, build trust across multidisciplinary teams, and coach leaders in having open, culturally safe conversations.

Change & Capability Experience: Demonstrated success in capability uplift, workforce enablement, or change management, ensuring new skills translate into long-term behavioural change.

Understanding of Service Barriers: Knowledge of the historical and contemporary factors influencing First Nations Peoples’ access to banking and financial services, including financial exclusion and systemic barriers

Strong Risk Awareness & Judgement: A proven ability to apply robust risk management practices to project delivery, with the sound judgement to balance operational compliance with the need for flexible, culturally appropriate community outcomes.

Relevant Qualifications: Qualifications or certifications in project management, capability development, change management, or financial services (FSR Tier 2 is desirable, but not essential).

We are flexible on location and open to candidates based at any of our Head Office locations (Ideally Bendigo, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide).

This is a permanent, full-time role; however, we genuinely embrace flexibility and are committed to supporting a work pattern that suits your lifestyle.

At Bendigo Bank we believe a diverse workforce supported by an inclusive culture is central to our success and we actively encourage applications from those who bring diversity of thought to our business. We support candidate requests for adjustment to accommodate an illness, injury, or disability to equitably participate in the selection process.

We are committed to creating a workplace where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals can thrive, lead, and stay connected to community. When you join us, you’ll access:

Dedicated Support Networks: Connection and peer support through Mob@BEN, our active First Nations employee network.

Cultural & Ceremonial Leave: Paid leave policies designed to support your cultural commitments, community obligations, and ceremonial events.

Executive Sponsorship: Real advocacy from senior leaders who are highly engaged in our RAP and First Nations Customer Plan.

A Culturally Safe Application Pathway: If you would like to have a confidential, informal chat about the role, the team, or our recruitment process before applying, please reach out to our Inclusion Specialist and RAP Lead [email protected]