• Use your superior communications & relationship-building skills for good
• A part-time role (24 hours per week), mainly work from home 
• 8 weeks annual leave (school holidays)

About Ourschool

Ourschool is an innovative and growing not-for-profit organisation. Our purpose is to help public (state) high schools build supportive alumni communities that inspire students.

We teach public high schools how to establish alumni programs and bring high school alumni back to their old classrooms to inspire students about career pathways.

We have government and philanthropic funding partners that support our work. Use your communications and relationship-building skills to further develop Ourschool’s donor partnerships and to manage Ourschool’s small, dynamic communications team.

To find out more about Ourschool visit our website: https://ourschool.net.au/

Why you’ll love this role

• You’ll be making a real difference to the lives of young people - you’ll play an important role in expanding our service to more public high schools and thus deepening our student impact
• This is a creative, strategic, relationships-driven role - you’ll be strengthening relationships with our current donor partners, helping to find new donor partners and overseeing our communications team
• We have a collaborative and positive working culture
• Family-friendly working arrangements - ability to mostly work from home but with some flexibility to attend occasional meetings with donors and occasional Ourschool events or interstate travel, if required.

• Arrangement of working hours may be negotiated to suit the successful applicant

• The role is offered initially as a 2-year fixed term employment contract, with potential for extension

Key role responsibilities (but are not limited to):

Reporting to the Ourschool CEO and working in a small team, the successful applicant will:

• Manage and nurture relationships with existing Ourschool donors to identify opportunities to enhance the partnerships, including annual partnership planning, impact and evaluation reporting
• Work with the CEO to develop and secure new funding partnerships and grants
• Manage Ourschool’s small communications team and oversee communications content

About you

What we require:

• Experience in communications and donor or stakeholder management
• A high level of relationship management skills to build relationships with our strategic partners, and the Ourschool team
• Ability for strategic thinking and to inspire others
• High level of attention to detail, excellent written skills
• Ability to learn quickly, self-starter with the capability to work autonomously, prioritise and juggle competing demands and work to tight project deadlines
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including a focus on outcomes and creative problem-solving.
• An energetic, collaborative and positive working style

• A strong ability to manage a project and reach project outcomes through a team-oriented, can-do attitude
• A willingness to be flexible and open-minded and embrace new ideas
• Tertiary qualifications, with a background in a relevant field such as journalism, communications, donor relations or community-building
• Knowledge and experience of social media platforms, including Facebook and LinkedIn; experience with content design platforms such as Canva, Mailchimp.
• An understanding of the context that not-for-profit and philanthropic organisations work in.
• Ability to always maintain confidentiality and professionalism.

Selection criteria

Applicants are required to include in their application a written response demonstrating the seven key selection criteria below:

1. People management and leadership: Experience managing a team that works collaboratively to achieve set goals. You have proven experience providing structure, coaching and clarity of goals for team members, including consistent feedback.
2. Strategic communications experience: Demonstrated track record of leading a communications team; developing a communications strategy, including understanding target audiences and the research and data analysis required to appeal to and meet their needs.
3. Superior writing and editing skills. Ability to take a bland document/information and bring it to life with succinct and compelling copy, headings and captions. Ability to initiate and implement creative ideas to communicate with an organisation’s funders, partners or stakeholders.
4. Understanding of advocacy. A demonstrated understanding of its purpose, value and how communications and donor relations can drive it.
5. Content production skills: Can distil and design material into compelling stories, formats and easily understood content. An ability to understand and create the magic of simple, effective messaging.
6. Strategic donor or partnership management experience: Demonstrated track record of identifying and implementing partnerships and reporting to funding partners.
7. Integrity: Works effectively with a high degree of autonomy and accountability. Self-motivated and demonstrates a high level of initiative.

Who may apply

Individuals who fulfil the seven key selection criteria and the personal attributes listed above in this job description. Applicants are also required to have:

• A tertiary degree
• Experience in one or more of the following roles: journalism, communications, donor relations or community-building.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Occupational Health and Safety Commitment

Ourschool is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, bullying, vilification, and victimisation. We make decisions on employment, promotion, and reward on the basis of merit.

Ourschool is committed to all aspects of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and to providing all staff with a safe, respectful and rewarding environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, vilification and victimisation.

Child safety standards

Ourschool is committed to child safety protocols and policies that promote the safety and wellbeing of all students. All Ourschool staff are required to comply with Ourschool’s Child Safety Policy as a requirement of their employment.

Employment prerequisites required

• All applicants for this position must have the right to work in Australia.
• A current Australian driver’s licence
• The successful applicant will be required to have or undergo and obtain an Employee Working with Children Check.
• As part of Ourschool’s recruitment process, a criminal background check will be conducted.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your cover letter, your responses to the key selection criteria and your CV to Caroline Milburn, Ourschool CEO, via the "Apply Now" button.

Contact our Operations Manager, Michelle Buxton on 03 9059 4991 with any questions you might have about the role.

Only those candidates selected and short-listed for interview will be contacted. Interviews for selected candidates are likely to take place in the week beginning of 28th January.

A position description is attached.