Principal Communications Advisor

Location: Melbourne | CBD

Job type: Full time / Ongoing

Organisation: Department of Health

**Salary**: $129,379 - $173,138

Occupation: Communications, Marketing and Media

Reference: VG/DH/CE/1738203

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Reporting to the Head of Strategic Communications (Health, Ambulance, Aged Care) the Principal Communications Advisor leads strategic planning, prioritisation and oversight of integrated communications and engagement that support the department's strategic priorities, while also acting as a Business Partner for a key departmental division and exercising line management duties.

The Principal Communications Advisor applies their extensive expertise and high-level insight to identify risks and issues and collaborates with colleagues across the branch and department to ensure a consistent, connected approach. The role also leads relationships with business areas and key external stakeholders.

As appropriate, the Principal Communications Advisor may also be required to provide support to other teams across the Branch as and when required, including participating in out of hours media and emergency rosters**, **and providing support for public emergencies, large-scale communications campaigns and other high priority projects to contribute the effective management of work across the Communications and Engagement Branch.

**Are You**
- A highly experienced leader with a proven record of thinking strategically, effectively managing risk, and engaging multiple stakeholders in a dynamic environment?
- Able to negotiate and influence senior stakeholders for improved communication outcomes?
- Motivated to help lead a high-performing team and deliver high-impact public purpose communications?

**Accountabilities**
- Provide authoritative and expert advice to executives, business units and other key internal clients on the development, delivery and evaluation of communication and engagement strategies and reputation risk management.
- Develop and oversee contemporary and integrated strategic communications and engagement strategies that are audience and insight led. In addition, the strategies need to ladder up to the department strategy and meet ministerial requirements and key Government priorities.
- Work collaboratively across the branch and other areas of the department to build and maintain positive and productive relationships with colleagues, senior internal and external stakeholders and ministerial office staff
- Contribute strategic communications expertise and insight, providing advice and guidance to the Communications and Engagement Branch and business units on opportunities, emergent issues, risks and ministerial priorities.
- Effectively manage and provide team leadership to produce quality outcomes under tight deadlines by:

- leading and supporting individuals to achieve their potential and contribution to organisational goals and outcomes
- modelling behaviours integral to good people management and departmental values
- ensuring staff are supported to adequately fulfil all the duties of their role and managing, monitoring and accounting for specific improvement targets in annual performance plans
- pro-actively building and maintaining positive relationships with peers and stakeholders across the organisation.
- Lead continuous service improvement, performance measures and strategy, content and campaign reviews.
- Maintain up to date expert knowledge of emerging trends in strategic communications.
- Initiate and embed processes and new ways of working that advance the effectiveness and productivity of the Communications and Engagement branch.
- Represent the department on key government and non-government committees and bodies concerned with achieving government and departmental objectives.
- Keep accurate and complete records of your work activities in accordance with legislative requirements and the department's records, information security and privacy policies and requirements.
- Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and for that of others in the workplace by working in accordance with legislative requirements and the department's occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and procedures.
- Demonstrate how the actions and outcomes of this role and work unit impact clients and the department's ability to deliver, or facilitate the delivery of, effective support and services.

**Mandatory Vaccination Policy**

**HOW TO APPLY**: