National Communications Manager - Melbourne

The Wilderness Society (TWS) is a leading Australian not-for-profit community-based conservation organisation dedicated to the protection and restoration of our wilderness and wildlife underour ‘WildCountry’ vision for Australia.

TWS was established in 1976 to help save the Franklin River and has since played an important role in many of Australia’s great conservation campaigns. Kakadu, the Daintree, SW Tasmanian Wilderness, the forests of Eastern and Western Australia and the wilderness of Antarctica are among the many places TWS has helped protect.

TWS is now actively working to develop a WildCountry framework for all of its campaigns.

TWS Organisational Purpose

Protecting, promoting and restoring wilderness and natural processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of life on Earth.

TWS Organisational Values

• Passion for our purpose (courage, strength of conviction, determination)

• The power of people to make change

• Organisational independence and integrity

• Compassion (valuing and supporting people, respecting and having integrity in dealing with others)

• Commitment to success in protecting the environment (winning immediate campaigns and achieving long term change)

TWS Inc is an equal opportunity employer that places great importance on principles of non-violence and consensus decision-making. It is a member of the Wilderness Society Australia Inc, a cooperative forum for all TWS organisations (national, state and regional).

Job Title: National Communications Manager

Employer: The Wilderness Society Inc, 57E Brisbane Street, Hobart, Tasmania

Location: Melbourne. Position requires regular interstate travel.

Salary Range: $tbd per annum plus 9% superannuation

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours weekly)

Tenure: Fixed term / 2 years

Reports to: TWS Inc Committee of Management

The Position

The National Communications Manager provides leadership, direction and strategic management of the Wilderness Society communications functions to maximise the organisation’s effectiveness in achieving its purpose. This position works in collaboration with three other managers to form the management team of the Wilderness Society Inc, reporting to the Committee of Management.

The four-person management team of the Wilderness Society Inc are:

• National Campaign Director

• Business Operations Manager

• National Membership & Fundraising Manager

• National Communications Manager

Current positions in the Communications team are:

• Senior Communications Adviser

• Communications Adviser (Publications)

• Communications Adviser (Online)

• Communications Adviser (Media)

• Communications Coordinator (Editorial)

• Graphic Designer (two part time roles)

• Communications Coordinator (Online)

• Web Producer

Key Functions

• Work collaboratively as a member of TWS Inc’s Collaborative Management Team to ensure effective national coordination and management of key functions and services across TWS Australia.

• Provide high level and effective communications leadership, advice and strategy for the organisation.

• Oversee the development and implementation of a national communications plan for core areas of TWS Inc and TWSA program areas including the National Campaign Plan and the National Fundraising Plan.

• Provide day-to-day management of the communications team to ensure all media, campaign and communications needs of the organisation are appropriately resourced and serviced.

Key Responsibilities

Effective national coordination and management of key functions and services

• Work as a member of TWS Inc’s Collaborative Management Team, which is responsible for providing national leadership, organisational coordination, and development and delivery of the plans and policies adopted by the TWS Inc Committee of Management.

• Promote TWS organisational values on all facets of organisational activities.

• Participate in the development and implementation of the TWS Australia strategic plan, the ongoing implementation of the TWSA National Campaign Plan, TWS Inc budget and management of TWS Inc in consultation with the rest of the management team.

• Contribute to organisational health across all TWS entities.

• Provide consummate management of staff, operations and budgets, and foster an environment of collaboration across TWS.

• Attend TWS Inc Committee of Management meetings as required.

High level and effective communications leadership, advice and strategy

• Lead in facilitating excellent communications planning across the organisation.

• Foster a culture of innovation to identify new and emerging mediums, technology and approaches in communications.

• In collaboration with the National Campaign Director and National Membership & Fundraising Manager, ensure effective alignment of communications for campaigns and fundraising.

• Be a role model and mentor to communications and other personnel consistent with TWS purpose and values.

• Build and maintain relationships with eNGOs and key communications stakeholders to support TWS.

• Oversee the development of the TWS brand positioning strategy including internal and external market

research, stakeholder consultation, workshop facilitation and development of a repositioning strategy and branding guidelines.

• Facilitate the use of attitudinal research and message development in all external communications (campaigns and fundraising).

•Work closely with fundraising and communications staff to develop effective supporter segmentation and messaging to enhance engagement.

Oversee the implementation of a new Content Management System and the development of policies and procedures for ongoing management of web and digital content.

Develop systems for quality control in communications products across TWS.

• Development and implementation of a National Communications Strategy

• Drive the development and implementation of a national communications plan for the organisation

incorporating multichannel promotion and digital media.

• Work with the National Campaign Director and relevant communications advisors to ensure the development of detailed communications and media plans for each specific priority campaign, including the use of new media as appropriate.

• Work with the National Membership and Fundraising Manager and relevant communications advisors to develop a communications plan for membership and fundraising programs including the use of new media as appropriate.

• Work with TWS Campaign Centres to ensure consistency and effectiveness of communications plans.

• Oversee the development and implementation of crisis management and risk management plans procedures & protocols for all communications activity.

• Develop and implement an internal communications strategy to enhance communications flow across the various TWS organisations.

• Build capacity within TWS to support and enable effective communications planning into the future.

Manage the Communications Team

• Work with the Communications Team to develop a department workplan, schedule and resource allocation.

• Ensure the effective recruitment and training of the Communications Team.

• Convene regular team meetings, and ensure delivery of the communications plan.

• Be responsible for the development and management of the communications budget.

• Work with the Communications Advisors to develop, monitor and appraise performance plans for all communications staff to identify and achieve personal and department KPI’s.

• Undertake regular reviews or evaluations of communications programs and processes, and drive

communications innovation across TWS entities.

• Be responsible for delivery of Policy & Planning Meeting, Committee of Management and other TWSA

forum decisions which are the responsibility of the Communications Team.

• Participate in National Campaign Committee meetings as a representative of the Communications Team and ensure two-way information flow with the Communications Team.

Accountabilities

The position:

• Is directly responsible to the TWS Inc Committee of Management.

• Is a member of the TWS Inc Collaborative Management Team which oversees the day to day running of the organisation.

• Communicates and consults with other senior managers and staff as required.

• Reports regularly to the TWS Inc Committee of Management.

• Must maintain a productive working relationship with the other members of the Collaborative Management Team and is subject to regular review from the TWS Inc Committee of Management.

Selection Criteria

Qualifications

More information

Please contact the Business Operations Manager, Matt Brennan, on 0404 072 414 ormatt.brennan@wilderness.org.au

To Apply

A letter of application including a resume and responses to the selection criteria should be sent tohr@wilderness.org.au (attention Leigh Craven, HR Officer) by COB Monday 9th January 2012