Communications & Engagement Officer

Fynd; Adelaide; Hybrid; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Access Federation (AAF) is seeking a Communications & Engagement Officer to drive storytelling and engagement across Australia's research, technology and higher education sectors. You’ll craft campaigns, write articles, manage events, and connect researchers, universities, government, and industry to broaden a national program’s reach.

Working with the Manager of Communications & Marketing, you will translate complex topics into accessible narratives, support national initiatives, and

Qualifications

• Proven ability to shape and deliver communications across channels.
• Ability to translate complex research/tech topics for diverse audiences.
• Experience coordinating events, conferences or workshops.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills for articles, case studies and updates.
• Experience with digital channels and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Shape communications and campaigns from concept to execution across digital channels, publications, and stakeholder updates.
• Write articles, news stories, case studies and content that makes complex research and technology accessible.
• Support national programs and government-funded research projects.
• Collaborate with researchers, universities, government, industry and tech specialists to inform and connect audiences.
• Coordinate national conferences, workshops, and reference groups.
• Create and manage content for website, newsletters, and social channels.
• Prepare collateral and conference materials with designers as needed.
• Track engagement and report on outcomes to communicate impact.

Skills

Comms planning

Content creation

Stakeholder engagement

Event coordination

Digital channels

Copywriting

Storytelling

Web content

Editing

Tools

WordPress

Mailchimp

Salesforce

Eventbrite

InDesign

Photoshop

Job description

Communications, clever technology, big national projects and a whole lot of interesting humans. Not a bad mix for your next gig, hey?

We're back with our long-time friends at Australian Access Federation (AAF), and we're on the lookout for a Communications & Engagement Officer to get amongst some pretty exciting work across Australia's research, technology and higher education sectors.

Think meaningful projects, plenty of creative freedom and a lovely mix of communications, content, events and community engagement. One of those roles where you'll have a hand in just about everything and actually get to see the impact of what you're doing.

AAF is one of those organisations doing some incredible work behind the scenes of Australia's research, technology and innovation sectors.

They're the clever humans behind secure access and identity technology supporting more than 1.5 million people across Australian universities, research institutions and government. Think CSIRO, medical research institutes and national research infrastructure helping some of Australia's brightest minds collaborate and do their thing.

In simple terms? AAF makes it easier for researchers and institutions to securely access the technology, services and information they need to get on with work that actually makes a difference.

Small team. Big national footprint. And a pretty impressive reputation in the world of Trust and Identity. We've partnered with AAF for years, and they're a pretty special crew. Clever, down to earth, passionate about their work and just really good humans to be around.

So, what's the gig?

You'll be working directly with AAF's Manager of Communications & Marketing, getting your hands into a lovely mix of communications, content, events and community engagement.

AAF's doing some big things across national Trust and Identity initiatives and government-funded research infrastructure, and you'll help tell those stories, raise awareness and bring the wider community along for the ride.

You'll have a hand in both the thinking and the doing, from shaping communications and campaigns to connecting with researchers, universities, government and technology specialists. Some days you'll be turning complex technical information into a great story. Others, you'll be bringing people together around a national program, prepping for a major industry conference or getting a new communications campaign out into the world.

What you'll get your hands into

• Comms + Campaigns: Shape and deliver communications from concept through to execution, across digital channels, publications and stakeholder updates.
• Content + Storytelling: Write articles, news stories, case studies and content that makes complex research and technology interesting and accessible.
• National Programs: Support communications and engagement across Trust and Identity initiatives and government-funded research projects.
• Stakeholders + Community: Work with researchers, universities, government, industry and technology specialists to keep people informed and connected.
• Events + Conferences: Help coordinate national conferences, workshops, town halls and reference groups, including eResearch and THETA events.
• Digital + Social: Create content across AAF's website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, newsletters and email communications.
• Collateral + Creative: Pull together presentations, conference materials, brochures and publications, working with designers where needed.
• Impact + Insights: Track engagement, report on outcomes and help communicate the real-world impact of AAF's work.

And you?

You're a communications all-rounder with great writing chops, a curious little brain and a knack for making complex things feel a whole lot simpler. You love a good story, enjoy working with different people and know how to take a communications idea from the early thinking right through to delivery.

And this bit matters. Experience across research, technology, higher education, government-funded programs or similarly technical environments is a big part of what we're looking for. You don't need to know AAF's world inside out, but you do need to understand the type of work, people and audiences you'll be communicating with.

Maybe you've worked in university or research Comms, science, government, complex B2B technology or an agency supporting these sectors. We're open to different backgrounds, provided you can get across the subject matter and make it relevant to different audiences.

A few things we'd love:

• Strong communications experience across content, campaigns, digital channels and stakeholder engagement.
• Great writing skills across articles, news stories, case studies and longer-form content.
• Experience translating complex information for different audiences and working with technical specialists.
• Exposure to events, conferences, workshops or community engagement activities.
• Hands‑on skills across web, newsletters, email, social and communications collateral.
• A pretty organised brain, great attention to detail and the confidence to own your work.

If you've used WordPress, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Eventbrite or similar platforms, lovely. A little InDesign or Photoshop experience wouldn't go astray either. Above all, we're looking for someone who's curious, collaborative, comfortable getting stuck into the doing and keen to make their mark on some pretty meaningful work.

The lovely bits

Small team, big ideas and a pretty fascinating corner of Australia's research and technology world to get involved in. Clever, down-to-earth people, plenty of room to bring your ideas and the chance to make an impact across national projects and programs.

Your home base? Ideally Adelaide's Lot Fourteen, right amongst the city's innovation and technology community. AAF would love someone comfortable spending around four days in the office, with Brisbane also an option for the right human. There's some national travel too, planned around conferences and sector engagement activities.

This is a full-time, 2-year fixed-term contract, with every intention for the role to extend well beyond the initial term, subject to continued funding. AAF's already looking ahead to its next phase of national programs, and you'll be right at the heart of bringing that work to life.

And culturally? Good humans, interesting conversations and a team that cares about doing good work without taking themselves too seriously.

Sound like your kind of thing?

If you love a good story, have a soft spot for clever people and fancy putting your Comms skills to work somewhere a little different, we'd love to hear from you.