Head of Communication

This is an opportunity to join a vibrant, high-performing team that will work with others to address the systemic causes of long-term cycles of disadvantage and enable people to realise their potential. The Alliances team will achieve impact through effective advocacy and strong alliances with purpose-aligned organisations including government, peer philanthropy foundations, not-for-profits and businesses. The Head of Communications is key to driving timely and impactful influence and impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the CAO and Alliances Team, to develop and execute a communications strategy with a focus on influencing across sectors, translating knowledge, and engaging key policy and funding actors in relation to the Foundation’s purpose and critical program areas.
• Foster relationships and leverage partnerships across sectors to maximise the impact of communications to contribute to ending cycles of entrenched disadvantage and enabling people to reach their potential.
• Oversee and improve internal and external communication, including (but not limited to) brand positioning, event and campaign development.
• Oversee and report communication impact across key focus areas as determined and set out by the Foundation’s CAO, CEO and Board.
• Demonstrate significant improvement in reach and engagement across all Foundation communication channels, as aligned to the Foundation’s strategic goals.
• Own all Foundation communication channels including partnership communications and updates, media relations, and online and social media channels.
• Drive transformational improvement in the Foundation’s communications, reputation and profile.
• Provide excellent leadership, management and coaching within the Alliances Team and across the Foundation.

Other duties, as required.

Personal Characteristics & Capabilities

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to develop relationships with diverse key stakeholders (internal and external)
• Excellent leadership skills
• Purpose driven, transformational mindset
• Trust builder, collaborator and team player
• Demonstrable integrity and reflective learner
• Agile and able work with complexity and manage complex projects within tight timeframes and with attention to accuracy and detail
• A strong connection with the values of the Foundation: respect for people; curiosity and a willingness to learn; humility and integrity; courage and innovation\

Key Selection Criteria

• A tertiary degree and substantial experience in social impact leadership and communications.
• Extensive (10+ years) marketing and communications experience including solid media and government and stakeholder management, digital marketing, content strategy and production, and events and campaign planning and execution.
• Demonstrated expertise in social impact communications, with a deep understanding of the socio-political landscape, cross sectoral experience (experience in academia and the not-for-profit sector very highly regarded) and ability to translate academic or technical information into accessible content.
• Exceptional leadership skills with demonstrated ability to lead change and build trusting and effective teams, and a willingness for ongoing learning, development and adaption
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to interact effectively across multiple teams and stakeholders to manage complex projects within tight timeframes.
• Demonstrated experience in brand management, digital strategy and the curation of digital content plans/strategy and effective delivery of output including web, social media, CRM, intranet and other channels. Knowledge of current digital community developments and trends in online technologies and marketing platforms.
• Demonstrated experience developing, planning and successfully executing strategy, high quality board reporting, and developing and managing budgets and managing staff.
• Purpose driven, transformative, reflective and collaborative mindset and values aligned with the Foundation.