• Opportunity to work at the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (National Centre) a national purpose-driven organisation which is a symbol of hope and an essential vehicle for action for many victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

• Join at an exciting period of growth, as the National Centre expands its team.

• Key role in shaping the policy agenda and influence systems change across government and the broader sector.

• Full time (1.0) fixed-term position until October 2026 – with flexible working arrangements available (eg. part-time).

• A national remote role, available in every major Australian city (with no preference for any location).

• The successful candidate will undertake domestic travel occasionally as part of this role.

• $110,000 – $130,000 (FTE) per annum excluding superannuation.

Note: this advertisement refers to child sexual abuse and may bring up strong feelings. Please take care of yourself and seek support if you need. Support services can be found on our website.

Role summary

The Manager, Policy leads a small, high-impact team driving systemic reform to prevent child sexual abuse and improve outcomes for victims and survivors.

Through strategic policy development, advocacy, and knowledge generation, this role champions evidence-informed approaches; elevating Lived Experience, cultural knowledge and practice-based evidence.

By generating compelling evidence, fostering partnerships, and influencing change, this role directly contributes to the National Centre’s mission to prevent child sexual abuse and strengthen systems of support, accountability, and recovery.

At the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse, we are committed to elevating the wisdom and expertise of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Values of safety, inclusion and trauma-responsiveness guide our interactions, including in our recruitment process. The National Centre team commit to authentic and meaningful engagement with people with Lived Experience – ensuring their voices are heard, valued, and embedded in our work.

Who you are (selection criteria)

• You hold relevant tertiary qualifications in public policy, social sciences, law or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• You bring a minimum of five years’ experience in a senior policy or advocacy role; preferably with a proven track record of influencing systemic reform through evidence-informed, survivor-centered approaches.
• You are a confident and capable leader who can hit the ground running; you are able to quickly build credibility, lead a new team and thrive in an evolving, purpose driven environment.
• You have experience working directly with victims and survivors, or in adjacent sectors where lived and living experience engagement is central to policy, research or advocacy.
• You demonstrate maturity, sound judgement and the ability to navigate complex and sensitive issues with care, clarity and professionalism.
• You understand the principles of ethical, trauma-informed and culturally responsive engagement and can apply these when collaborative with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• You possess strong stakeholder management skills and understand the importance of tailoring communication to suit diverse audiences.
• You are adept at translating diverse forms of knowledge into compelling policy positions, submissions and advocacy strategies.
• You thrive in dynamic environments, are highly self-directed and can manage competing priorities while staying focused on individual and team goals.
• You are aligned with the National Centre’s mission to disrupt child sexual abuse and bring about systemic change.
• You demonstrate a trauma-informed, ethical and survivor engaged approach to your work, and understand the critical importance of working in partnership with people with Lived Experience; ensuring their voices are heard, respected and meaningfully embedded in all that you do.

Research indicates that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised individuals often wait until they fulfil every requirement. If you believe you have the attributes to do the job but don’t match every point on the job ad, we welcome and encourage your application.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction across the policy, knowledge mobilisation and advocacy functions to ensure alignment with organisational priorities.
• Partner with Lived Experience experts, researchers, diverse communities, and practice leaders to generate and elevate new knowledge that informs policy and systemic change.
• Lead and oversee the development and delivery of policy materials including policy briefs, submissions to inquiries and reviews, policy papers and policy positions ensuring they reflect Lived Experience, evidence and sector insights and incorporate strong calls to action. 
• Lead projects that generate and elevate diverse forms of knowledge including Lived Experience, cultural knowledge and practice-based evidence.
• Monitor emerging trends, evidence gaps, systemic issues and policy opportunities through building evidence, networking and collaboration with key stakeholders and partners, anticipating issues and positioning the organisation for influence.

Please see the Manager, Policy position description for more.

What we offer

• Join a team of dedicated and compassionate professionals who are deeply committed to creating meaningful change and fostering a positive, purpose-driven workplace culture.

• Be part of an organisation that genuinely values diversity, inclusion, and belonging; where every individual is empowered to show up as their authentic self in a safe, supportive, and respectful environment.

• As a fully remote organisation, we embrace flexibility and adaptability in how we work. Supporting flexible work arrangements for all employees is a core commitment across the National Centre.

Additional adjustments

We are committed to providing an inclusive experience to all candidates. If you have a disability, condition, illness or access requirements, please let us know how we can best support you throughout your recruitment experience. 

We recognise that each individual’s needs are different. Some examples of adjustments we can provide include (but are not limited to):

• Alternative formats or ways to submit your application (verbal or video)
• Flexible communication methods
• Additional time to complete tasks, assessments or pre-interview work
• Support from a support person or advocate during interviews
• Modifications to the interview structure, environment or timing

If you require additional adjustments, or would like to discuss any access needs as a part of the application and recruitment process, please contact us via email recruitment@shehrconsulting.com 

Our candidate experience

We aim to be transparent and kind to all of our candidates. We value your time, and as such want to share how we do things so you know what to expect with no nasty surprises. For more information on our end-to-end candidate experience, please visit the SHE HR Consulting website.

How to apply

To express your interest, submit an online application through our application portal and include a professional resume. All applicants must also provide brief responses to the application questions that are included as part of the online application. 

Note: we do not accept cover letters as part of our application process.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and we may close our job advertisement without notice, so don’t delay your application.

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse is an equal opportunity employer and strives to maintain a workplace environment that is fair and free of discrimination, is safe and accessible for all employees, and provides working arrangements that accommodate the diverse needs of our staff. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people from culturally- and linguistically-diverse backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people and people of every ethnicity, faith, ability, culture, language, gender identity, age, and sex.

Employment in this position is conditional upon reception and maintenance of reference checks as part of pre-employment screening, and a Working With Children Check (or state equivalent).

As part of our employment screening process, we do run police checks. But don’t worry—having a criminal record doesn’t automatically disqualify you.