Director of Community and Landholder Relations
Location: Horsham, Victoria
Company: WIM Resource Pty Ltd
Employment Type: Full-Time, Executive Level, Salary – Executive Level
About WIM Resource
WIM Resource Pty Ltd is an Australian-owned company developing the Avonbank Mineral Sands Project, one of Victoria's most significant critical minerals projects that will provide significant business and employment opportunities for regional Victorians.
We believe mining and agriculture can coexist for the shared prosperity of regional communities. Our commitment goes beyond compliance — we are driven by a vision of sustainable development, relationships, and genuine community partnership.
We work every day to strengthen trust, create local opportunities, and ensure the Avonbank Project delivers lasting social, environmental, and economic benefits for the Wimmera region.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a Director of Community and Landholder Relations — a leader who believes that listening, respect, and accountability are the foundations of responsible development. You will report directly to the Executive Team.
This role will be instrumental in guiding WIM's engagement with local communities, landholders, and Traditional Owners as we move Avonbank into construction and operations — ensuring that every voice is heard, every partnership is valued, and every outcome contributes to a stronger, more resilient region.
You will lead the design and delivery of WIM's engagement and coexistence strategies, ensuring that trust, fairness, and shared value underpin all our relationships, alongside our new Community Engagement and Coexistence team.
Your Key Responsibilities
· Oversee implementation of the Community Engagement Plan and Community Support Strategy, ensuring engagement remains inclusive, transparent, and outcomes-focused, and aligned with company values.
· Foster trusted, long-term relationships with landholders, Councils, community organisations, and Traditional Owner groups, and the broader agricultural sector.
· Drive the principles of transparency, inclusiveness, and local benefit through all engagement and communication activities.
· Lead coexistence and land access discussions to ensure outcomes that are fair, respectful, and future-focused.
· Provide strategic leadership on community sentiment, stakeholder risks, and opportunities for collaboration.
· Represent WIM with authenticity and empathy in public forums, community meetings, and partnerships.
· Work to establish the Avonbank Community and Coexistence Reference Group, ensuring community perspectives inform project decisions.
· Drive initiatives such as Landholder and Farmer Rehabilitation Participation Programs
· Develop benefit-sharing partnerships with the Community and First Nations People.
· Mentor and empower a small, passionate team of community professionals committed to positive impact.
· Coordinate and strengthen the new Horsham-based Community Engagement team.
· Represent WIM publicly in community forums, media interviews, and government liaison activities.
About You
You are a well-respected, empathetic, and strategic leader who understands what drives and underpins farming and regional communities, having lived and worked in Horsham or the Wimmera Southern Mallee Region for most of your career.
You must thrive on building bridges between people, industries, and ideas. You are grounded in integrity, confident under pressure, and believe that sustainable development depends on trust and transparency.
· Senior experience in community engagement, landholder relations, or social performance, ideally in mining, agriculture, or regional development (mining experience not compulsory)
· A track record of building trust and achieving consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.
· Deep respect for rural communities, their livelihoods, and cultural values.
· Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills — you listen first, speak with clarity, and act with purpose.
· A genuine passion for regional development, fairness, and sustainability.
Tertiary qualifications in communications, community development, social science, or a related field are desirable.
Why Join WIM
· Make a lasting impact on one of Victoria's most important regional developments.
· Lead a values-driven agenda focused on trust, coexistence, and community wellbeing.
· Learn from and contribute to an experienced team that has been involved in developing previously successful mineral sands operations.
· Help build and work alongside a new passionate Horsham-based team committed to transparency and regional prosperity.
· Be rewarded with flexible working arrangements and an industry-competitive salary package.
How to Apply
If you're inspired to help shape a project that puts community and country at the centre of its story, we'd love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and ensure you submit a cover letter that summarises why you are suited for this role. For a confidential discussion, contact Michael Winternitz via email
About Avonbank – Producing Critical Minerals & Supporting Business and Job Opportunities in Regional Victoria
Avonbank is WIM's flagship mine and has a Proven and Probable reserve of 311.8 million tonnes, which underpins a 36-year project life. It is the largest Mineral Sand Mine to be positively assessed in Victoria. Avonbank will produce a range of critical minerals required for the future electrification of the global economy, as well as for ceramics and paint pigment needed for everyday living. The mine will be a major supplier of zircon and titanium, as well as minor by products of rare earths.
The mine will be a 36-year project and will contribute significantly to the Victorian economy via the creation and ongoing support of nearly 1000 FTE jobs per annum. During operations the project will inject $15 billion in Gross Revenue across a range of industries within the State and $3.5 billion in gross State Product within the Wimmera Southern Mallee region. Click here to watch a short video on the economic benefits of the mine for the State.
Watch this video to learn about the Avonbank Mine: Information Hub - WIM Resource