SA Unions is the United Trades and Labor Council of SA, representing the South Australian union movement and over 160,000 members across our state,

Since 1894, our history is rich. It has been our advocacy and dogged campaigning for almost a century and a half that has been responsible for the huge leaps forward in the living conditions of workers in this state.

SA Union’s mission is to:

• Maximise the union movement’s effect in political, social, economic and industrial issues.
• Defend and extend the rights of working people,
• Increase the standing of trade unions; and,
• Provide leadership and co-ordination on issues of broad concern to unions and the community.

The Opportunity

The Australian Union Movement has been instrumental in the union and civil society push for Australia to adopt ambitious green industry policies.

In 2024-2025 the federal government passed a ~$30B suite of landmark green industry policies under the umbrella of a Future Made in Australia. FMIA provides a range of tax incentives, grants, and other supports to industries including green metals, green hydrogen, processed critical minerals, low carbon liquid fuels, and renewable componentry manufacturing.

The union movement’s priorities now focus on delivering a Future Made in Australia on the ground, in a way that sees real union jobs created in major green projects as soon as possible.

In this context, the recent government intervention, administration and forthcoming sale of the Whyalla Steelworks presents a significant opportunity to set up Whyalla, and the Upper Spencer Gulf region on a path to a prosperous, sustainable green export future.

Role description

SA Unions is recruiting a new campaigner to drive union advocacy in favour of green export industry and foundational economy development in the Upper Spencer Gulf. This will have a key focus on advocating for a future of the Whyalla Steelworks as a large producer of green iron and green steel.

The campaigner would work with state union branches and allied community members in Whyalla. Whilst the position is based out of the SA Unions office in the Adelaide CBD, regular regional travel will be required.

They will organise, mobilise and advocate for credible plans to transition the facility to green iron and steel making, for a retained public ownership stake to support this, and for investment in the green industrial technology necessary to secure the future of the steelworks for decades.

To achieve this, the campaign organiser will:

• Work with the SA Unions Secretary, and the ACTU’s Green Industry Project Officer to coordinate campaign, organising and mobilising efforts.
• Engage with multiple stakeholders across the South Australian union movement, community and civil society to facilitate active and strategic collaboration.
• Works with union members, workplace leaders and union officials to drive on-ground campaign activity.
• Develop engaging and informative campaign content that is both written and visual that will appeal to a wide range of audiences across a variety of communication channels.

Key Criteria

• Experience developing and implementing campaign plans designed to advance goals and priorities.
• Experience developing and implementing strategies, and using traditional and digital tools to inspire people to take part in activism.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to build and maintain strong relationships with all key industrial, political and community stakeholders.
• A high degree of initiative, creativity and self-drive, with proven ability to collaborate.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, and to manage work priorities in a high-pressure environment.
• Good political instincts, able to identify, anticipate, and solve problems and exercise discretion.
• Good understanding of unions, industrial relations and green industry policy .
• Demonstrated commitment to union values and integrity.
• Familiarity with union coverage and priorities in South Australia.
• Current working with children's check or ability to obtain one.
• Unrestricted drivers license and preparedness to drive regionally.

Salary and conditions

• FTE: Full Time, 12 month fixed term engagement
• Employment conditions subject to the SA Unions Enterprise Agreement
• Salary: UTLC 4.1, $96,434p.a. ($99,809p.a. from 1st July 2026)

Flexible working arrangements and attractive leave entitlements including 12 rostered days off per year, Christmas shutdown leave and 4 weeks annual leave.

Whilst the position is based in the Adelaide CBD, staff have access to remote working options, and regular regional travel will be required.

As a union movement with a proudly diverse membership, we are committed to equity and inclusion; and continuing to build a union movement that is truly representative of the workers we cover. We encourage applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people and women.