A university in Western Australia is hiring “anti-racism” staff to help implement its DEI policies, but is only offering the position to indigenous applicants.
The full-time Anti-Racism Project Coordinator role at Perth’s government-supported Edith Cowan University comes with a salary of up to $105,915 and a two-year fixed-term contract, and was listed on Wednesday.
The job listing states “the occupant of this position must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander” and cites an exception in Western Australian anti-discrimination law.
The exception allows employers to hire on the basis of race if the role involves “providing persons of a particular race with services for the purpose of promoting their welfare where those services can most effectively be provided by a person of the same race”.
The job listing states that the Anti-Racism Project Coordinator will work within the Aboriginal Workforce Programs team, and support “the implementation and development of programs and initiatives focused on anti-racism, cultural inclusion and social cohesion at an institutional level”.
“You will coordinate a diverse portfolio of projects that strengthen ECU’s capability to prevent and address racism experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students and communities,” the listing states.
In addition to the racial requirement, the listing states that applicants should have “understanding and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and communities, with a strong commitment to advancing anti-racist practice”.
They also need “experience supporting the development and delivery of inclusion initiatives, with expertise in anti-racism, cultural inclusion and social cohesion”.
The listing states that disabled people are also “actively encouraged” to apply.
“ECU is a diverse and inclusive workplace with specific strategies and initiatives in place to address underrepresentation of specific groups,” the listing states.
“We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age and faith.”
Header image: ECU (Seinfeld1986 – Own work, CC0, Link).
