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Senior Economist

Australian Council of Trade Unions
  • Permanent role working with the peak body for the Australian union movement, defending and advancing workers’ rights.
  • Support work to win progressive economic policy for working people.
  • The ACTU is an organisation that respects cultural and social diversity within the workforce and the community. Women, ASTI and people of colour are especially encouraged to apply.

Our Organisation

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is the peak union body representing over 1.5 million workers and their families.

Since its creation in 1927, the ACTU has spearheaded some of the most fundamental workplace struggles in Australia’s history.

The ACTU’s role as a peak body is to be a national voice for our movement and defending and advancing workers’ rights by co-ordinating union campaigns, representing workers at a range of government and non-government forums and to provide industrial, policy and other support to our affiliates.

The Role

The position will support the ACTU and its affiliated unions to win progressive economic policy for working people. The successful candidate will provide timely and accurate analysis of key labour market trends, especially on employment and wages, input into major pieces of ACTU work including the Federal Budget and National Minimum Wage case, as well as high quality economic policy outputs to influence Parliament, Government, other institutions, and public debate more generally.

This role will also be responsible for key areas of economic policy including trade and industry policy, and be required, as needed, to contribute to other areas of social and economic policy.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide timely and accurate quantitative and qualitative analysis of key labour market trends in clear and accessible language to the ACTU.
  • Contribute to ACTU work on the Annual Wage Review at the Fair Work Commission and lead the ACTU’s input and analysis of the Federal Budget.
  • Lead on the ACTU’s work on trade and other priority areas of economic policy to advance and win ACTU Congress policy.
  • Collaborate, support, and coordinate on economic policy with affiliated unions and trades and labour councils.
  • Prepare reports, submissions, and briefs to assist the ACTU with advocacy with government, other institutions and in public debate more broadly.
  • Represent the ACTU when required on external bodies and liaise with governments, employers, and employer organisations.
  • Build collaborative with external organisations to help advance ACTU policy priorities.

Key Selection Criteria

  • Tertiary qualifications in a relevant field (Economics, public policy, industrial relations or similar discipline).
  • Very good quantitative skills, including ability to access statistical data, analyse (including by using statistical tools) and report in a variety of graphical and text formats.
  • Strong knowledge and experience working in labour economics, or a closely related economic discipline.
  • Excellent skills identifying and proactively solving problems and exercising discretion in a complex policy and political environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to deliver excellent results working to deadlines, under minimal supervision and managing multiple tasks and stakeholders.
  • Excellent communication skills including written and oral communication for a wide range of audiences and formats.

This role is based in Melbourne.

Benefits

The ACTU will offer the successful candidate a salary in the range of $125,000 to $140,000 depending on skills and experience, along with an additional 15% superannuation, annual leave loading, working from home opportunities and generous leave arrangements.

How to apply

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