Peer Researcher - PRIME

About Orygen
  
Orygen is Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and the largest translational research organisation dedicated to youth mental health in the world.

For over 30 years, Orygen has led groundbreaking early intervention and developed evidence-based models of care to improve the mental health outcomes of young people aged 12-25.
  
About the job
  
As a Lived Experience Peer Researcher, you’ll bring your personal experience of the emotional impacts of climate change to help shape youth mental health research. Working alongside young people, researchers and community partners, you’ll co-facilitate sessions and contribute to the Youth Advisory Group, ensuring lived experience and diverse youth perspectives directly inform the design, delivery and impact of climate-resilient programs.
  
Reporting to the program’s Chief Investigators and Project Manager you will:

• Co-facilitate youth peer support and green social prescribing programs, supporting meaningful participation and engagement.
• Champion young people’s lived/living experience perspectives across research, programs and decision-making.
• Contribute to research activities including participant recruitment, data collection, analysis and research documentation.
• Collaborate with young people, peer researchers and research teams to co-design and deliver meaningful research.
• Co-produce and disseminate research findings through academic, conference and creative outputs.
• Travel between headspace offices across Melbourne’s western suburbs may be required. A current driver’s licence is required for this role.

Skills and experience
  
The following criteria must be met for consideration for this position:

• Aged between 18 and 30 years for the duration of your employment.
• Personal lived experience of the emotional impacts of climate change or climate-related disasters.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, with experience engaging and working collaboratively with young people.
• Experience in, or willingness to develop skills in, qualitative research activities, including participant recruitment, interviews and data collection.
• Demonstrated passion for improving young people’s mental health, with strong organisational skills and the ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.

Note: this role requires the applicant to be within a specific age range for the duration of their employment within this role. This role falls under the special measures category in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 to promote substantive equality for a group of people who have one (or more) protected attributes such as age. Orygen aims to address equality for young people who have faced or are facing mental ill health challenges. 

  Benefits

• Salary between $73,000 - $78,000 pro rata commensurate with skills and experience + 12% superannuation and $15,900 in NFP salary packaging + $2,600 meals and entertainment card.
• Be part of a team that values collaboration and innovative thinking, driving impactful results.
• Work in an inclusive environment committed to diversity and continuous improvement.
• Opportunity to contribute to the success of a purpose driven organisation.
• Support Orygen’s mission for youth mental health and contribute to positive social change.
• Benefit from a location that is easily accessible by public transport and offers amenities that support a healthy work-life balance.

How to apply
  
If you’re ready to make a difference in youth mental health and be part of a collaborative, innovative team, apply now.
  
For the full position description, visit https://www.orygen.org.au/getmedia/0a149ec3-d68c-462a-8b1e-cb39b881d5a3/PD_PRIME_Lived-Experience-Peer-Researcher_August-2026.pdf.aspx
  
This is part-time (0.2 FTE), 6-month contracted position.
  
Applications will close on 4th September 2026 (8am), unless a suitable candidate is found sooner.
  
Before applying at Orygen, it’s important to understand that you may encounter sensitive information related to mental health as part of your work. Being aware of this and how it could affect you is essential in deciding if this is the right opportunity for you. 

Orygen is committed to providing diverse, equitable and inclusive environments for Staff and anyone connected to Orygen. We strive to continue building a culturally safe workplace where our values underpin the way we work and our commitment to First Nations people of Australia, young people and their families, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ people and CALD communities. We strongly encourage applications from First Nations people.

Orygen is a child-safe organisation and is committed to promoting and protecting the safety and well-being of all young people and embedding safeguarding practices into all our programs and services. All employment appointments are subject to holding a valid working with children check and successful police check.