Are you:

• an excellent communicator with experience in writing for government?
  
• passionate about – and have a strong understanding of – public policy?
  
• always looking for ways to innovate and improve?

The Role

The Analysis & Policy Observatory (APO) is seeking an Editor, Content & Newsletters who is passionate about improving public policy. This is a pivotal role for APO, responsible for sourcing and cataloguing the latest policy and research for the repository and using their editorial nous to deliver three newsletters a week to captivate a policymaker audience.

The successful person will actively manage a diverse array of sources, maintain relationships with organisations and contributors, and make daily editorial decisions that maintain and improve APO’s reputation. The Editor, Content & Newsletters has a critical role in attracting repository users, newsletter subscribers, as well as advertisers, sponsors, and project partners.

We are looking for someone who is rigorous and pays attention to detail, loves learning new skills and is passionate about making public policy and research accessible and useable. This role is ideal for a candidate looking to make an impact on improving public policy in Australia.

Please note that we will consider applicants in Melbourne or Canberra for this role.

About APO

APO is an open access evidence platform that makes public policy and research – published by organisations – accessible and useable. We provide a searchable repository of more than 42,000 resources as well as free weekly newsletters to 15,000 subscribers working in government, not-for-profits, research, as well as the general public.

In this role you will work closely with a small team who are passionate about making research and policy accessible to support evidence-based policy- and decision-making.

The Susan McKinnon Foundation

APO sits within the Susan McKinnon Foundation (SMF) – a Melbourne-based foundation dedicated to strengthening Australia’s democracy and enhancing public administration. Our goal is for Australian governments to be more effective, transparent and accountable. SMF supports practical programs that deliver tangible progress, and our work is motivated solely by the long-term public good. Our approach is non-partisan and undertaken in cooperation with all sides of politics.

Key responsibility areas

Through the following responsibilities, the Editor, Content & Newsletters will be contributing to APO’s goals of building our user and subscriber base and becoming an indispensable tool for government.

Content management & development:

• Source relevant publications and material while exploring and developing new content options.
• Create accurate and descriptive metadata including subject information, and clear summaries – according to guidelines.
• Maintain and update agreed classification systems and taxonomies.
• Edit existing records to reflect current style guide and editorial decisions.
• Explore and implement design, IA, and UX improvements working with other team members or consultants.

Newsletter & Customer service:

• Manage and deliver newsletter services to ensure relevance to subscribers, target audiences and stakeholders, namely:
  • Policy Weekly
  • Policy Pulse (twice a week)
  • My APO+ subject-based newsletters (seven per fortnight)
• Mint Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) when requested and in compliance with guidelines.
• Deliver the website and newsletter advertising service.
• Monitor APO inboxes and respond to requests in a personable and timely manner. Identify opportunities for business development and support the APO Director in responding to these.
• Manage and maintain relevant databases and other shared documents.
• Engage with stakeholders and the user community through various activities.

Team leadership & coordination:

• Lead and coordinate teamwork processes and meetings.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Effectively manage systems to optimise resource utilisation. Support continuous improvement and assist with the development of new products and services, supporting staff in delivery.

Selection criteria:

Qualifications

• Tertiary degree in information management, journalism, public policy or a related field; or a tertiary degree and proven experience in communications, marketing, media, journalism, public policy or other related areas. Essential

Professional experience

• Demonstrated experience in producing clear and concise written communications for a government audience. Essential
• Experience in content creation. Preferable
• Experience delivering email campaigns, preferably using Mailchimp. Preferable
• Experience with content and information management systems and databases such as Drupal CMS. Preferable

Skills & knowledge

• High-level communication skills: verbal and written with the ability to work across diverse interests and cultures. Essential
• Strong stakeholder relationship skills (internal and external) Preferable

Personal attributes

• Understands and strongly supports SMF's and APO's mission and goals. Essential
  
• Prefers working in fast-paced, entrepreneurial work environments. Essential
• Alignment to SMF’s organisational values: Essential
  • Excellence: We truly believe in being excellent at everything we do
  • Pride: We’re proud of our culture – where fresh ideas are encouraged and collaboration is key
  • Accountability: We are accountable and always operate with integrity
  • High Expectations: We have high expectations of the commitment and capability of each member of our team
  • Humble: We are humble – we have a strong desire to learn, to get feedback, and to improve
  • Take Chances: We take chances – but we do not bet the farm
  • Lean: We are lean, work efficiently, and always focus on outcomes.

How to apply

The Susan McKinnon Foundation is supportive of diversity in all its forms and strives to maintain an inclusive team environment. Please notify us if you require any adjustments to the recruitment process – we’ll do our best to find a solution.

Please note that we will consider applicants in Melbourne or Canberra for this role.

To submit your application, please submit your cover letter and resume via the form below.

Before you apply, please ensure that your application meets all of the above essential selection criteria.

For a confidential discussion about the role, contact APO Director Brigid van Wanrooy at [email protected] using the subject line: Editor, Content & Newsletters - Melbourne / Canberra enquiry via EthicalJobs.