Chief of Policy and Advocacy

• Team: Policy and Advocacy
• Location: Canberra Secretariat
• Employment Status: Fixed term – One year Parental leave cover
• Reports to: CEO
• Position Classification: Manager 1 ($121,581) – Manager 3 ($142,681) depending on experience

Main Purpose of Position

The purpose of the Chief of Policy and Advocacy is to lead ACFID’s Policy and Advocacy Team to achieve a strong policy and enabling environment for international development assistance and humanitarian action by Australia. This includes working with the team to engage key stakeholders such as ACFID’s members, the media, the Australian Government, issue-specific Coalitions, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Parliament; to communicate ACFID’s positions to the Australian Government and the Australian public. ACFID aims to increase political and bureaucratic support to contribute to Australia’s global leadership in sustainable development and humanitarian action through its policies, actions, and partnerships.

The role is a member of ACFID’s Executive Management Team and plays an important part in helping share responsibilities for major corporate functions including leading on our relationship with the DFAT grant.

Scope of Position

The Chief of Policy and Advocacy is responsible for:

• Providing strategic leadership of the Policy and Advocacy Team including line management.
• Overseeing the planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and reporting on achievement of key goals in the ACFID Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and Advocacy Agenda
• Undertaking representational functions for the organisation, including with ACFID’s members, Members of Parliament, senior officials and in the media.
• Contributing to organisational leadership as a member of ACFID’s Management Team, leading and supporting whole of organisation initiatives, as required including supporting reporting to the Board, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), members and other stakeholders.
• Building connections between the policy, and learning, standards, and membership practice areas of ACFID’s work.
• Leading ACFID’s representation on selected strategic partnerships
• Leading and supporting ACFID’s thought leadership about the future of the sector, as relevant to a policy and advocacy context.

How to Apply 

Taking into account ACFID’s core competencies and the required functional competencies of the role as detailed in the position description, please send a covering letter and your Resume by clicking the “Apply Now” button and filling in the online Application for Employment form. The covering letter, including your response to the selection criteria, should be no longer than two A4 pages.

Applicants are encouraged to apply before closing interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

Interviews can be conducted remotely at the candidate’s preference, though the successful candidate must be available to commence in or before March 2024 and be based in ACFID’s office in Canberra.

ACFID’s preference is for the Chief of Policy & Advocacy to work full time (flexible work arrangements to be negotiated). Applicants are asked to provide their preferred working arrangements within the provisions outlined, and all applicants and their preferred working hours will be considered.

Any offer of employment will require a National Police Check. To be eligible for this position you must have a legal right to work in Australia. 

If you wish to discuss the role further, please contact the Chief of Policy and Advocacy Jessica Mackenzie [email protected] or 0478 085 593, or Business Director Nicola Gleeson [email protected] or 02 8123 2213 in office hours.

A position description is attached.