About the role

Victorian Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe is seeking a driven media or public relations professional to join her team. This is a key position within a small team that works in a high-paced, dynamic work environment.

This position works directly with the Senator and Chief of Staff to develop and execute the Senator’s media and communications strategy, targeting key audiences across a range of platforms and outlets.

The Media & Communications Adviser will provide advice on media appearances and messaging, as well as responding to interview requests, writing media releases and other content for publication, including digital content.

This position will manage and integrate the Senator’s social media platforms, coordinate digital content production for those platforms, and support the social media moderator/community manager in our team.

The Media & Communications Adviser will be expected to support and accompany the Senator at media appointments or events as required and therefore can expect to work irregular hours.

The position will be based in Melbourne and require frequent travel to Canberra during Parliament sitting weeks.

Pay and conditions

The position is offered under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984, and employment conditions are outlined in the Members of Parliament (Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2016-2019.

The position is an ongoing full-time role offered at an Electorate Officer B classification with a salary of $77,926 per annum plus 15% superannuation.

The role attracts an additional Electorate Staff Allowance of $12,087 per annum, in recognition of reasonable additional hours of work and travel outside of business hours.

Costs of travel are covered by the office, and a daily allowance is provided for staff when travelling for work purposes.

Key work areas

• Communications strategy development and implementation
• Messaging design and audience targeting
• Media liaison, management and interviews
• Social media and web content management

Personal qualities we're seeking

• Flexibility and initiative
• Enthusiasm, confidence and self-direction
• Ability to work effectively and amicably under pressure
• A respect for sensitive and confidential information
• Personality to form a close rapport with the Senator and quickly develop an appreciation of her communications style and persona

Selection criteria

1. Highly developed written, oral and interpersonal communication skills
2. Demonstrated experience of working with the media within a political, community or lobbying organisation, or as a media professional
3. Demonstrated understanding of personal brand management
4. Demonstrated understanding of the Australian media landscape across all media (radio, television, print and online)
5. Experience in developing and implementing media and communication strategies
6. Strong digital content management skills (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) and an ability to capture photos and videos while staffing the Senator
7. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and work to tight deadlines in a fast-paced team environment
8. Understanding of the context of Aboriginal rights and interests within Australian society and culture
9. Sound knowledge and understanding of Australian Greens' policies, and the wider Australian political context
10. Strong analytical skills and demonstrated capacity to comprehend complex issues, think strategically and adapt to changing circumstances
11. Commitment to the Australian Greens' Principles and Charter

If you feel you meet most, but not all, of the selection criteria, please don’t be discouraged from applying.

For more information or a confidential discussion, please contact Georgia Webster, [email protected], using the subject line: Media and Communications Adviser enquiry via EthicalJobs (Acting Chief of Staff)

A position description is attached.

Please note all employees are expected to sign a confidentiality and code of conduct agreement prior to the commencement of their employment. A probationary period of 3 months will apply.

The Australian Greens encourage applications from any interested and qualified people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply. We don’t discriminate on the basis of sex, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. We welcome people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to apply for all our roles.