The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences is seeking a motivated and talented Policy and Communications Officer to join our small, dynamic team. The Policy and Communications Officer supports policy projects and helps promote the Academy’s activities, through which we advance research and innovation in Australia to improve everyone’s health. They play a key role in developing policy projects and outputs, and in supporting the Academy’s communication, marketing and media engagement efforts to enhance visibility, engagement, and stakeholder relationships.

Summary: 

• Job type: 0.8-1.0 FTE; permanent contract
• Location: AAHMS office in Brisbane, Sydney or Canberra (with hybrid working)
• Reports to: Director of Policy & Communications and Deputy CEO

About the role

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences is the impartial, authoritative, cross-sector voice of health and medical science in Australia. Our purpose is to advance health and medical research in Australia to improve everyone’s health. We do this by fostering leadership within our sector, providing expert advice to decision makers, and engaging patients and the public. At the heart of our work are our Fellows – an independent, interdisciplinary body of Australia’s leading researchers, elected by their peers for outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions to health and medical science in Australia. The Academy is a registered charity.

Reporting to Director of Policy & Communications and Deputy CEO, the Policy and Communications Officer will support and coordinate aspects of the Academy’s high impact policy projects and communications outputs in relation to key health and medical research issues. The Policy and Communications Officer will contribute to all phases of policy work, from conception and scoping; through to delivery, research and drafting; and onto dissemination and follow-up. Projects include consultation responses, roundtable meetings, workshops/symposia and longer-term projects led by expert working groups. They will also help draft and develop content across platforms such as social media, websites and newsletters; and will support preparation of media releases and associated materials. They will have the opportunity to draft and design creative content such as social media graphics and policy outputs.

The successful candidate will possess excellent interpersonal skills, exceptional organisation skills and a demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities to meet short- and long-term deadlines. They will have knowledge of the Australian health, research and innovation landscape, and will be familiar with issues currently facing the sector. They will have meticulous attention to detail and be a team player, who relishes the opportunity to make a positive contribution across different aspects of the Academy’s work. The postholder must be comfortable working closely with senior academics and health professionals and will be able to maintain professional relationships with external stakeholders, collaborators and sponsors.  

The successful candidate will ideally have gained experience from a previous policy, communication or media role and will have an understanding of how such a role might work in a health, scientific or higher education environment.

There is a genuine opportunity for growth in this role – the right candidate will be given opportunities to take on responsibility for particular projects if they have the capability and capacity to do so.

We have offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra, meaning the successful candidate could work in one of these locations. We are happy to consider this role on a either a 0.8 or 1.0 FTE basis.

Key duties/responsibilities

• Coordinate and draft evidence-based policy outputs, including policy reports, meeting reports (e.g. from roundtables/workshops), consultation responses, correspondence, and policy briefs for meetings with key stakeholders, including Government Ministers.
• Undertake research to identify the key issues and gather relevant evidence in relation to policy projects, using this to produce high quality analysis.
• Undertake scoping work on potential future projects, including liaising with Fellows and other experts, and undertaking desk-based research.
• Coordinate aspects of the Academy’s policy projects, such as expert working groups, roundtable meetings, workshops/symposia and consultation responses.
• Work with communication and other colleagues to promote the Academy’s programs, activities and outputs to relevant audiences.
• Work with the Director of Policy & Communication and Deputy CEO to develop and deliver communication and marketing outputs for our activities, including writing copy.
• Prepare and coordinate media campaigns, including project and report launches.
• Draft outputs such as media releases, speeches, newsletters and web and social media content – including graphics (templates and training provided).

How to apply

Click the "Apply Now" button. Applicants must provide the following:

• Up to date CV with contact details of at least two referees.
• A cover letter of not more than three pages including a statement to explain how the candidate meets the key eligibility criteria.

For further information on this post, how to apply and a more detailed position description, including the key eligibility criteria, please click Apply Now.

For further information on this role, please contact Khaled Chakli, Director of Policy & Communications and Deputy CEO at the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences: [email protected] using the subject line: Policy and Communications Officer - Sydney / Brisbane / Canberra enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.