Associate Director – Communications & Engagement

• Full time, permanent role
• Salary: $150,000 + superannuation
• Sydney based role – Hybrid, flexible working arrangements 
• Attractive paid leave provisions and professional development support offered
• Applications closing: Monday, 17 March, 11:59 am AEDT

Agency overview

Infrastructure Australia (IA) is an independent statutory body within the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio. 

Our mandate establishes us as the Australian Government’s independent advisor on nationally significant infrastructure investment planning and project prioritisation. We are a high performing organisation with an engaged, collaborative and flexible culture, and we are held in high regard by our peers and stakeholders. 

Our core values are fundamental to the way we work and are embedded across our products and processes.

Primary purpose of the role 

The Associate Director – Communications and Engagement plays a key role in leading Infrastructure Australia’s proactive and effective engagement with its diverse suite of stakeholders including media, all levels of government, industry and the community. 

Working closely with the Director – Communications and Engagement, the role is responsible for providing strategic advice and support across various aspects of Infrastructure Australia’s engagement, including policy and research, project advisory and evaluation and corporate communications. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Develop strong working relationships across a range of stakeholders both internally and externally to enhance IA’s reputation.
• Support Infrastructure Australia’s stakeholder engagement with the Australian Government, states and territories, local government, industry and community.
• Support Infrastructure Australia’s responsibilities to Parliament including accurate and timely preparation of materials relating to Senate Estimates, correspondence with the Minister’s Office, Question Time briefs, Notices of Motion and appearances at Senate Inquiries and Senate Select Committees.
• Research and develop proactive story pitches to achieve Infrastructure Australia's media objectives..
• Development, execution and evaluation of communication and media campaigns for public launches, including the development of key messages and products, and managing emerging media and communications issues, including dealing tactically with day-to-day issues and media inquiries as well as effectively identifying and managing risks.
• Provide briefings and advice to the CEO and executive about media issues, strategies and media engagements.
• Develop a variety of compelling communications and stakeholder engagement content to inform and support effective engagement with the media and stakeholders (e.g. speeches, web content, policy documents, fact sheets, op-eds, newsletters, press releases, presentations, briefing documents and reports).
• Actively contribute to a positive, collaborative, innovative, and culturally safe workplace culture that supports strong connections across the organisation and lives up to Infrastructure Australia’s values and mandate.

Essential Requirements:

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline and/or significant experience in senior media, Public Relations or Communications and Engagement roles.
• Strong media-savvy, political acumen and demonstrated experience successfully engaging political and senior government stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, engage and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders across a range of industries with diverse and potentially competing interests.
• Excellent communication skills including advanced writing and editing abilities and an ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders using a range of channels and media.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across functions to achieve shared goals and to translate organizational goals into stakeholder engagement strategies and communications plans.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute effective communication and engagement strategies.

Benefits of working at Infrastructure Australia:

• We are committed to supporting employee health and wellbeing and offer a range of initiatives including genuine hybrid and flexible working arrangements to help you balance your professional and personal life.
• Attractive leave provisions including 20 days paid annual leave, 15 days of paid Personal Leave, 18 weeks of Parental Leave for parents at full pay or 36 weeks at half pay (for eligible employees) and up to 3 additional days of paid leave when our offices close over the Christmas period. 
• Professional Development support offered through extensive in-house training and external training/education support. 
• We have a positive, collaborative, respectful, innovative and inclusive culture evidenced by staff surveys which show that our employees feel empowered, autonomous and proud to work here.
• At IA we foster a safe an inclusive workplace where every individual can participate, learn and develop and be their authentic self, regardless of age, cultural background, First Nations status, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marital or family status, religious belief or sexual orientation.
• IA is currently in the second phase, “Innovate” of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), in this stage we are implementing systemic change in our organisation to support the mission of reconciliation for First Nations people. We are passionate about change and making progress towards better outcomes for First Nations people.

This role requires the successful candidate to be an Australian citizen and be able to obtain and hold an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) - Baseline security clearance. The cost associated with this is covered by Infrastructure Australia. More information can be found at: http://www.defence.gov.au/agsva/getting-a-clearance.asp   

How to apply

• Review the role description – PD: Associate Director – Communications and Engagement
• Upload ONE document (Covering letter + Resume) via LinkedIn Job Post
• Closing Date: Monday, 17 March, 11:59 am AEDT
• For any questions regarding the recruitment please reach out to Jacob Young at careers@infrastructureaustralia.gov.au

We welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTQI+, people with disability, people with caring responsibilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

To find out more about our current and upcoming Job opportunities follow us on LinkedIn #InfrastructureAustralia