• Based at our Geelong, Waterfront or Waurn Ponds Campus + hybrid work arrangements
• Full-time and fixed-term until 2 January 2026
• HEW 9 $132,790 - $140,744 + 17% Superannuation

Why work with us?

At Deakin you will have access to benefits such as a variety of leave options including generous parental leave and the ability to purchase additional leave; flexible working arrangements to help manage your work-life balance; ongoing learning and development opportunities to grow your career; an inclusive and supportive culture and environment to work in, both online and on campus.

Who are we?

Deakin is a cutting-edge public university in Victoria, revolutionising education with 61,000 students across five campuses: Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waurn Ponds, Geelong Waterfront, Warrnambool, and our dynamic online Campus. We're proud to be a progressive and open-minded university, delivering the highest student satisfaction in Victoria and consistently ranked in the top 1% of the world's universities.

The Lead, Communications plays a pivotal role in profiling and protecting the university brand through media and corporate affairs communication and is integral to the success of the team, ensuring alignment with university goals and objectives. This is a specialist communications position that leads a small team primarily focused on supporting Deakin’s University Services portfolio. The role works tactically and proactively on a range of complex stories and issues and provides high-level operational advice to the Senior Manager, Media and Corporate Affairs.

As the Lead, Communications, you will:

• Manage aspects of Deakin’s public and corporate profile, along with risk and reputational awareness.
• Work with colleagues across the University, and external partners, to support key strategic projects and amplify internal and external messaging.
• Align strategic priorities, enterprise values and internal activity with community expectations.
• Manage aspects of Deakin’s crisis communication response, and related advice and handling.
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of a multi-layered, proactive-focused media and corporate affairs strategy, with a particular focus on supporting Deakin’s University Services portfolio.
• Act as a coach and work with team members to facilitate growth and development by giving balanced, constructive feedback considering individual capability and team performance.                                                                                                                                                                            

To be successful, you’ll have:

• Postgraduate qualifications and extensive relevant experience; or
• Extensive experience and management expertise; or
• Extensive experience and management expertise within a communication field; or
• An equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate for both content and intent, and experience writing a range of communications for a variety of audiences.
• A proven ability to thrive in a high-level, detail-focused, fast-paced media and communications environment.
• A proven ability and hunger to engage tactically and manage multiple communications projects simultaneously, and to navigate short, competing and changing deadlines.
• Extensive ‘start to finish’ experience developing and distributing communications collateral –including staff news, feature stories, media releases, reports, plans, correspondence, and briefing papers.
• Strong internal and external relationship management experience, with a capacity for conflict resolution, relationship management and diplomacy including stakeholder management.
• Experience in handling sensitive information including managing crisis communication and providing strategic and tactical advice to senior stakeholders on media issues.

Here's how to apply: 

Please submit your updated resume and a short cover letter outlining your skills and experience.

For a confidential discussion regarding this role, please contact Andy Newton, Senior Manager, Media and Corporate Affairs via andy.newton@deakin.edu.au

For a copy of the position description, please see below:

 PD Lead Communications_563711.pdf

Applications for this position close on Sunday 22 September 2024 at 11.55pm.

Are You Ready?

Deakin is a Victorian university with a global impact. We are an agile, dynamic, and innovative university committed to making a positive impact through our excellence in education, research and innovation and the contributions we make to the wider community.

We understand that our reputation has been built on the dedication and expertise of our staff and we offer a dynamic and diverse working environment with opportunities to grow and develop careers. We believe that a progressive, thriving culture will ensure that people choose to come, and stay at Deakin and contribute to our ongoing success.

We value diversity and aim to build an inclusive environment that champions, embraces and respects differences. We support and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people of all abilities, cultures, sexual orientation, and genders.