Lead Counsellor
Advertised: 27 August 2026
Burnet Institute
Health | Morobe
- Provide basic educational, emotional and social wellbeing support to people receiving treatment for TB, HIV and other long-term conditions.
- Facilitate peer support groups and health education sessions for patients, families and communities.
- Work collaboratively with clinical, research, TB and HIV teams to provide person-centred care.
- Facilitate referrals to appropriate internal and external health and support services.
- Ensure accurate documentation, counselling records, patient information and program data are maintained.
- Prepare reports on counselling, patient support and community engagement activities as required.
- Support health education and community engagement activities and build effective relationships with relevant services and organisations.
- Mentor, support and provide feedback to Peer Counsellors, including assisting with training and professional development.
- Participate in case management, adherence and other relevant team meetings.
- Participate in ongoing professional development, particularly in counselling, health education and related areas.
- Minimum two years’ experience in counselling or social work, preferably within a health setting.
- Strong knowledge of, or personal lived experience with, TB, HIV or non-communicable diseases.
- Demonstrated compassion, empathy and strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Experience in leadership, team supervision and reporting.
- Ability to work independently and demonstrate strong judgement, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
- Strong organisation and time management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to role model positive and respectful behaviour within the community.
- Basic to intermediate computer literacy, including Microsoft Office.
- Ability to communicate effectively in Tok Pisin.
- A qualification in counselling, education, health, social work or a related field.
- Experience working with TB, HIV or non-communicable disease programs.
- Experience facilitating health education, peer support or community engagement activities.
- Experience mentoring or supervising peer counsellors or community-based staff.
- Additional training in counselling, psychosocial support or health promotion
- Compliance with Burnet Institute’s occupational health, safety and safeguarding standards.
- Police Check and Working with Children Check (as applicable).
More information
Job ID: #28284
Industry: Health
Location: Morobe, Papua New Guinea
Company: Burnet Institute
Company Description: Burnet Institute is a leading not-for-profit, unaligned, and independent Australian medical research and public health organization focused on achieving better health for vulnerable communities in Australia and internationally by accelerating the translation of research, discovery, and evidence into sustainable health solutions. The Institute is headquartered in Melbourne with programs that run across Asia, the Pacific and in Africa. This includes technical specialists, scientists and researchers based in our Melbourne office and international staff working through international offices in Myanmar and Papua New Guinea. The Burnet’s work in PNG is guided by the Burnet PNG 2030 Strategy which has equity at its centre as it aims to “Reach for the many”. The Strategy has four key pillars – Health Impacts, Organisational Capacity, Our People, and Our Partners. For more than a decade, Burnet has addressed some of PNG’s critical health problems by implementing community-based programs using international development and public health principles. We have also undertaken social and clinical research, supporting the development of an improved evidence base to inform policy development. Partnering with both government and nongovernment health agencies and regional research networks, we have focused programming on major health issues including maternal, child and adolescent health; sexual and reproductive health; immunisation; vector-borne diseases such as malaria; and major public health threats such as HIV and tuberculosis.
Company Website: https://www.burnet.edu.au
Source: www.pngworkforce.com