• Part-time, 30 hours per week, flexible location (Sydney or Melbourne preferred)

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), the independent national community voice on refugee issues, is seeking a permanent, part time, Media and Communications Officer.

RCOA is the peak body for organisations who work with and for refugees and people seeking asylum. RCOA conducts research, raises awareness and advocates on national and international issues affecting refugees and people seeking asylum.

The Media and Communications Officer will work with the Director of Strategy, Communications and Fundraising and play a key role in RCOA’s small but effective team, promoting awareness of refugee issues and positive policy alternatives to the public through the news media, bulletins, printed material and social media and assisting in writing and editing copy for awareness, advocacy and fundraising campaigns.

The successful applicant will be a motivated and effective communicator with outstanding writing and editing skills, an understanding of refugee issues, relevant qualifications and experience in media, public advocacy and/or marketing. The position is a permanent part-time position for 30 hours per week. The position must be worked over five days and work hours can be worked flexibly throughout the week.

As an organisation dedicated to enhancing the role of Australia’s refugee communities in the national discussion about refugee issues, RCOA strongly encourages applications from people with lived refugee experience and people with close personal and cultural connections to refugee communities.

Selection criteria are outlined in the attached position description.

The position is 30 hours a week, to be worked over five days. This position can be undertaken remotely from anywhere in Australia; however Sydney or Melbourne is preferred. The salary is SCHADS Level 4, and the overall value of the package is increased by 10% superannuation and access to salary packaging options extended to staff of public benevolent institutions.

VISION AND PURPOSE OF REFUGEE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Vision For the voices of refugees to be heard, the rights of refugees to be respected, the humanity of refugees valued, and the contribution and leadership of refugees celebrated.

Purpose To advocate for the development of humane, lawful and constructive policies towards refugees and people seeking asylum by Australian and other governments and their communities.

Guiding Principles

These Refugee Council of Australia’s formal positions on matters of public policy are based on the following principles:

1. Justice and the rule of law: Maintaining a rigorous commitment to justice and the rule of law, in line with the principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Refugee Convention, the Conventions on Statelessness and other core international human rights treaties.
2. Lived experience: Giving priority to the views, concerns and ideas of refugees and people seeking asylum, privileging their views over the views of people with greater power and influence, emphasising their right to be represented when decisions are being made about their future.
3. Respecting diversity: Respecting the diversity within all populations of forcibly displaced people, ensuring that specific attention is given to the needs, concerns and perspectives of people who are even more marginalised because of their race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, identity, faith, or sexuality.
4. Inclusion and respect: Promoting a vision of Australia based on inclusion and respect, advocating against policies which exclude or stigmatise, undermine human dignity or punish people for political purposes.
5. Shared responsibility: Advocating for appropriate sharing of responsibility between nations for people requiring protection, paying particular attention to Australia’s current and potential role.
6. Non-partisan and collective perspectives: Developing non-partisan positions based on broad consultation and evidence-based research. providing leadership by authentically representing a collective view of RCOA’s members and refugee communities in Australia on matters relevant to the organisation’s mandate.

(RCOA Strategic Plan 2022–2024).

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Strategy, Communications and Fundraising, the Media and Communications Officer is responsible for the following:

Public information

• Coordinate the development and implementation of RCOA’s media and communications strategy which aligns with the organisation’s strategic objectives.
• Coordinate the preparation of external communications including bulletins, campaign updates and reports to members, supporters and other contacts.
• Manage RCOA’s relationship with the media, draft and distribute media releases, seek opportunities for appropriate media coverage of issues of concern to RCOA, maintain media databases, coordinate requests for information from the media, cultivate media contacts and, where necessary, speak on behalf of the organisation.
• Manage appropriate relationships across the RCOA membership, lead and participate in sector-wide collaboration on media and campaigns.
• Assist in planning and delivery of public facing initiatives including the quarterly Refugee Alternatives seminars.
• Lead the planning, delivery and evaluation of communications aspects of Refugee Week activities.
• Other duties as determined by the Director Strategy, Communications and Fundraising, Deputy CEO and CEO.

Advocacy

• Assist in the design, delivery and evaluation of public campaign activities, with a focus on copy writing and media.
• Participate and lead sector collaboration in media for maximum impact.

Fundraising

• Assist in copy writing and editing for fundraising campaigns and internal reports and newsletters for donors.
• Manage all copy writing and editing of reports, bulletins, etc for donors and other supporters.

Selection Criteria

Essential

To be successful in this role, you must meet the following selection criteria:

1. Outstanding copy writing and editing skills.
2. Experience in preparing media releases, articles for publication and reports.
3. Experience in media liaison.
4. Strong organisational skills, ability to take initiative, prioritise and meet deadlines and high level of computer literacy.
5. Knowledge of refugee and asylum seeker issues.
6. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the capacity to communicate respectfully with different cultural groups and to work in a team.
7. Relevant tertiary qualifications and/or experience.

Desirable

Please outline relevant experience you may have in any of the following:

1. A deep understanding of refugee issues from personal experience and/or from close personal and cultural connections to refugee communities.
2. Knowledge of, and networks with, the Australian media.
3. Ability to use social media and navigate the back end of a website.
4. Experience in planning public events.
5. Experience in effective advocacy and/or marketing campaigns.
6. Experience in writing for fundraising campaigns
7. Experience using CRM database.
8. Experience supervising and working with volunteers.

A position description is attached.