Community Development jobs in Perth
Community Development in Perth involves the same work as it does anywhere in Australia, but who employs you, and under which registration or clearance, is local. Perth's largest employing industries are Health care and social assistance, Construction and Retail trade, which shapes both where the work is and how steady it tends to be. Licensing is set by Western Australia, not nationally — the requirements below are the ones that apply here.
Vacancies
Current community development vacancies in Perth
No community development roles are advertised in Perth right now. Licensing and who hires locally still apply — this page updates when a matching role appears.
Licensing
Licensing for community development in WA
Community development is not a licensed or registered occupation, and there is no national registration body. The main compliance requirement is the child-related clearance for your state or territory whenever your work brings you into contact with children — which is common in neighbourhood centres, youth programs and school-linked initiatives. Some roles in disability-inclusive community programs also require an NDIS Worker Screening Check. A National Police Check and a driver licence are near-universal employer requirements, and local government roles often add their own probity checks.
- Western Australia
- Working with Children (WWC) Check from the WWC Screening Unit, Department of Communities, for child-related work. NDIS-funded community programs require an NDIS Worker Screening Check, also administered by the Department of Communities.
Licensing rules change. Confirm with the regulator named above before quoting or contracting — this page is a starting point, not advice.
Local market
Who hires in community development in Perth
Perth is the corporate and fly-in fly-out base for Western Australia's iron ore and LNG industries — Woodside and Wesfarmers are headquartered in the city and Rio Tinto and BHP run their iron ore operations centres from there. An unusually large share of the resident workforce is employed on rosters at Pilbara and offshore sites rather than working locally, so mining investment cycles flow straight through to construction, engineering and professional services demand. Health care remains the largest employing industry by headcount.
East Metropolitan Health Service, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Woodside Energy are among the largest employers in Perth. Most people working in community development here, though, are hired by small and mid-sized businesses rather than by the names everyone recognises — which is why so many local vacancies never reach a big job board.
Largest employing industries
2,452,765 people (Greater Perth (GCCSA), ABS Estimated Resident Population at 30 June 2025).
Role
What the job involves
Community development workers help communities identify their own priorities and build collective solutions to issues such as health, housing, recreation, employment and social isolation. Rather than casework with individuals, the focus is on facilitation, partnership building, funding submissions and place-based programs run with local government, neighbourhood centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
- Consult community members and groups to identify local needs, assets and priorities
- Design, deliver and evaluate community programs, events and place-based initiatives
- Facilitate meetings, reference groups and community forums, including with people who disagree
- Prepare grant applications, funding acquittals and reports to funders and boards
- Build partnerships across local government, schools, health services, business and community organisations
- Recruit, train and support volunteers and community leaders
- Collect and report data on participation, reach and program outcomes
- Advocate on community issues to government and represent the community in planning processes
Training
Qualifications and training
- CHC42021 Certificate IV in Community Services — a common entry qualification for community and neighbourhood centre roles
- CHC52021 Diploma of Community Services — the usual qualification for coordinator and program roles
- A bachelor degree in community development, social science, human services, social work or public health is common for local government and larger program roles
- Short courses in grant writing, project management and community engagement are widely valued and often employer-funded
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Community engagement and consultation facilitation · Grant writing and funding acquittal · Project and event management on a small budget · Partnership building and stakeholder negotiation · Volunteer recruitment, training and retention · Program evaluation and outcomes reporting · Cultural competence, particularly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and multicultural communities · Plain-English communication, including public speaking and written submissions
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Community Development work in Perth — licensing, hiring and what employers look for.
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Also covered for community development
Sources
- Community Development — occupation data · verified 2026-08-04. ABS ANZSCO 2022, Unit Group 4117 Welfare Support Workers (https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/anzsco-australian-and-new-zealand-standard-classification-occupations/2022/browse-classification/4/41/411/4117); training.gov.au (https://training.gov.au/training/details/CHC42021 and https://training.gov.au/training/details/CHC52021); Fair Work Ombudsman (https://awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000100.html); Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections May 2024 – May 2034 (https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/employment-projections); Queensland Blue Card Services (https://www.qld.gov.au/law/laws-regulated-industries-and-accountability/queensland-laws-and-regulations/regulated-industries-and-licensing/blue-card); NSW Office of the Children's Guardian (https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check); Working with Children Check Victoria (https://www.vic.gov.au/working-with-children-check); WA Department of Communities (https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/working-children-check); SA DHS Screening Unit (https://dhs.sa.gov.au/how-we-help/screening-and-background-checks); Tasmania CBOS (https://www.cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/licensing-and-registration/work-with-vulnerable-people); ACT Access Canberra WWVP (https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/business-and-work/working-with-vulnerable-people); SAFE NT (https://pfes.nt.gov.au/police/community-safety/safe-nt)
- Perth — local data · verified 2026-07-31. ABS Regional population, 2024-25 (released 31 March 2026) — https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release; Jobs and Skills Australia, Labour Market Insights regional profiles — https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/
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