Jobs - Job Details - Public Affairs Officer

Internal Applications Only

About the role

The role sits within the Public Affairs team, which leads strategic communication, engagement, and issues management to support the organisation to achieve its objectives, including:

• articulating the strategic vision and priorities
• guiding impactful communications and engagement to promote the vision and priorities
• issues and reputation management.

What you’ll do

The Public Affairs Officer supports Council’s communication and public affairs efforts. Key responsibilities include:

• providing expert advice on communications needs, deliverables, and risks across public affairs issues
• developing, implementing, and updating comprehensive communications plans to support the Council’s strategic engagement framework
• researching and preparing, Mayoral Minutes, Mayoral Column, key messages, speeches, presentations, collateral, and correspondence for the Mayor, Councillors, and senior management  
• assisting the Public Affairs Manager with proactive and reactive media liaison support
• preparing engaging, informative, high-quality, and factually accurate messages, correspondence, briefs, reports, and presentations
• fostering effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including subject matter experts, to facilitate the development and delivery of communications and stakeholder engagement activities
• providing strategic and operational communications advice on internal and external communications issues, ensuring consistent messaging and sharing best practices
• collaborating with third-party agencies and stakeholders to deliver strategic communications programs specifically related to public affairs
• providing assistance with support of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or Mayoral delegate with preparation for and attendance at public engagements, media and communications
• supporting the Public Affairs Manager in public affairs issues management for the General Manager and Executive Leadership team.

Essential

• Tertiary qualification in Communications or related discipline
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and evaluating an effective communications process and comprehensive communications plan to support the rollout and delivery of a major program and/or project
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and risk management plan to support the rollout and delivery of a program and/or project
• Demonstrated experience producing content to suit a range of formats and a diverse audience, including for online, social, and print delivery
• Ability to demonstrate the use of emerging technologies and their implementation in communication outcomes
• Demonstrated experience in managing competing priorities including ability to negotiate with internal and/or external stakeholders to ensure deadlines are met

Desirable

• Previous experience working in Local Government
• Experience working in the media or in a similar role
• Current Class C driver license

Applications are invited from suitably experienced and qualified staff for the permanent full-time Public Affairs Officer position.

Applicants are asked to submit a letter outlining their suitability for the role and a comprehensive resume.

In addition to the outline above, please be sure to refer to the Position Description for more details about the role, responsibilities, and selection criteria.

For further information or questions, please contact Anna Petersen, Public Affairs Manager, on anna.petersen@penrith.city or 0473 509 756.

About Council  

At Council, we’re passionate about people; in our community and in our workplace. We want you to be able to be your best self and we get that work is just one part of your life, so we’re here to support you in the moments that matter. As the winner of the 2020 Local Government Excellence in People and Culture Award and an Excellence Award winner in the 2020 Australian HR Awards, you can be confident in joining a workplace that offers truly outstanding benefits, including:

• A range of flexible work arrangements
• 18 weeks paid maternity leave
• Health and wellbeing leave
• 15 days personal leave
• Significant financial and leave support for undertaking further education 
• Diverse salary packaging
• Free access to all Ripples venues 
• And much, much more!

Penrith is a City with exciting city-shaping projects and programs unfolding right across the region. We’re looking for the best and brightest to join Council’s Communications, Digital, Design and Corporate Events Team to contribute to this work through engaging and dynamic communications, digital and events campaigns and strategies.