The National Consumer Partnerships Manager will work with the National Mental Health Consumer Alliance team in this fast-moving sector influencing progressive outcomes for mental health consumers nationwide. Using your well-established stakeholder relationship skills, this role will require you to build strong relationships with a range of national key stakeholders, enabling you to connect consumers across the country and ensure consumer voice is heard, understood and included in the Alliance’s work.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the National Policy and Research Manager, the National Consumer Partnerships Manager will:

• Work with the National Communications Manager to amplify the work of our member organisations, across social media, website (including a national resources library), webinars, and traditional media.

• Work with mental health consumers and the National Policy and Research Manager so that multiple consumer views are expressed in the Alliance’s national policy positions.

• Represent the Alliance on various committees, reference groups and working parties.

• Manage and collaborate with State and Territory policy officers, mental health consumers, and Multicultural subject-matter experts, First Nations colleagues, and Mental Health Family Carers.

• Lend a helping hand on projects and events throughout the year in addition to regular duties.

This is initially a 12-month contract role. You may be based anywhere in Australia. Our team meets face-to-face around 3 times a year. We are interested in speaking with candidates who can work 4 or 5 days a week (0.8 FTE or 1.0 FTE).

ESSENTIAL SELECTION CRITERIA

Lived Experience

• It is a genuine occupational qualification of this position to have a consumer lived experience of mental health/social and emotional wellbeing issues and recovery, with firsthand experience navigating the mental health system.

• To be effective in this role, prior involvement in the mental health consumer movement is necessary, as is an understanding of the history of the movement, key people and organisations, and interorganisational politics.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in a related discipline (community development, social science, public health, public policy, peer work, etc.) and/or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.

Leadership, Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement

• Previous experience working in a designated lived experience/peer role with a demonstrated understanding of the consumer movement.

• High level understanding of the mental health sector.

• Experience bringing organisations together to work on key projects.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective stakeholder relationships including working with consumer representatives.

• Demonstrated supervision, coordination and leadership skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated ability to develop and contribute to high-quality written materials such as submissions, position papers, briefing notes, reports and correspondence.

• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills in order to develop strategies, ideas and opportunities for resolving issues.

Administration

• High level planning and organisational skills, especially in relation to meeting deadlines and managing competing priorities.

• An ability to travel interstate on short notice if required.

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

The National Mental Health Consumer Alliance (the Alliance) is a dynamic, interactive national Peak body that leads the way in systemic advocacy informed by the diversity of consumer experience and consumer perspectives.

A position description is attached.