Media & Communications Officer

**Job no**: 521306

**Work type**: full time

**Location**: Sydney, NSW

**Categories**: Marketing / Communications
- **One of Australia’s leading research & teaching universities**:

- **Vibrant campus life with a strong sense of community & inclusion**:

- **Enjoy a career that makes a difference by collaborating & learning from the best**

**At UNSW, we pride ourselves on being a workplace where the best people come to do their best work.**

The Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEX) is a major seven-year initiative funded by the Australian Research Council. The Centre is led by UNSW Sydney and partners with Monash, The University of Melbourne, The Australian National University and The University of Tasmania alongside a suite of national and international partner organisations. Climate extremes are the confluence of high-impact weather and climate variability.

The recently established UNSW Institute for Climate Risk and Response (ICRR) brings together expertise from across the Faculties of Science, Business and Law and Justice. In partnership with industry, it will drive an innovative research agenda, and be a focus of debate on the risks and opportunities of our changing climate. As a leading voice in climate risk and response both nationally and in the Asia-Pacific it will inform end-users' risk management frameworks and allow robust planning regarding the impacts of climate change for business, government and policy makers.

The Communications & Media Officer is responsible for harnessing communications and creative capability to help The ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and Institute for Climate Risk & Response reach key audiences in a way that positions them as global leaders and meets key strategic goals. The primary functions for this role include working with researchers to promote the centre/ institute’s research via appropriate media outlets, providing media and communications advice to our researchers - especially early career researchers, overseeing social media channels, enhancing the websites, assisting with public-facing engagement opportunities, and contributing to various other communications needs.

**About the role**
- **$106K - $115K** plus 17% Superannuation and annual leave loading
- Fixed Term - 12 months
- Full-time (35 hours per week)

The role has a dual reporting line into the Institute Manager ICRR & Chief Operating Officer, CLEX. This position has no direct reports.

**Specific responsibilities for this role include**:

- Promote key reports and research for both organisations through media coverage and content production. Support researchers to engage with their local university media teams and services like AusSMC/Scimex for reactive media opportunities.
- Curate and advise on content, collaborating with multiple stakeholders and managing execution through various channels including digital and social media.
- Cultivate relationships between researchers and key contacts - such as science, business, law or environmental editors and reports - in selected media organisations
- Provide training and guidance to researchers to enhance their media and public communication skills. This includes running workshops and presentations to larger internal audiences
- Guide the CLEX Executive/ ICRR Management - in collaboration with individual university comms officers - on appropriate public relations strategies should the Centre/ Institute become the focus of negative press
- Monitor, report and evaluate media and communications outputs and outcomes
- Contribute to projects as required.

**About the successful applicant**
**(Selection Criteria)**

To be successful in this role you will have:

- A relevant tertiary qualification and experience or an equivalent level of knowledge gained through any combination of education, training and experience.
- Proven expertise in content production and curation across most digital mediums including video and social media
- Knowledge of best practice digital content including analytics and SEO
- Proven capacity to develop and implement media and broader communications strategies, including experience pitching and placing stories in mainstream and specialist media
- Excellent communication and organisational skills with a demonstrated ability to build and manage successful stakeholder relationships to enable delivery of high-quality content that achieves agreed objectives.
- Superior written and verbal communication skills that support an ability to engage with and influence external media.
- Impeccable attention to detail to ensure accuracy, consistency and the ability to enhance and bring content to life.
- Understanding of target audiences, with an effective writing style and ability to deliver high-impact messaging to key audiences.
- Proven success using initiative to develop, drive and share content ideas.
- An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in