Senior Land Access and Heritage Advisor

Our Energy Client is seeking a Senior Land Access and Heritage Advisor to join their Perth team on a permanent basis.

The Land Access & Heritage Advisor plays a crucial role by facilitating and coordinating all aspects of land access and cultural heritage management for the Clients exploration and production activities.

This position requires a skilled professional who can navigate complex legal and regulatory frameworks while maintaining positive relationships with landowners, Traditional Owners, stakeholders and government authorities. The role ensures compliance with all agreements, mitigates risks and supports efficient project delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

Stakeholder Engagement, Land Access and Heritage

• Engage effectively with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, adapting communication styles to suit different audiences and situations.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with landowners, occupiers, Traditional Owner groups, government agencies, and other key stakeholders through proactive engagement, transparent communication, and timely issue resolution.
• Lead stakeholder consultation activities and act as the primary point of contact for land access and heritage matters, including project briefings, meetings, site visits, negotiations, and ongoing stakeholder management.
• Manage landowner, Traditional Owner and all stakeholder relationships throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring effective consultation, issue management, agreement implementation, and ongoing access requirements are met.
• Negotiate, secure, and administer land access arrangements, including access agreements, compensation agreements, easements, licences, permits, and other land tenure requirements to support project delivery.
• Collaborate with Legal, Commercial, Environmental, and Project teams to prepare, execute, and manage land access and heritage agreements in accordance with regulatory obligations, company procedures, and project requirements.
• Coordinate and lead Aboriginal heritage processes, including stakeholder engagement, heritage surveys, agreement negotiations, cultural heritage management activities, and regulatory approvals.
• Identify land access, tenure, and heritage risks and constraints during project planning and execution and develop practical mitigation strategies to minimise impacts to project schedules and objectives.

Compliance, Permitting and Risk Management:

• Maintain accurate and auditable records, compliance registers, and tracking systems for stakeholder engagement, agreements, compensation arrangements, heritage commitments, approvals, and regulatory obligations to support compliance, reporting, project governance, and timely close-out of actions.
• Ensure compliance with applicable land access, Aboriginal cultural heritage and environmental legislation, together with company policies, procedures and project commitments.
• Coordinate and administer land access agreements and approvals, ensuring contractual obligations, compensation, stakeholder notifications, reporting requirements, and agreement renewals are managed effectively and delivered on time.
• Collaborate with environmental specialists, Traditional Owners, regulators, and project teams to support project planning, approvals, and the avoidance or minimisation of environmental and cultural heritage impacts.
• Coordinate the planning and delivery of heritage surveys, clearances, approvals, and cultural heritage management activities required to support project schedules and regulatory compliance.
• Support the implementation, monitoring, and reporting of cultural heritage commitments, management measures, and approval conditions to ensure identified heritage values are protected throughout the project lifecycle.
• Promote and uphold strong Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) principles in all activities.
• Identify, assess, and manage land access, cultural heritage, stakeholder, reputational, and operational risks, implementing appropriate mitigation strategies to minimise project impacts and support successful project delivery.
• Provide timely advice to project teams on land access, stakeholder engagement, cultural heritage, and approvals requirements to support informed decision-making and project compliance.

Land Information, Systems and Reporting:

• Utilise Geographic Information Systems (GIS), mapping tools, and land tenure databases to identify land ownership, tenure interests and access requirements.
• Monitor agreement milestones, expiry dates, renewal requirements, and ongoing commitments to support land access planning and stakeholder management.
• Maintain accurate records of stakeholder interactions, correspondence, project commitments, and land access documentation in accordance with company procedures and governance requirements.
• Prepare and distribute land access status updates, reports, and dashboards to support project planning, decision-making, and stakeholder communications.
• Prepare reports on land access activities, agreement status, stakeholder matters, and related project requirements for management and regulatory purposes.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as Land Management, Environmental Science, Law, or related disciplines.
• Proven experience in land acquisition, land access negotiations, or land administration within the oil and gas industry.
• Knowledge of Western Australian land tenure systems, relevant legislation, and regulations pertaining to the oil and gas sector.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with attention to detail and accuracy in managing land data and documents.
• Knowledge of Aboriginal heritage as well as cultural heritage management and processes in Western Australia.
• Experience engaging with Traditional Owner groups and heritage consultants is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Proficiency in using GIS software and other relevant computer applications.
• Understanding of health, safety, and risk management practices in the context of land access.

Minimum Requirements:

• Right to work in Australia
• Flexibility to travel throughout the Mid-West region to facilitate on site meetings
• Standard driver’s license

Direct Reports:

• Nil

Key Internal Relationships:

• Approvals Team
• Drilling and Completions Team
• Subsurface and Exploration Team
• Development and Operations Teams

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.