UNICEF is the world’s largest children’s charity working to protect children experiencing vulnerability, globally and here in Australia. Run entirely on voluntary donations, we work to improve the lives of every child experiencing vulnerability, no matter who they are or where they live. Every day our teams are on the ground in 190 countries working with local partners to deliver lifesaving help and create lasting change. From vaccinating children in war zones to providing early childhood education access in Indigenous communities, donations help us to protect every child, no matter what.

We are offering a full time permanent position, working in a flexible environment, built around the diversity of our team and their needs. A competitive salary commensurate with the not for profit sector is offered together with a broad range of wellbeing benefits.

What we are looking for

UNICEF Australia (UA) is seeking an agile, connected and influential Advocacy and Policy Manager to join our Child Rights, Policy and Advocacy team. Reporting to the Head of Child Rights Policy & Advocacy and Child/Youth Voice, you would be responsible for managing child rights policy and advocacy initiatives to make real and lasting changes which improve the lives of children and young people in Australia.

Your day will include

• Collating, curating and integrating evidence from relevant research, young people, on-ground programs and networks, UNICEF’s leading experts and respected commentators to add credibility to the case for change
• Monitoring Parliamentary and Government processes to identify key inquiries and writing UA submissions
• Maintaining strong connections with government and non-government decision makers and key stakeholders so UA recommendations can be considered within the right forums and with change adoption targeting the right people/groups
• Writing policy briefs to inform UA’s public positioning on key advocacy priorities and child rights issues
• Ensuring advocacy campaigns are aligned to the policy priorities of the organisation to boost public advocacy for these and reinforce the demand for change
• Maintaining a ‘real-time’ vigilance of what is happening in the child rights landscape including all the above dimensions to ensure agility and responsiveness, particularly to emerging crises impacting child rights
• Responding accordingly to emerging child rights violations through differing communications strategies and platforms

We would like you to have the following skills and experience

• Appropriate tertiary qualification in Public Policy, Social Sciences and Research, Communications, Law and/or Human Rights or other relevant area of study, or equivalent working experience
• A minimum 5 years experience across areas such as social policy, government, community sector, youth sector, child rights and advocacy in either a policy or research capacity
• Proven experience in managing and consulting with both internal and external stakeholders, partners and other organisations with additional experience elevating the voices of children and young people through different platforms, desirable
• Strong working knowledge of child and youth policy areas and an understanding of how domestic policy and advocacy environments operate
• Experience working with children and/or young people experiencing vulnerability, whether in a research, policy or service delivery capacity, would be an advantage
• Ability to apply adaptable and creative thinking to manage complex, high-volume portfolios, involving multiple priorities
• Effective with articulating innovative ideas and solutions for problem solving including critical inputs that enable them to be implemented and deliver results
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) with all levels of internal and external stakeholders

What will it feel like to work at UNICEF Australia

• An environment and culture built on the importance of teamwork, collaboration and shared purpose
• Sector leading salary packaging and a competitive salary commensurate with the NFP sector
• A flexible work environment with balance between home and office work, which puts the wellbeing of our staff at the centre of our decision making
• A positive and values-driven work culture which celebrates our achievements and recognises our teams
• A wellbeing package which includes such things as access to meditation, yoga, EAP and Birthday leave
• Commitment to our child-first philosophy with generous paid parental leave and offering
• The opportunity to support a global impactful cause and make a difference for every child

How to Apply

To apply for this fantastic opportunity please select "Apply Now" and submit the following documents in PDF format:

• Your Cover Letter, outlining your experience and highlighting a summary of your strengths
• Your CV

For further information on this position, please be in touch with our People & Culture Team: [email protected] using the subject line: Advocacy and Policy Manager enquiry via EthicalJobs.

All applicants are required to be legally entitled to work in Australia. UNICEF Australia has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and exploitation and adheres to strict safeguarding principles. All successful candidates will be required to undergo rigorous background checks (including National Police Check and Working with Children Check) and sign and abide by our Code of Conduct on Child Safeguarding & Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.