Looking for a casual role that’s anything but ordinary?

As a Court Engagement Officer, you’ll work alongside a specially trained Court Dog at the Canberra Family Court, helping create a calmer, more trauma-sensitive environment for litigants and children attending the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA).

Working three days a week, you’ll be the Court Dog’s trusted partner throughout the day. You’ll care for their wellbeing, manage their working day and help ensure they’re happy, healthy and ready to provide a calming presence when it matters most.

What you’ll be doing

No two days will be quite the same. You’ll:

• Collect the Court Dog from their Guardian each morning and return them safely at the end of the day.
• Care for the dog throughout their working day, balancing court bookings with plenty of rest, enrichment, toileting, water and downtime.
• Prepare and accompany the dog to court engagements, considering the environment and the dog’s wellbeing before and during each interaction.
• Read the dog’s behaviour and wellbeing, recognising when they need a break or shouldn’t work and escalating any health or welfare concerns.
• Help children, litigants, court staff and others understand how to safely and appropriately interact with the Court Dog.
• Manage bookings and coordinate with Judges, Registrars, Court Child Experts and other court staff.
• Create positive, respectful interactions while ensuring the rights, dignity and individual needs of clients are always upheld.
• Follow Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and FCFCOA handling, training, welfare and risk-management protocols.

Benefits that Guide Dogs offer: 

As a member of the Guide Dogs team, you will have access to a wide range of benefits tailored to your needs.

• EAP - Get support when you need it with Employee Assistance Program counselling sessions.
• Employee benefits program and Reward and Recognition program.
• Annual flu vaccinations. 
• Join an organisation that makes a meaningful and positive impact on our society.

Guide Dogs Values: 

• Our clients come first in everything we do 
• Walk the Talk - The buck stops with us. So we keep our word and keep going, no matter what.
• Lead with Head and Heart - Forever focused on our purpose and mission, we combine care and careful planning to deliver successes worth celebrating.
• Lift each other - From a guiding hand to a high five, we unleash and acknowledge everyone's potential.
• Never stop exploring - We're fearlessly creative. We've always asked and answered the tough questions and if there's a better way, we'll find it. 

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT are proud to be an inclusive workplace that reflects our clients and the broader community and are committed to providing a work environment in which everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect. We offer equal employment opportunity regardless of your disability, gender or gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital or domestic status, carer status, or political opinion.

If you require an adjustment within the recruitment process, please contact jobs@guidedogs.com.au to inform us of your preferred method of communication.