External Communications Advisor

VicRoads; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Fitness Passport & discounts

Professional and personal development

Flexible working arrangements

16 weeks paid parental leave

Job summary

VicRoads is seeking an External Communications Advisor to lead day-to-day media relations, support crisis and issues management, and deliver proactive campaigns that protect and promote the organisation’s brand.

Reporting to the Manager Corporate Communications, you will draft releases, coordinate briefings, monitor media sentiment, and build trusted relationships with government agencies and external partners.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in external communications, journalism, media relations or public affairs.
• Ability to craft clear, compelling messages for diverse audiences.
• Strong written and verbal communication, and sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day media relations and external communications.
• Support crisis and incident communications planning and response.
• Develop and deliver integrated communications campaigns.
• Draft and edit media releases, statements, speeches, Q&As and collateral.
• Monitor media coverage and provide actionable insights.
• Coordinate with government agencies and external partners.
• Participate in media on-call roster and manage inquiries.

Skills

External communications

Media relations

Stakeholder engagement

Crisis communications

Written communication

Verbal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications or related field

Job description

At VicRoads the work you do has real impact. Our work connects people and communities. We keep Victorians moving safely and smoothly today and help them be ready for tomorrow.

VicRoads empowers our people to learn and grow– focusing on impact and innovation. We reflect the diversity of Victoria and foster clever thinking to keep you and the community moving.

VicRoads is progressing too. In August 2022, we started on a new chapter when the Victorian State Government partnered with Aware Super, Australian Retirement Trust, and Macquarie Asset Management to operate registration and licensing services on its behalf.

We work collaboratively with the Victorian State Government to ensure we fulfill regulatory requirements, deliver State projects and safeguard customer data. The Victorian State Government retains sole responsibility for road access, infrastructure and safety.

• Annual Salary Range: Commensurate with Experience

• Employment Type : 7 months Max Term - Full-Time

• Usual Work Location : QV 180 Lonsdale Street CBD/ Work from home

About the Opportunity

Join VicRoads Registration and Licensing Services (RLS) as an External Communications Advisor on a 7 months max term contract and play a key role in shaping and protecting the organisation’s brand and reputation. Working within the Corporate Affairs team, you will support the delivery of strategic communications initiatives that inform, engage and build trust with the community, media, government stakeholders and other external audiences.

Reporting to the Manager Corporate Communications, you will lead day-to-day media relations activities, implement issue and crisis communications, support community engagement programs, and deliver proactive communication campaigns that promote VicRoads’ services, transformation initiatives and organisational objectives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the development and delivery of external communications strategies aligned to organisational priorities and strategic objectives.

• Drafting, editing and coordinating high-quality media releases, statements, speeches, briefing materials, Q&As and other communication collateral.

• Managing media enquiries and providing effective issues management support while identifying proactive media opportunities.

• Planning and delivering integrated communications campaigns to educate, engage and inform external audiences.

• Assisting with crisis and incident communications planning and response activities.

• Monitoring media coverage and public sentiment, providing insights and reports to support decision-making.

• Participating in the media on-call roster and managing media inbox enquiries as required.

• Building strong relationships with internal stakeholders, subject matter experts, government agencies and external partners.

About you
You are an experienced communications professional with a passion for impactful storytelling, stakeholder engagement and reputation management. You bring strong media relations and communications expertise, exceptional written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to navigate complex issues with sound judgement and professionalism.

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Have at least 5 years’ experience in external communications, journalism, media relations or public affairs, ideally within a complex or highly regulated environment.

• Can craft clear, compelling and accurate communications tailored to a variety of audiences and channels.

• Work effectively in fast-paced, high-performing teams and can successfully manage multiple priorities with exceptional attention to detail.

• Have experience supporting crisis communications, issues management or incident response in a public-facing environment.

• Demonstrate sound judgement, professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive or confidential information.

• Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders and collaborate effectively across diverse teams.

• Remain calm under pressure and can respond thoughtfully to emerging issues and changing priorities.

Our culture

Innovation powers progress, but it doesn’t come without support. To attract, retain, and develop talented people, we reward initiative and ingenuity, foster collaboration, and offer dynamic career development. At VicRoads, we embrace diversity and inclusion and we’re proud our workforce reflects the community we work for.

What we offer

• Salary packaging, Fitness Passport & discounts to hundreds of retailers

• Opportunities for professional and personal development

• Flexible working arrangements and family-friendly practices, including 16 weeks paid parental leave.

We encourage applications from people of all genders, backgrounds and communities.

VicRoads is required to evidence your right to work in Australia and may ask for your consent to check records maintained by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection as well as records maintained by Victoria Police and VicRoads as part of the selection process. Information provided to VicRoads will be treated in the strictest confidence. Please note that due to legal requirements you must be predominantly located in Australia and for certain roles, predominantly located in Melbourne or Victoria.