You’ll need to be passionate about cultural heritage, and have a deep understanding of heritage laws. You will be a confident communicator, and know how to build strong relationships with others. Sometimes, you’ll act as an important link between your organisation and cultural leaders in the community.

Cultural advisers work in organisations that plan, design, construct, or maintain rail infrastructure. They advise on cultural heritage and laws, and may develop policies and procedures that help their organisation balance cultural heritage with project outcomes. They often complete cultural heritage assessments, prepare reports, oversee surveys or studies, and conduct inspections and audits. Sometimes they’ll engage with cultural groups to represent their organisation and keep lines of communication open.

Cultural advisers often work in project teams with engineers, project managers, and business managers. Sometimes you’ll work in the office at a computer. Other times you’ll participate in meetings or working groups, visit project sites, or spend time in the community. You may need to go into the field to conduct surveys and studies, or to monitor or audit a project. You can find work as a cultural adviser all around Australia. Most jobs are in cities and towns. Some are in remote areas.

Cultural advisers come from many different backgrounds and specialisations. They often bring cross-cultural awareness which is developed from their personal cultural experiences, cultural practices, and connections to community and land. Cultural advisers may also have university qualifications. They often specialise in areas such as environmental management, cultural heritage management, archaeology, and anthropology. Our industry values diverse personal and work experience. Many employers can provide you with opportunities to gain new qualifications and industry experience to help you succeed.