Senior Communications Specialist

About ChildFund Australia

ChildFund Australia is an independent international development organisation working to reduce poverty for children in developing communities. Our mission is to partner to create communities and systems change, which enables vulnerable children and young people, in all their diversity, to assert and realise their rights.

We're also a member of the ChildFund Alliance – one of the world’s oldest and most experienced child-focused development agency networks. With a global network of 12 organisations, the ChildFund Alliance assists almost 23 million children and families in 70 countries around the world.

ChildFund Australia directly implements and manages development programs in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, while also supporting projects delivered by partner organisations throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas;  our work is funded through, among other sources, generous public donations and government grants.

Join us in realising our vision of a world without poverty where all children and young people can say: "I am safe. I am educated. I contribute. I have a future."

About the role

As the Senior Communications Specialist, you will be responsible for developing and implementing public communications activities that support ChildFund Australia’s communications strategy. You will develop engaging, informative, and newsworthy content that resonates with ChildFund audiences, for both written and visual channels, and across a variety of online and offline channels.

This role is a permanent, full-time position based in our office in Surry Hills, Sydney.

We’re also supportive of flexible working arrangements, including allowing our employees to work-from-home some of those days if the responsibilities of the role permit it.

We’re always looking for talented and ambitious people to join ChildFund Australia, so we strongly encourage all applications, even if you do not feel you meet every requirement right now!

Key duties of the role

• Manage content, ensure projects are delivered on time and to a high standard, and collaborate with others to create work that is ethical, authentic, informative, and elevates children’s voices
• Develop written and visual communications that engage and motivate ChildFund audiences
• Create marketing communications in a plain English, reader-friendly style, and simplify complex information to ensure ChildFund’s communications are impactful
• Create digital communications that generate engagement and ensure ChildFund’s message stands out, including infographics and videos
• Research, write and edit reports, publications and other forms of content that are factual and reliable
• Edit technical work and commission third parties when required (including writers, designers and printers)
• Ensure all communications comply with relevant brand guidelines, organisational policies, and sector standards
• Ensure you are a trusted source of advice to senior staff on both internal and public-facing communications

Qualifications & Experience

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline (e.g., Communications)
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in communications roles
• Experience as a journalist or writer, with well-developed skills in research, interviewing, and creating content for a wide variety of
• audiences
• Experience developing public-facing content across online and offline channels
• Understanding of the international development sector, with a strong interest in child rights, human rights issues, and current affairs
• Extensive experience in graphic design, video editing, and digital publishing
• Understanding of the Australian not-for-profit landscape, and associated communications compliance requirements

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• Tertiary qualifications in International Development and/or experience working for an international development or child-rights focused organisation

Skills & Qualities

• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building abilities
• Passionate about writing, editing and research, and other aspects of successful communications
• Strong leadership qualities, especially when supporting diverse teams operating in an international context
• Highly organised, attentive to detail, and effective under pressure
• Proactive, results-oriented, enthusiastic, and responsive to change

Working at ChildFund Australia

Some of the benefits of working with ChildFund Australia include:

• A remuneration package continuously benchmarked against local employment conditions to ensure we offer competitive employment conditions appropriate to our sector
• Support for flexibility in the ways you work, which allows our people to to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• A hybrid working model (we currently allow employees to work from home 50% of the time).
• Not-for-profit salary packaging benefits. This allows our employees to reduce their tax liability on a portion of their income.
• Access to mental health support through our EAP, Uprise, a service that gives our employees access to professional psychological support for personal, family, mental health, and employment-related matters for you and your family.
• Support for employee learning & development, including through on-the-job & external training, coaching, workshops, and our online learning platform, the ChildFund Academy.

Department: Fundraising, Communications

Location: ChildFund Australia, Level 8, 162 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Employment: Full-time

Reports to: Head of Public Affairs

Other Information: Must have full working rights in Australia.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so please don't hesitate to apply as soon as possible!

Email us at hr@childfund.org.au if you have any other questions about the role.

ChildFund Australia believes in a global community where children are safe and can reach their full potential. We take extensive steps to safeguard children in any work done by our people, i.e., our staff, volunteers and interns, supporters, partners, board members, ambassadors and suppliers. We strive to keep children safe through child safe practices, and rigorously ensure we prevent, oppose, and combat all exploitation and abuse of children and vulnerable people. As part of this commitment, all people working with us will undergo relevant background checks before joining ChildFund Australia.

At ChildFund Australia, all staff must remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding or sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment (SEAH) risks. Staff will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to understand our Child Safeguarding and PSEAH policies & procedures, promote strong safeguarding practices, and conduct themselves consistent with these policies.

In line with our values, diversity of people and ideas is critical to our work and our success at ChildFund Australia. We strive for a team culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and supportive. Childfund is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and strongly encourages people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply for any vacancies.