Policy Advocacy Lead

Health Justice Australia’s advocacy strategy seeks to influence transformation across health, legal and social policy, by building an understanding of the need for collaborative approaches in response to intersecting health, legal and other need; and of what it takes to fund, design, and deliver those approaches to improve health justice outcomes in people’s lives. If you are passionate about bringing together research and practice-based evidence to advance practical, applied policy for lasting impact, then this position is for you.  

The Policy Advocacy Lead will work with the Strategic Advocacy Manager and the CEO to implement Health Justice Australia’s advocacy strategy. Activities include development of policy content that translates research and practice evidence into feasible solutions for government, health and human (including legal assistance) services; supporting HJA’s strategic relationships with government and other policy-makers and influencers; and driving collaborative opportunities with cross sector organisations and networks to advance our policy solutions. This position is ideal for someone with policy and advocacy experience in areas including, but not limited to, social determinants of health, access to justice, public health, law, human rights, community sector or service innovation or social impact.  

Roles and responsibilities

Supervised by the Strategic Advocacy Manager, this position will collaborate both internally and externally to implement activities under Health Justice Australia’s advocacy strategy by:

• Drawing on research and practice-based evidence to advise on and draft policy content, such as discussion papers, submissions, parliamentary briefings, position papers.
• Identifying influencing opportunities, and planning and developing policy content for social media and other external communications, including in collaboration with other members of the HJA team.
• Supporting the convening of consultative processes including roundtables and other activities to identify different and shared agendas and build momentum across a range of actors working towards systems change.
• Developing, maintaining, and nurturing relationships with external stakeholders across a range of constituencies including communities, service providers, government, and others.
• Working collaboratively with Health Justice Australia colleagues to advance the organisation’s strategy across all our priorities for impact.
• Attending consultative and other meetings, conferences and seminars and representing Health Justice Australia as required.
• Undertaking other duties as directed and required.

Essential criteria

• Demonstrated capacity to implement strategic activities to advance evidence and practice-based policy outcomes across health, justice or social policy contexts.
• Highly developed communication skills including a demonstrated ability to communicate confidently, persuasively, sensitively and articulately to a range of audiences on matters relevant to Health Justice Australia’s identified strategic priorities both in person and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct and analyse policy-relevant research, and synthesise this research into relevant, compelling policy advice.
• Demonstrated ability to meet tight deadlines without compromising quality of work.
• Good organisational skills, including capacity to manage changing priorities, deliver work to agreed deadlines and work effectively and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Well-developed relationship management skills, with a capacity to ensure that various stakeholder interests are recognised and managed positively and professionally.
• Experience in fostering collaborative relationships across sectors, organisations, and networks.
• Commitment to the values of social justice, and a genuine interest in and awareness of the challenges of improving outcomes for clients vulnerable to complex needs.
• Ability to contribute to Health Justice Australia activities and respond flexibly to changing work demands.

Desirable criteria

• A bachelor degree or higher in public health, social science, law or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated understanding of the social determinants of health, legal need and justice issues.
• Government relations experience and existing relationships of influence.
• Skills and experience in working towards systems change.