Overview

We are hiring an Economic Media Centre (EMC) Director to lead the EMC within Australian Progress.

Key details:

• Permanent role, ideally starting in late October 2023
• $110,000 - $125,000 plus 11% superannuation
• Full time (1.0 FTE), option to negotiate 0.8 FTE or 0.9 FTE
• Ideally based in Melbourne, Brisbane, or Sydney (working from home/remote possible)

This role will work closely with the Executive Director on one of Australian Progress’ most important projects, the Economic Media Centre. The EMC Director is an organisational leader and experienced media strategist with the ability to shape, lead, and grow the Media Centre.

We are looking for a self-motivated communications expert to provide strategic oversight and day-to-day leadership of the Economic Media Centre, and management of 2-4 staff members and/or contractors. The EMC Director is one of a team of leaders at Australian Progress, and is responsible for the successful leadership, management, and growth of the Economic Media Centre.

Australian Progress plays a unique role in building the capacity of social change organisations and movements to advocate and win.

About Australian Progress

Australian Progress is building a civil society where organisations and movements are capable, connected, innovative, and centring lived expertise to advocate and win systemic change. We draw on global best practice to:

• Transform the skills of community leaders - equipping them with cutting-edge leadership and advocacy skills.
• Foster community and connections - building relationships, sharing knowledge, and inspiring courage in those we bring together.
• Drive shared action - catalysing new ideas, funding, research, and strategic support.

In 2023 our major projects include:

• Economic Media Centre - providing critical media skills and support to 250+ diverse spokespeople and small organisations, to shift economic narratives. In 2023 our key areas of focus will be migrant rights, disability justice, housing and First Nations justice.
• Passing the Message Stick - a groundbreaking message research project on First Nations justice and self-determination, run in partnership with Getup, Dhadjowa Foundation, and Dr Jackie Huggins AM.
• Common Threads - summit for 200-300 First Nations campaigners, organisers and advocates to gain campaign skills and connections, hosted with the above partners.
• Progress Labs - an incubator for new, people-powered advocacy organisations. Graduates of the program include Democracy in Colour, Australian Democracy Network, Fair Agenda, and Parents for Climate Action.
• Progress Fellowship - our flagship five-month leadership training program for campaigners and organisers, with more than 900 graduates.
• Training programs for 300+ advocates in media, corporate campaigning, digital organising, management, and community organising.

Our values are:

• Equity and justice - We actively centre voices of impacted communities and explicitly oppose racism, sexism, ableism, classism, and queerphobia. We commit to holding ourselves accountable, welcoming feedback and learning and changing our approach when we get things wrong.
• Courage - We’re courageous and ambitious. We boldly pursue our vision for systemic change and celebrate wins along the way. We embrace challenging conversations and perspectives and actively speak out against structural injustice – encouraging others to do the same.
• Generosity - We generously share our time, knowledge and resources, and value the time and dignity of those working alongside us to realise our shared vision. We treat others with respect and compassion, and work actively to improve the safety and inclusivity of learning and collaboration spaces we convene.
• Collective power - We value diverse roles in our movement, respect different theories of change and believe deeply that together, we’re more than the sum of our parts. We nurture connections and collaboration, to build intersectional, people-powered movements and campaigns.

About the Economic Media Centre

The EMC has been operating as a project of Australian Progress for 3 years. The EMC has been hugely successful delivering against its core strategy and exceeding key performance indicators, including:

• 780 advocates trained: issue-specific media training for advocates working on migration, housing, and disability justice, the Raise the Rate campaign, First Nations advocates, and families of First Nations people who died in custody.
• 190 spokespeople are involved in EMC Spokesperson Networks: receiving one-to-one media mentoring, peer collaboration opportunities, and access to regular briefings to share media intelligence.
• Advocates supported to pitch 12,000 media stories across major newspapers, national radio and television programs like Q&A, The Drum, and The Project.
• 430+ small organisations supported to get their stories in the news, develop proactive media campaigns, and fast-turnaround media support at key moments.
• 27 policies on key issues have shifted as a result of media interventions by spokespeople on social security, gender equity, and racial justice at key media moments.

The EMC has an ambitious strategy over the coming 3 years. Your role within Australian Progress is to lead the strategic growth of the EMC against three major goals:

• Build sector capacity - increase the media capacity of community spokespeople and organisations, across all economic issue areas.
• Influence economic policy - generate media debate that helps secure more inclusive economic policies.
• Generate narrative shifts - place media stories that generate public support and appetite for systemic policy change.

About the role and responsibilities

We’re looking for someone who will work closely with and enable the Australian Progress Executive Director to deliver the EMC’s strategy in alignment with our vision, values, and mission.

Key responsibilities:

1. Set strategy
   1. Design and execute against project strategy in collaboration with the Australian Progress leadership team, the EMC Advisory Committee, and our major partner ACOSS.
2. EMC program
   1. Design and facilitate high-level media trainings for a diverse range of participants.
   2. Lead the EMC’s media campaigns. Develop, plan, and implement media campaigns on issues related to economic inequality.
3. Media relations leadership
   1. Quickly produce accurate, newsworthy media strategies, messages, angles and releases.
   2. Work within tight timelines to proactively provide advice to spokespeople, meet media deadlines, and place news stories. Pitch stories to deliver on EMC spokespeople’s goals, and our narrative shift campaigns.
   3. Maintain expert knowledge of Australia’s media landscape and advise spokespeople on media relations.
4. Manage projects
   1. Lead the development of new projects and services.
   2. Develop and manage projects including setting goals, plans, and budgets.
5. Manage staff
   1. Hire, develop, and manage people. Drive employee engagement and work closely with staff to ensure they have everything they need to succeed.
   2. Clarify team roles, oversee work plans, evaluate employee performance, coach, and mentor staff.
6. Build partnerships
   1. Proactively develop and maintain trusted and effective working relationships with media professionals such as journalists, spokespeople, philanthropists, civil society leaders, the EMC team, and Australian Progress team.
   2. Represent Australian Progress at events.

About you

Our ideal applicant will bring experience in media relations or campaigning, advocacy, project management, staff management, stakeholder relations, and have excellent interpersonal skills.

We strive to apply a justice lens to all our work and strongly encourage First Nations people, people of colour, people with disability, refugees and asylum seekers, people from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ people to apply.

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t have all of the relevant skills and experience.

Key selection criteria:

• Media industry experience or media campaigning experience – understanding of the Australian media landscape, political landscape, newsroom processes, and role of the media in setting public agendas. Experience in pitching media stories.
• High level project management skills – ability to manage complex projects, drive results, and implement evaluation systems.
• Strategic – experience developing and implementing media strategies, interest or experience in campaign strategy.
• Relationship skills – able to build rapport easily with people, and experience in managing or coaching people.
• Values alignment – interest in social change and a commitment to justice.

Desired attributes:

• Leadership – is able to make quick, decisive decisions and demonstrates strong experience in leading media and communications teams. Experience with people management, mentoring, and developing staff.
• Teaching or training experience – with a proven ability to create a supportive and collaborative learning environment.
• Communication – confident communicator and an experienced writer.
• Campaigning – understanding of advocacy and social movements.

Remuneration

The salary offered for this role is $110,000 - $125,000 plus 11% superannuation (at 1.0 FTE).

Additional information

• The role will be offered on a permanent basis, with a standard six-month probation period.
• Australian Progress team members are based predominantly in Melbourne and NSW. Whilst we would prefer someone based in Melbourne, we will consider applications from candidates around Australia, and are open to hiring someone interested in a long term remote work arrangement.
• Interstate travel will be required for major events and planning days.
• After hours, on-call, and some weekend work may be required. Time off in lieu can be taken as per Australian Progress’ Time in Lieu policy.
• We are actively looking for applicants from a diverse range of genders, cultures, language groups, abilities, and experiences. We strongly encourage applications from people who have lived expertise of systemic injustice, including First Nations people, people of colour, people seeking asylum or refugees, people with disability, people experiencing economic injustice, and LGBTQIA+ people.
• We have a number of flexible work arrangements that make working for us more accessible including ability to work from home, flexible working hours, and a willingness to discuss other needs as required.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a CV (of no more than three pages, including two referees) and cover letter (of no more than two pages) in response to the following questions:

1. What experience do you bring working in or with the Australian media?
2. What are the top 3 qualities you will bring to the role, reflecting on the key selection criteria (and the desired attributes where applicable)?
3. Reflecting on our value of equity and justice, why is this important to you and what experience do you have embedding this value in your work?
4. Why are you interested in the role?

Please click Apply Now to submit your application.

We will be conducting interviews on a rolling basis before the final closing date, so please apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close recruitment if the role is successfully filled before the closing date.

For further information, or a confidential conversation about the role, please contact the EMC Founding Director, Jessica Kendall, on [email protected] using the subject line: Economic Media Centre Director - Flexible Location enquiry via EthicalJobs.