About Our Watch  

Our Watch is a national leader in the primary prevention of violence against women and their children. Our vision is an Australia where women and their children live free from all forms of violence. Our role is to stop violence before it starts. We work to embed gender equality and prevent violence where Australians live, learn, work and socialise.  

About the role   

The Senior Media & Communications Advisor plays a key role in delivering both proactive and reactive media and communications activity across Our Watch, to protect and enhance the organisation’s reputation and engage the community in action to prevent violence against women and their children.

Reporting to the Manager, Public Affairs & Media and working as part of cross-functional project teams, the Senior Media & Communications Advisor is responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating the organisation’s media and communications activity. This includes developing proactive and reactive media plans, researching and writing opinion pieces, preparing speeches and presentations, and providing communications support to cross-organisational projects.   

About you    

• Receive and respond to media enquiries, researching information and providing a timely and considered response. This includes pre-empting potential issues and providing high-level strategic media advice and briefings to senior executives.
• Develop and implement individual proactive and reactive media plans and associated activities (media releases, media events, opinion pieces, social media) for both Our Watch and our campaigns.
• Actively monitor Our Watch media coverage and prepare and distribute media updates for staff, including providing advice on potential issues and opportunities.
• Provide PR strategies and support to projects across the organisation, including campaign launches and other initiatives. This includes working collaboratively to fully understand projects and initiatives, assessing the issues and implications and developing a communications plan to support the project.
• Provide specialist media and communications advice for Our Watch’s National Media Engagement program, including cross-organisational project management support.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders to ensure all media and communications activity is grounded in research and evidence, is supported by practical tools and resources and is evaluated through effective tracking and measurement.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with key external stakeholders, including sector partners and representatives, along with government stakeholders, to deliver PR opportunities.
• Work with Ambassadors to develop proactive and reactive media opportunities, including providing briefings, key messaging and media appearance support and expertise.
• Provide high-quality communications advice and support across the organisation and help ensure that the quality and consistency of media and communications output is maintained and enhanced.
• Create social media posts linked with media articles, interviews and stories of interest.
• Perform other media and communications, and social media activities as required.
• Assist in delivering an out-of-hours media service that includes on-call duties on weekends and public holidays. 

Why work for us 

Our Watch is strongly committed to the wellbeing of its employees. We work to continuously improve the policies and processes that ensure an engaging, safe and inclusive environment for the people who work here. Some of the benefits of working with Our Watch are:  

• Commitment to work life balance for staff, including flexible hours/ ways of working.
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities including paid professional development .
• Wellbeing programs, such as our Employee Assistance Program.
• Stand up desks.
• Best practice parental leave.
• Annual leave loading of 17.5% 
• Innovative leave policies, such as floating public holiday leave and cultural leave. 

Please go to our website at https://www.ourwatch.org.au/about-us/work-with-us/ to view the position description.

Remote / Work from home options considered, however applicants must be Melbourne-based and able to attend in-office meetings where required. 

Our Watch recognises and values diversity among its staff and strongly encourages suitably qualified people from all backgrounds, especially people who have a strong understanding of intersectionality either by working with diverse population groups or a lived experience. 

Our Watch is committed to increasing employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the organisation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Our Watch encourages applications from people with disability. We want to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive workplace. If you require modifications with the application process to meet your access needs please contact us.