Editor, Research to Policy

• Job Location: Melbourne (in person) or Canberra (hybrid)
• Reports to: APO Director 
• Role Type: full-time or part-time (0.6 to 1.0), 2 years fixed term

Are you:

• knowledgeable about high-quality research and how it can be applied to policy?
• an excellent communicator with experience in writing for a government audience?
• always looking for ways to innovate and improve? 

The role

The Editor, Research to Policy is a vital part of the Analysis & Policy Observatory’s (APO) ongoing success and is responsible for the curated collections service and will have a key role in the development of new initiatives to support evidence-informed policymaking within government. This involves the creation and maintenance of strategic partnerships; and sourcing, selection and metadata creation for policy and research.

The Editor, Research to Policy will be instrumental in APO’s evolution from research dissemination to research translation. In partnership with the Susan McKinnon Foundation, APO is improving its newsletter and open access repository and designing new initiatives to make research and evidence more accessible and useable to support evidence-informed policymaking. They will play a critical part in APO’s growth through business development activities and day-to-day editorial decisions that maintain and improve APO’s reputation, attracting both users and new clients.

About APO

APO is an open access evidence platform that makes public policy and research – published by organisations – accessible and useable. We provide a searchable repository of more than 42,000 resources as well as free weekly newsletters to 15,000 subscribers working in government, not-for-profits, research, as well as the general public.

In this role you will work closely with a small team who are passionate about making research and policy accessible to support evidence-informed policy- and decision-making.

Susan McKinnon Foundation

APO sits within the Susan McKinnon Foundation (SMF) – a Melbourne-based foundation dedicated to strengthening Australia’s democracy and enhancing public administration. Our goal is for Australian governments to be more effective, transparent and accountable. SMF supports practical programs that deliver tangible progress, and our work is motivated solely by the long-term public good. Our approach is non-partisan and undertaken in cooperation with all sides of politics.

Key responsibility areas

Through the following responsibilities, the Editor, Research to Policy will be contributing to APO’s goals of building our client base and becoming an indispensable tool for government.

Curated Collections to support evidence-informed policy and practice:

• Provide curation services that focus on high-quality and highly relevant publications that support evidence-informed decision-making.
• Work with clients to understand their research and policy needs and articulate this through the development and maintenance of collection briefs.
• Deliver agreed services with partners and stakeholders on time and to budget.
• Work with the communications team to build engagement with curated collections and APO.
• Report to clients on the engagement with curated collections via regular metrics analysis.

Record management and development:

• Source relevant publications and material while exploring and developing new content options.
• Create accurate, precise, and descriptive metadata that complies with APO editorial guidelines, classification systems and taxonomies.
• Edit existing records to reflect current editorial guidelines.
• Manage partner databases and shared documents.

Partnership & project management:

• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships and revenue streams for long-term sustainability.
• Engage with stakeholders and the user community through various activities.
• Assist with the design and implementation of new projects and business development.

Team leadership & coordination:

• Lead, coordinate and participate in teamwork processes and meetings.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff, interns, and volunteers where required.
• Effectively manage systems to optimise resource utilisation and support continuous improvement.

Selection criteria

Qualifications:

• Tertiary degree in information management, research methods, public policy or a related field; or a tertiary degree and 5 years of directly relevant work experience. Essential

Professional experience:

• Experience working in government policy or research or using research to influence policy. Essential
• Demonstrated experience information, database or research management, especially in an online context. Essential
• Experience in managing projects and working with clients to deliver a service on time and to budget to achieve nominated outcomes. Preferable
• Experience in collating and analysing metrics to improve performance. Preferable

Skills & knowledge:

• High-level communication skills: verbal and written with the ability to work across diverse interests and cultures. Essential
• Strong stakeholder relationship skills (internal and external). Preferable

Personal attributes

• Prefers working in fast-paced, entrepreneurial work environments. Essential
• Alignment to SMF’s organisational values: Essential
  • Excellence: We truly believe in being excellent at everything we do
  • Pride: We’re proud of our culture – where fresh ideas are encouraged and collaboration is key
  • Accountability: We are accountable and always operate with integrity
  • High Expectations: We have high expectations of the commitment and capability of each member of our team
  • Humble: We are humble – we have a strong desire to learn, to get feedback, and to improve
  • Take Chances: We take chances – but we do not bet the farm
  • Lean: We are lean, work efficiently, and always focus on outcomes.

How to apply

The Susan McKinnon Foundation is supportive of diversity in all its forms and strives to maintain an inclusive team environment. Please notify us if you require any adjustments to the recruitment process – we’ll do our best to find a solution.

To submit your application, please click “Apply Now” button and send your cover letter and resume.

For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact APO Director Brigid van Wanrooy at [email protected] using the subject line: Editor, Research to Policy enquiry via EthicalJobs.