Manager, Policy Advocacy and Research

1 week ago

Australia ACON Full time $110,000 - $120,000 per year

Keen to use your policy, advocacy, program design/delivery, and funding skills for good? Want to leap into a career that supports the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community?

We are on the lookout for someone to join the Policy Strategy and Research team in a key leadership role.
Contribute to ACON's policy and advocacy efforts across the NSW HIV sector.
Enhance the profile of LGBTQ health.

Ok, so what's the role?

The Manager, Policy Advocacy and Research utilises a strong understanding of HIV and LGBTQ health and the strategic environment in which ACON operates to identify and advocate for public policy reform and assist the organisation to adjust its organisational strategy.

The position is responsible for developing and managing ACON's engagement with, and participation in, policy, research and grants development processes. The Manager facilitates an integrated approach to policy and research that builds ACON's evidence base to understand our communities' needs better, design effective programs and advocate for policy change to improve health outcomes. The role is responsible for developing and maintaining key strategic relationships with key government stakeholders and key decision-makers.

This position works closely with the Manager, Strategy and Impact to ensure that ACON's operations and external relationships are aligned. The position contributes to organisation-wide planning processes, determining strategic priorities for the Board and senior leaders and works to build organisational capability to design and deliver responses that make a positive impact for our communities.

The Manager, Policy Advocacy and Research leads a small team in developing and implementing high-impact policy, research, advocacy and grants development initiatives to achieve the goals and objectives of ACON's Impact Strategy, funding agreements and annual business plans, including the following:

Lead and develop ACON's policy and advocacy strategies to respond to our communities' health and wellbeing needs and government and system reform.
Leads ACON's engagement with government, agencies and key stakeholders to achieve ACON's impact strategies.
Strengthen and maintain ACON's strategic relationships with key government, research, legal and community stakeholders to achieve ACON's impact strategies.
Coordinate ACON's research engagement programs to strengthen key partnerships, build the evidence base to achieve our strategic impacts, and manage our research ethics review processes, including promoting and disseminating key research.
Contribute to ACON's strategic and business planning, including the development and monitoring of annual plans aligned with ACON's impact strategies.
Manage the development of key outcome indicators, impact measures and key performance metrics to monitor progress of achieving ACON's impact strategies.
Provide high-level advice to the Board, Executive and Senior Leadership Team on emerging strategic issues and business opportunities to achieve ACON's impact strategies.

Who are we looking for?

Someone with a demonstrated understanding of policy, advocacy, program design and delivery, and funding processes.
A person with the ability to lead organisational change and capability development projects, preferably focused on performance, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Someone with a proven ability to create and sustain effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
An exceptional communicator with exceptional interpersonal skills, including advanced written and verbal communication, high-level presentation skills, and the ability to represent organisational and community interests.
A person with the demonstrated ability to manage a team working across multiple projects and deliverables with competing deadlines; who can work both independently and collaboratively, with strong organisational skills and the capacity to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.
Someone with an understanding of and commitment to ACON's Impact Strategy and other key strategic and business plans; and to ACON's communities, including all LGBTQ people and people living with HIV.

What else can we tell you?

ACON provides a colourful, nurturing, and fun workplace. Our employees and volunteers are the foundation for our ongoing effectiveness and for our capacity to deliver innovative community engagement and health promotion programs and initiatives for our communities.

To support the successful candidate in their new role at ACON we offer:

Flexible working arrangements.
Generous learning and development opportunities.
Potential for tailored mentoring opportunities.
Supportive working environment with a knowledgeable and friendly team.

What's the remuneration and working details?

Salary: $110,000 to $120,000 per-annum (Gross Salary, PLUS Superannuation and Leave Loading).

Location: ACON's Gadigal land / Sydney Office, with flexible working options a possibility (away from the office).

Hours: Permanent, Full-Time (76 hours per fortnight) on a minimum 6-month fixed-term contract (with the possibility of extension).

We offer flexible working arrangements and a generous array of benefits and entitlements often above the National Employment Standards (NES) including:

Salary Packaging up to $35,000 gross up value (i.e., currently up to $15,900 Expenses + $2,650 Meals, tax free).
Generous pro-rata leave entitlements – including up to an extra week of paid leave for full time employees to be taken during our Christmas and New Year's shutdown period.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to a comprehensive counselling service free to employees.

How can I find out more details and apply?

If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply to join our team and help us make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve. By joining us, you will be part of a mission to create a healthier and more inclusive community.

We'd love someone who has experience already in this area but people at all levels of experience are absolutely welcome to apply. We highly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from CALD backgrounds, people with disabilities, and people of all genders to apply.

For more information on the role, please contact Brent Mackie, Director, Policy Strategy and Research, via email at or

Your ONLINE APPLICATION must include:

Your completed ACON Employment Application Form with all the details filled in where requested; attaching your:
Cover Letter (max. 4 pages) outlining how the position aligns with your Personal Values and Interests, and how your Skills and Experience meet the Essential Selection Criteria in the Position Description; and
Resume (max. 4 pages) outlining any current and previous employment and training. Be sure to include your Education History and any Formal Qualifications, Major / Minor Study Fields, Honours and Publications, and Work Experience (including Paid Jobs, Internships, and Volunteer work).

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Applications Close: Sunday 12 October 2025

We are grounded in the belief that diversity is our strength, our differentiator, and at the core of who we are and what we do. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we encourage applications from people living with HIV, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTQ people from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, migrant and refugee backgrounds, and LGBTQ people of colour.

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Manager, Policy Advocacy and Research

Advocacy and Impact Operations Manager

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Manager, Policy Advocacy and Research