Employment Type: Full-Time
- Aboriginal Identified (Special Measure) executive leadership role
- Lead a $170m+ organisation with ~650 staff and major regional impact
- Based in Alice Springs—community-led, values-driven, culturally safe care
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) is Australia’s largest Aboriginal community-controlled health service and a proud, community-led organisation delivering high-quality, culturally responsive primary health care and programs across Central Australia. With a strong history, significant scale and an enduring commitment to self-determination, Congress is a trusted voice for Aboriginal health and wellbeing, and an influential partner to governments and stakeholders.
We are seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to provide visionary and strategic leadership for Congress and to work in close partnership with the Board of Directors to deliver sustainable, equitable and culturally safe services for the Congress family and the broader community.
This is a pivotal appointment. The CEO will lead a high-performing Executive Leadership Team across key portfolios including Clinical Services, Corporate Services, Health Programs, Child, Youth and Family, Public Health, and Information Strategy & Risk. You will guide the organisation’s strategic direction, governance and performance; ensure strong quality, risk and compliance systems; and lead with integrity, humility and clarity in a complex and evolving environment.
Beyond operational excellence, the CEO is Congress’ principal advocate and spokesperson—building influential relationships with community members, funding bodies and all levels of government. You will champion community control and drive partnerships that strengthen outcomes across the determinants of health, including housing, environmental health and social equity.
Congress is seeking a leader who is in the role for the right reasons—someone who demonstrates deep alignment with Congress’ purpose, values and mission, and who is committed to living and leading in Alice Springs as part of the community. Connection to Central Australian communities is highly regarded, and applicants with strong experience in similar remote environments will also be strongly considered.
If you are a values-led executive who can lead with cultural integrity, build trust, navigate ambiguity, and deliver impact through people, partnerships and sound governance, we welcome your application.
Identified Position
This is an Aboriginal Identified (Special Measure) position and is therefore only open to Aboriginal applicants. Appointment will be made in accordance with section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) and section 57 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (NT). Applicants will be required to provide confirmation of Aboriginality as part of the recruitment process.
How to Apply
Before applying, we strongly encourage you to download the comprehensive candidate information pack. This pack contains the detailed Position Description and further insights into the role, the organisation, and the region. To access the pack, please visit mcarthur.com.au and enter reference J9273 into the job search function.
To be considered for this role, your application must include:
- A current Resume; and
- A tailored Cover Letter (maximum two pages) that specifically addresses the Key Selection Criteria outlined in the candidate information pack.
For a confidential discussion regarding this significant executive opportunity, please contact Matt Weston on (07) 3211 9700.
This position is only open to Aboriginal applicants in accordance with section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) and s 57 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (NT).
Applications close: Sunday 10 May 2026.