Stakeholder Engagement

**The Role**:
Seeking a passionate Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Manager to lead, develop and implement innovative, high-quality, and effective engagement activities to facilitate the delivery of major reforms with a focus on the establishment of a new organisation.

As an embedded member of the project team, you will work closely with the Strategic Communications team and partner organisations by participating in the project Working Group, sharing intelligence, coordinating communication and engagement activities, and leading engagement activities where required.

The Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Manager will ensure that the project is connected with the right stakeholders, across government, with unions, employer groups, and mental health and occupational health experts.

**VPS6 Equivalent | Six Month Contract | Immediate Start**

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Identify, develop and maintain effective relationships with relevant stakeholders, including unions, employers, mental health and occupational health specialists, along with relevant government department and agencies, and act as a key point of contact for the project
- Arrange and attend relevant meetings and forums that progress the objectives of the project, including Chairing and delivering a series of stakeholder engagement working groups and provide feedback on stakeholder ideas, issues and concerns
- Lead the development and maintenance of communication and stakeholder engagement strategies and plans
- Provide communications advice to the Strategic Communications and the Financial Assets and Liabilities Groups on communication initiatives, reputational risks, and issues management
- Develop and deliver accurate and high-quality communication and engagement materials to support the project within required timeframes, maintaining strict confidentiality and in line with communication policies and processes
- Provide practical advice and guidance to the Financial Assets and Liabilities Group and partner departments on proactive engagement opportunities and the development and delivery of engagement plans, approaches, tools and activities, and support the day-to-day delivery of engagement activities
- Proactively identify and respond to stakeholder queries and issues, to ensure that the Department's reputation is maintained and enhanced

**About You**:

- Ensures solutions or actions are consistent with policies, values, ethics and responsibilities and that confidentiality requirements are observed
- Considers and evaluates priorities and interests of various groups and key individuals
- Develops a strong understanding of the stakeholder's organisational context to ensure outcomes are achieved
- Identifies and responds to stakeholders' underlying needs, including identifying common issues and using these to build mutually beneficial partnerships
- Uses direct and indirect influence to gain agreement to proposals and ideas
- Builds behind the scenes support for ideas to ensure buy-in and ownership
- Involves experts or other third parties to strengthen case.
- Makes a positive impression on others and comes across with credibility
- Communicates orally in a manner that is clear, fluent and holds the listeners' attention
- Able to deal with difficult or sensitive topics and questions

**Qualifications and Experience**:

- A strong background in stakeholder engagement with demonstrated success in developing and implementing engagement strategies, plans and activities (mandatory)
- Tertiary level qualification in communications/engagement or another field relevant to the role would be highly regarded (desirable)
- Experience working in government (desirable)
- Completion of the IAP2 Certificate in Engagement (desirable)

**How to Apply**: