Organisation Overview

Retina Australia is the national peak body supporting Australians affected by inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The organisation funds research, provides information and support to the community and advocates to improve diagnosis, treatment pathways and outcomes for people living with IRDs.

Vision: A world without inherited blindness

Mission: To support people affected by inherited retinal diseases

We aim to do this by advancing medical research into the detection, prevention, and discovery of treatments and cures into inherited retinal diseases, and to improve outcomes for those affected by these conditions through information, education, advocacy and support.

Values

Patient-Centred: Everything we do is focused on making a positive impact on the lives of people affected by inherited retinal diseases

Excellence: We strive to deliver the best outcomes through scientific quality, the highest of standards, positivity, learning and responsiveness

Integrity: We act with honesty, transparency, accountability, and reliability

Respect: We welcome and treat all people with dignity, understanding and courtesy

Collaboration: We partner to maximise results for people affected by inherited retinal diseases

Position Purpose

The Director, Communications, Advocacy & Fundraising provides strategic leadership across Retina Australia’s communications, advocacy, stakeholder engagement and fundraising activities to strengthen organisational sustainability, national awareness and sector influence.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Board, the role leads the development and implementation of integrated communications and advocacy strategies that elevate Retina Australia’s profile as the national peak body for inherited retinal diseases and strengthen engagement across the health, research, government, philanthropic and community sectors.

The role is responsible for shaping organisational messaging, advancing advocacy priorities, strengthening supporter and stakeholder engagement, and contributing to fundraising growth through strategic communications, donor engagement and partnership development.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the position provides an opportunity for an experienced communications or advocacy professional to contribute strategically within a purpose-driven national organisation during a period of growth and increasing sector engagement.

Objectives of the Position

The Director, Communications, Advocacy & Fundraising will:

• Lead the development and delivery of Retina Australia’s communications, advocacy and stakeholder engagement strategies aligned with organisational priorities.
• Strengthen Retina Australia’s national profile and position the organisation as a credible and influential voice across inherited retinal disease, health, research and policy discussions.
• Increase awareness and understanding of inherited retinal diseases nationally through accessible, evidence-informed and community-focused communications.
• Lead the development and implementation of integrated awareness and advocacy campaigns that strengthen engagement with government, clinicians, researchers, industry and the broader community.
• Support organisational sustainability through strategic fundraising communications, donor engagement and partnership development initiatives.
• Strengthen supporter, member and stakeholder engagement through meaningful storytelling, lived experience integration and community-centred communication approaches.
• Protect and strengthen Retina Australia’s reputation, brand and organisational credibility across all communications and external engagement activities.
• Identify opportunities to expand organisational reach, partnerships, awareness and community impact.

Role Responsibilities

1. Strategic Communications Leadership

Objective: Lead integrated communications activities that strengthen awareness, engagement and organisational influence.

• Develop and implement Retina Australia’s Communications Plan aligned with strategic priorities.
• Lead organisational communications across digital, print, media and stakeholder channels.
• Manage and continuously improve the organisation’s website, ensuring accessibility compliance, current content and strong user experience.
• Translate complex clinical, research and policy information into accessible community-focused communications.
• Develop high-quality written content including newsletters, reports, submissions, media materials, campaign content and stakeholder communications.
• Oversee social media strategy and digital engagement to strengthen national reach and visibility.
• Monitor communications performance and analytics to inform continuous improvement

2. Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement

Objective: Position Retina Australia as a trusted national voice for inherited retinal diseases.

• Support the development and delivery of advocacy initiatives aligned with organisational priorities.
• Develop advocacy messaging and briefing materials to support external engagement.
• Build and maintain relationships across government, research, clinical, industry and community sectors.
• Coordinate awareness campaigns aligned to national and international health and advocacy priorities.
• Support the CEO in stakeholder engagement, sector representation and strategic partnership development.
• Contribute to submissions, policy engagement and sector consultation processes where appropriate.
• Identify opportunities to elevate lived experience and patient voice across advocacy activities.

3. Community and Member Engagement

Objective: Build an informed, connected and engaged national IRD community.

• Lead member and supporter communications and engagement activities.
• Develop supporter journeys and engagement strategies that strengthen participation and retention.
• Coordinate webinars, education sessions and community engagement initiatives.
• Integrate lived experience storytelling across campaigns, communications and advocacy activities through community engagement.
• Design and analyse surveys and feedback mechanisms to inform organisational priorities and community understanding.
• Support accessible communication approaches for people living with low vision or blindness.

4. Fundraising and Supporter Engagement

Objective: Support organisational sustainability through strategic fundraising communications and donor engagement.

• Lead communications for fundraising appeals, campaigns and donor engagement activities.
• Support the development of fundraising initiatives across community, corporate, philanthropic and individual giving channels.
• Develop donor communications and stewardship materials that strengthen supporter relationships.
• Align awareness campaigns with fundraising objectives where appropriate.
• Support partnership and sponsorship engagement opportunities through strategic communications and relationship management.
• Use CRM insights and engagement data to support fundraising growth and retention activities.

5. Brand and Reputation Management

Objective: Maintain a strong, consistent, and credible organisational brand.

• Manage Retina Australia’s brand and style guidelines across all communications and materials.
• Ensure consistency of organisational messaging, tone of voice and visual identity.
• Act as a central review point for branded materials and public-facing communications.
• Protect and strengthen Retina Australia’s reputation through high-quality stakeholder engagement and communications practices.

6. Governance, Reporting and Continuous Improvement

Objective: Support organisational effectiveness, reporting and strategic improvement.

• Provide regular reports and insights to the CEO and Board on communications, engagement and campaign performance.
• Monitor trends, opportunities and emerging issues relevant to inherited retinal diseases and the broader eye health landscape.
• Identify opportunities to improve systems, processes and organisational engagement.
• Maintain effective CRM and communications systems to support engagement and reporting activities.
• Ensure activities align with organisational policies, compliance requirements and strategic priorities.

Key Performance Indicators

KPIs will be reviewed and agreed with the Chief Executive Officer and may evolve over time in line with organisational priorities and strategic objectives.

Performance measures will include a combination of qualitative and quantitative indicators across communications, advocacy, stakeholder engagement and fundraising, including:

• Growth in national awareness, digital engagement and audience reach across Retina Australia communication channels.
• Delivery of high-quality strategic communications, advocacy and awareness initiatives aligned with organisational priorities and annual operational objectives.
• Strengthened stakeholder engagement and organisational profile across government, research, clinical, industry and community sectors.
• Increased member, supporter and community engagement through meaningful and accessible communication activities.
• Contribution to fundraising and organisational sustainability through donor engagement, campaign communications and partnership support.
• Maintenance of a strong, credible and accessible organisational brand across all communications and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Effective identification of opportunities to strengthen organisational influence, partnerships and community impact.

Key Relationships

• Chief Executive Officer
• Board of Directors
• Members and community stakeholders
• Clinicians, researchers and sector partners
• Government and policy stakeholders
• Donors, philanthropic and funding partners
• Corporate and industry stakeholders

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated experience in communications, advocacy, stakeholder engagement or related leadership roles.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex information into accessible and engaging content.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic communications or advocacy initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience managing digital communications platforms including websites, social media, CRM and email marketing systems.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and work autonomously.
• Demonstrated alignment with Retina Australia’s mission and values.

Desirable:

• Experience within health, disability, medical research or not-for-profit sectors.
• Experience supporting fundraising, donor engagement or partnership development initiatives.
• Understanding of advocacy, policy engagement or peak body environments.
• Knowledge of accessibility and inclusive communication practices.

General

The duties outlined in this Position Description are indicative and may evolve over time in line with organisational priorities. Any significant changes will be discussed with the employee.

next steps

To submit your application, please click 'Apply Now' by 11:59PM AEDT on the closing date.

We encourage early applications, as submissions may be reviewed and interviews conducted on a rolling basis.

For any questions regarding the role, please contact [email protected] using the subject line: Director - Communications, Advocacy & Fundraising enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in Australia. The successful candidate will be subject to reference and background checks prior to appointment, including a National Police Check.

A position description is attached.