Senior consultantSocial sciencesPosition description

Part of the Alluvium Group

Mosaic Insights is a unique business. We create the social landscapes of the future. Our work makes a difference to the world we live in.

Mosaic Insights is a strategic consultancy with a unique, evidence-based approach to creating healthy social landscapes. Our Insights to Ideas to Impact process addresses these big issues through the application of science, and innovative, lateral thinking.

We work across and within disparate disciplines: landscape ecology, park management, urbanism, green infrastructure, health planning and design thinking.

Our insights come from our unparalleled network, experienced staff and collaborative process. We want to provide the evidence to create sustainable, resilient, liveable landscapes that support healthy, productive communities.

We are part of the Alluvium Group and work closely with our sister companies to deliver truly exceptional multidisciplinary projects.

For more information about us see mosaicinsights.com.au.

We are Mosaic Insights

The Alluvium Group brings together five organisations with a common purpose: to make a positive difference to the world we live in.

We are scientists, planners, engineers, strategists, analysts and economists. We combine these skills to address the complex, systemic, and intractable issues that face our society, environment and economy. By solving these problems, we transform the way we live and the health and productivity of our catchments, rivers, coasts and cities.

The industry-leading businesses that form the Alluvium Group are driven by our collective vision and a shared commitment to the highest quality of client service and technical excellence. Our business model is unique and driven by a genuine belief that it serves our clients better.

The strength of our group is embedded in the independent decision making of our company boards and leadership, and the ability of each entity to focus on delivering exceptional work for our clients. We never compromise on our core values of innovation, focused technical expertise and responsiveness to our clients’ challenges.

We are part of the Alluvium Group

The focus of the role:

Mosaic Insights leads the social sciences practice within the Alluvium Group. As part of the ongoing development of our business, we are looking for a highly talented consultant to play an integral role in our social sciences practice area.

Our social science practice seeks to help decision makers and agencies to:

• Understand the social dimension of technical issues and solutions

• Present multiple lines of evidence to inform decision-making

• Take stakeholders and the community along on the journey of change

• Clearly communicate the imperative to act and what action to take

• Adaptively learn from what has worked and not worked in the past.

The social science focus

What you will be doing in this role:

• Take a leading role on a range of Alluvium Group projects involving our social sciences practice area. These projects require the application of social research methods, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, program evaluation, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, social impact assessment, policy analysis, strategy and program development, stakeholder engagement and communications.

• Work with leading applied scientists and engineers across the Alluvium Group and our partners on challenging and meaningful projects that directly affect the future of our urban and rural environments.

• Shape and grow our city shaping offer, and build on our existing portfolio of NRM-related social science work.

• Boost your profile as an industry leader, including presenting your work in industry forums nationally and internationally.

• Help build our company’s profile as leaders in the application of social science in developing healthy and sustainable urban and rural landscapes.

• Manage a portfolio of projects ranging anywhere from $5,000 - $200,000 in value.

• Deliver projects on time, on budget and to the satisfaction of our clients, and with a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Spend about 30% of your time on non-project work e.g. contributing to knowledge transfer across the Alluvium Group, participating in company-wide initiatives such strategic planning, business development and preparing proposals.

We are looking for an exceptional senior social scientist to join the Mosaic Insights team, based in Melbourne.

Some examples of our social science portfolio

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to shape, lead and deliver projects and initiatives that truly make the world a better place. Some examples of our work from Mosaic Insights and other Alluvium Group firms are provided to give a sense of the opportunity. More information can be found at mosaicinsights.com.au and alluvium.com.au

Applying the Theory of Change for a liveable Canberra

The Canberra Better Suburbs Statement found that healthy waterways were essential for a liveable suburb and the liveability of the nation’s capital as a whole. The H2OK program (an ACT Government initiative) focuses on behavioural change among the community. Its premise is that people do not realise that their actions (such as washing debris down stormwater drains) can have direct impacts on the health of their local waterways. Success in this program will be measured by healthier waterways through education and behaviour change.

Mosaic Insights was engaged by the ACT Government Directorate of Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development to assess the current state of the H2OK program and activities through the Stages of ChangeTheory of Change model.

More information on this project can be found mosaicinsights.com.au/project/h2ok-theory-of-change/

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Evaluating natural resource management investment in QLD

Alluvium was engaged by the Queensland State Government to evaluate landscape-scale outcomes resulting from all sources of natural resource management (NRM) investment in QLD since 2003. This project took Alluvium to all 14 NRM regions in QLD, where workshops were held with multiple stakeholders to identify what investment had occurred, what were the drivers of change, and what ‘real change’ occurred since 2003 spanning multiple indicators for soil, water, biodiversity and social outcomes.

For each region a timeline of NRM investment and drivers of change was developed, alongside NRM indicators of change for the 15-year period with in-depth narratives that captured the various perspectives of stakeholders. We then initiated the development of a transition in the current NRM reporting system to capture and understand the achievement of NRM outcomes, moving beyond simply measuring the activities that have delivered (which is the current status quo).

Developing a water sensitive communities program

The Cooks River Alliance is a group of local Councils in western Sydney working in collaboration with communities to improve the health of the Cooks River.

Alluvium was engaged by the Alliance to support the transition towards water sensitive communities in the Cooks River catchment. The transition to a water sensitive catchment will improve the health and amenity of the Cooks River by increasing the community’s knowledge, understanding and value of and connectivity to the river, and influencing behaviour change at the community level for positive actions (e.g. stewardship).

We developed f a waterway stewardship program underpinned informed by engagement, social research data and a behaviour change model.

More information on the Cooks River Alliance is available here.

Skills, experience and our offer

Essential skills you need for the role:

• Social science expertise and experience incorporating a rich history of implementing social research methods

• Tertiary qualifications in the social sciences or closely related discipline

• 10 to 15 years of professional experience

• A strong passion to provide inspirational leadership that improves how cities and rural landscapes work for communities and the environment

• Advanced skills in project management

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

• Demonstrated initiative and drive

• An eagerness to help build our social science area of practice

Other desirable skills and experience:

• Prior experience in professional services consulting

• Experience related to the sustainability of communities in areas such as urban design, public health and liveability

• An understanding of parks, environment, water and natural resource management.

• Established networks within our sector

• The ability to interrogate and draw insights from large data sets relating to contemporary concepts, including liveability and resilience

What we offer:

• Remuneration commensurate with your skills and experience

• Generous leave and other employee benefits

• A continuous learning culture

• An inspiring work environment and a supportive team

• Work across the Alluvium Group in a great collaborative environment

To apply for this exciting role, follow these steps:

1. Tell us why you want to work at Mosaic Insights and what you can bring to the role in no more than 250 words.

2. Attach your CV (maximum two pages)

3. Send your application to people@mosaicinsights.com.au by 5 pm AEST Sunday 7 July 2019

If you would like more information on the role, Mosaic Insights or the Alluvium Group, please contact either Dr Dom Blackham or Neil McCarthy for a confidential discussion about the role.

Dom Blackham – Practice Manager

Phone: 0403 159 674 | email: dom.blackham@mosaicinsights.com.au

Neil McCarthy – CEO

Phone: 0417 386 251 | email: neil.mccarthy@mosaicinsights.com.au

All applicants must currently have a legal right to work in Australia.

What next?

ContactsNeil McCarthy | 0417 386 251 | neil.mccarthy@mosaicinsights.com.au

Dr Dom Blackham | 0403 159674 | dom.blackham@mosaicinsights.com.auwww.mosaicinsights.com.au