"National Communications Manager"

Job Description:

• Employment Type: Part Time, Fixed Term to December 2027 (28-hour week)
• Remuneration Level 8: $127,351 - $143,489 + 17% Superannuation Pro Rata.
• Location: Kensington, NSW (on-campus attendance required with some flexibility negotiable for the right candidate)

Why This Role Matters:

The Culturally Nourishing Schooling (CNS) project is a practice and research informed program aimed to better engage and support the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The collaborative project between several Australian universities, local communities, and schools works to establish a culturally focused and strengths-based program that supports whole-of-school change and fosters long-term relationships between schools and their local communities. By engaging selected schools in a program of leadership and professional learning strategies backed by our research, CNS supports this change by helping educators rethink their approach to teaching and curriculum, and empowering schools to lead their own learning and community engagement practices. It encourages authentic collaboration between school leaders, teachers, and their Aboriginal staff – including Aboriginal Education Officers, Cultural Mentors, and community members – through pedagogical interventions such as Learning from Country. Alongside the practice-based program, CNS also engages academic researchers to gather research data within each school site to chart challenges and successes. This research helps shape the future directions of CNS and is used as an advocacy tool to influence change of a policy level. The overarching aim of CNS is to facilitate sustainable, community-driven education shaped by student aspirations.

CNS is currently transitioning from Phase One (2020-2024) to Phase Two (2024-2027) of the project. This involves an interstate expansion and collaborative engagement with researchers and communities across three states; New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory. The project is directly supported by a range of stakeholders, including government, philanthropic, Aboriginal education consultative groups, and university sponsors. The National Communications Manager will be responsible for the strategy, planning, development and implementation of the communications for CNS at a national level and maintaining the internal and external communications across the NSW and SA-NT project teams. The role will also provide strategic communications advice to the National Chief Investigator and work closely with the National Research Manager to translate research findings into communications for diverse audiences.

Accountabilities:

(please review the Position Description for a full list of Accountabilities)

• strategize, implement and manage a tailored internal and external communications strategy for the CNS project to inform and support impacted stakeholders.
• Effectively manage a communications calendar and database of resources to coordinate, sequence, and streamline messaging across the CNS project.
• Provide high-level strategic communications advice and direction to the National and State Chief Investigators.
• Lead media outreach and research, write, and edit articles and media releases about CNS.
• Work closely and collaboratively with researchers and the project team to create content from CNS research for use across various channels (e.g. media releases, website stories and content, social media, e-newsletters, annual reports, and events) within a timely manner.
• Develop relevant written, print and online materials as required, such as stakeholder reports, fundraising materials, PowerPoint presentations and promotional brochures, using Microsoft Office and desktop publishing software, such as Canva (i.e. assist with the design, formatting and presentation of CNS materials and publications).
• Provide advice on policy issues as they relate to the work of the Communications Manager role.
• Provide support as required for key research events and the annual CNS Symposium.
• Work both independently and as part of the national and interstate project teams; including initiating and facilitating regular team meetings and working groups and undertaking other research and administration activities related to the role.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including Chief Investigators, professional and research staff, and school contacts.
• Manage the CNS mailbox and website, and work with state and national CNS staff to ensure that the website is up-to-date and relevant to meet the needs of users.
• Maintain records consistent with ethical, legal, and professional requirements to progress research activities and organisational reporting obligations.

Skills and Experience:

To be considered you will hold Australian Working Rights or Australian Citizenship. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

(please review the Position Description for a full list of Skills and Experience)

• A relevant tertiary qualification with proven experience or an equivalent level of knowledge gained through any combination of education, training and experience.
• Proven experience in distilling complex information into simple messages for communication to a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly adaptable and consultative manner, working in a collaborative way to deliver the best outcomes.
• Excellent time and workload management skills, with a proven ability to respond to changing priorities, manage multiple tasks and meet competing deadlines and achieve required outcomes with attention to detail.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with a proven capability of producing content for diverse audiences. This will include supporting the development and maintenance of the project website, and social media sites with quality materials.
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven success and ability to liaise effectively and collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, to achieve desired outcomes.
• An understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander values, perspectives, connections and knowledges that will contribute to content creation and communications strategies.

Benefits and Culture:

People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world.

Our benefits include:

• Flexible Working Options (work from home, flexible hours etc)
• Career development opportunities
• 17% Superannuation contributions and additional leave loading payments (pro rata)
• Additional 3 days of leave over Christmas period
• Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness)

For further details on the benefits, please visit https://www.jobs.unsw.edu.au/lifestyle-benefits

Pre-Employment Checks

Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.

These pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:

• Provide Evidencing Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander documentation (if successful)
• National and International Criminal history checks
• Entitlement to work and ID checks
• Working With Children Checks
• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Employment history and reference checks
• Financial responsibility assessments/checks
• Medical Checks and Assessments

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.

How to Apply:

Submit both a Cover Letter and CV online via the UNSW Job Board before Tuesday 24th March 2026 by 11:30pm. Please ensure your Cover Letter addresses the selection criteria for this position (no more than 1-2 pages).

Get in Touch: Any applications sent to the contacts below will not be accepted.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Kevin Lowe at kevin.lowe@unsw.edu.au and Rose Amazan at r.amazan@unsw.edu.au. If you have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Allyssar Hamoud at a.hamoud@unsw.edu.au

UNSW is committed to evolving a culture that embraces equity and supports a diverse and inclusive community where everyone can participate fairly, in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people of diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and those with caring and family responsibilities. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.