Wellbeing Government Senior Policy Adviser

The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) is looking to hire a Senior Policy Adviser to contribute to our work on our Wellbeing Government Focus Area. In this role, you will help us improve the wellbeing of current and future generations in Australia.

CPD promotes policy approaches that meet the needs of people and communities, that are values-driven, holistic and preventative. Reporting to the Wellbeing Policy Director, you will work on projects that promote a wellbeing approach to government, where policy solutions are values-driven, holistic, preventative and developed with the people that are impacted by them.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an organisation dedicated to embedding wellbeing at the heart of Australian policymaking in a way that will lead to effective and systemic change. Our team enjoys frequent interaction with policymakers in government, media, civil society and the wider policy world. You'll be joining a close-knit team that delivers real impact at senior levels of policymaking.

We believe our people are our key asset and we are committed to recruiting and retaining talented and dedicated individuals. The successful candidate will be based in Canberra or Sydney. CPD has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Jakarta. We support flexible work and will consider either full-time or part-time work for the right candidate.

Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity

We encourage First Nations people, people of colour, people with lived experience of forced migration, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQI+ community, and people without a family history of tertiary education to apply for this role.

Salary

Starting at $95,000 + 11.5% superannuation, with higher salary available depending on experience, skills, and fairness and equity across the team.

Location

This position is based in Canberra or Sydney.

Some Additional Benefits

• Hybrid work and flexible hours

• Annual Salary Increase: A 7% increase to the employee's base salary on 1 January each year for employees earning under $100k, and a 4% increase for those earning $100k or more

• Additional annual leave entitlement after 3 years employment, and sabbatical leave after 5 years employment

• Additional end of year leave (between Christmas and New Year), study leave, birthday leave and wellbeing leave for all staff

• Parental leave: 14 weeks’ paid parental leave (after one year of service at the expected due date) + 12 months of unpaid parental leave

• Floating Public Holidays

• Collaborative culture that will foster your skills, build your career and broaden your horizons

Here’s a taste of what you’ll do

• Use our unique Create-Connect-Convince method to develop realistic pathways for change that gain broad support
• Work closely with the Policy Director and stakeholders to create original research and policy papers. Conduct in-depth policy analysis, presenting findings in clear, accessible language
• Spearhead collaborations that connect government, private sector and civil society to drive policy outcomes. For example, facilitating and convening roundtables.
• Advocate and convince the Federal, State and/or Local governments to adopt key CPD wellbeing government policy recommendations. Developing, distilling and presenting well-informed, compelling policy recommendations in private and in the media.
• Lead projects within CPD, overseeing staff and collaborating with research fellows and contractors. Drive key workstreams independently
• Contribute to strategy development, exploring new opportunities for research and policy impact
• Assist in the planning and execution of Focus Area events, including roundtables
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across government, private sector, and civil society
• Represent CPD in meetings, hearings, and media engagements, and prepare supporting materials such as press releases, fact sheets, and briefing papers

About you

You’ll be the right person for the job if you have the following skills:

Essential criteria

• You have several years of experience in policy development across government, policy institutes, the media, private sector, peak bodies, or non-government organisations.
• Knowledge or experience of a wellbeing approach to government or wellbeing economy
• You are a natural advocate and have the ability to convince policymakers with persuasive reasoning. You are confident in distilling and presenting well-informed, compelling policy recommendations
• You have excellent political judgement and understand the politics and practicalities of how policy is made by the government at Federal, State and/or local level
• You are motivated by long-term systems reform and policy impact
• You excel in environments that might not have fixed project outcomes at the start, and may evolve as you gain more insight into the policy area
• You are skilled in independently researching, analysing complex policy issues, and drafting reports, workshop content, and materials
• You are comfortable with occasional interstate travel, including overnight trips

Desirable Criteria

• You are experienced in using that persuasive reasoning with the media and in public media appearances. You can communicate complex ideas in simple and effective ways
• You enjoy and are highly capable at spearheading and facilitating collaborations - convening government, private sector and civil society to drive towards a strong policy outcome
• You enjoy working in a team to develop projects with support from others inside and outside CPD, and you enjoy supporting others to lead collaborative processes, with a flexible approach to evolving priorities
• You are experienced in identifying new areas of focus, driving initiatives, and collaborating with senior leadership to enhance CPD’s impact
• You feel comfortable and enjoy overseeing staff and contractors

About CPD

The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) is an independent, not-for-profit policy institute with staff in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Jakarta. Our vision is a fair, sustainable society and wellbeing economy that serves current and future generations in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Our mission is to help create transformative systems change through practical solutions to complex policy challenges. We tackle the hard questions, working towards change that is systemic and long-term.

Through our work, we aim to contribute to governments that are coordinated, collaborative, and effective, with an eye to both the near and longer term. We strive to build a social services system that helps people and communities to thrive now and in the future, and drive shifts in policy making practice with a focus on wellbeing and sustainability rather than primarily economic growth.

CPD uses a distinctive Create-Connect-Convince method to influence government policy making.

We acknowledge and celebrate Australia's First Peoples.

To learn more about our work check out our latest Impact Report.

How to Apply

Candidates are invited to apply via the 'Apply now' button, when we plan for applications to close (If you see this role up and the google form still allows you to submit your application, it means we're accepting applications).

If you have any questions, please contact our Recruitment Team on [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Policy Adviser - Sydney / Canberra enquiry via EthicalJobs.

For more information on CPD please visit www.cpd.org.au.

How we Shortlist

We will ask you to answer three questions (< 250 words) as part of your application, and to submit your CV. The initial shortlist will be based on the panel’s assessment of your three answers. Your CV will be reviewed only if you progress beyond this first stage.

We value your unique perspective and encourage you to share your own thoughts - while AI tools can be helpful, we’re looking for responses that genuinely reflect your experience.

We are reviewing applications and shortlisting candidates on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

We welcome talented individuals from all backgrounds to apply and be a part of our mission to make a positive impact on public policies.

Please note:

• To be considered for this role, you must have the right to live and work in Australia.

• Only Canberra/Sydney-based applicants will be considered.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We aim to reach out to all shortlisted candidates by 10 April. (Please be aware that while we are working to stick to this timeline, recruitment can be unpredictable and changes might occur).

We look forward to receiving your application!