Media and Communications Coordinator

Icon Water; Mitchell; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water services provider in Queensland is seeking a Media, Public Relations and Communications Coordinator for a 9-month fixed-term role. The ideal candidate will excel in crisis communication and media relationship management, crafting quality content for diverse media platforms. Strong writing skills and proactive engagement with stakeholders are essential. The role supports the Customer Engagement Group in ensuring transparent communication with the community.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing crisis communications and media enquiries.
• Strong track record in building spokesperson capacity.
• Highly advanced writing, editing, and proofreading skills.

Responsibilities

• Craft high-quality media content and manage media relationships.
• Develop media releases and prepare spokespersons for interviews.
• Lead the development of multimedia content for media use.

Skills

Crisis communication

Media relationship management

Public relations

Content creation

Education

Tertiary qualifications in journalism or communications

Job description

Icon Water is an iconic Canberra business with a history of providing essential services to Canberra for over 100 years.

With approximately 190,000 customers in the Capital region, we own and operate assets worth over $3.2 billion, comprising the ACT’s network of dams, water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, reservoirs, water and sewage pumping stations, mains and other related infrastructure.

Icon Water is a purpose-driven organisation where everyone contributes to our core business, ensuring high-quality drinking water and sustainable wastewater treatment. Icon Water’s culture is driven by our values of care, connection, community, and courage.

We are seeking a skilled and proactive Media, Public Relations and Communications Coordinator for a 9-month fixed-term role. You will join the Customer Engagement Group who are responsible for building strong, transparent relationships with our community by delivering clear communications, responsive service, and meaningful engagement to ensure customers feel informed, supported, and heard.

About this role: The role has primary responsibility for crafting high-quality media content, managing media relationships, and ensuring consistent, timely messaging with the media. You’ll take the lead in preparing both proactive and reactive media activity, including:

• being the first point of contact for media enquiries
• developing media releases and drafting holding statements
• preparing and supporting spokespersons for public comment and interviews
• maintaining Icon Water’s strong and trusted relationship with the media.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, brings strong public relations and crisis communications experience, and is passionate about sharing stories that reflect Icon Water’s values of Community, Care, Connection, and Courage.

The position requires strong writing skills, sound judgement, and the ability to work in a dynamic environment.

You will also be required to:

• proactively develop and execute media plans to identify risks and potential issues that might occur and how Icon Water will respond.
• identify, build, and maintain effective working relationships with journalists and media outlets.
• manage the delivery of proactive media content to promote the work of Icon Water, ensuring media materials align with organisational messaging and tone.
• identify and brief Icon Water spokespeople, organise ongoing training for them, and prepare them for interviews or media responses.
• manage media events, including press conferences and campaign launches, and support spokespeople at those events.
• lead the development of multimedia content for media use, including video, photography, and social media assets.
• provide on-call support for media enquiries outside of business hours, manage the on-call roster, and team media training.
• liaise with Icon Water staff to gather insights and information, build strong relationships across the organisation, and call upon the right people at the right time for responses to media and social media enquiries.
• generate ideas for the Communications and Engagement team on how our campaign content can be targeted to the media.
• monitor and produce daily, monthly, and quarterly media reports through Icon Water’s media monitoring platform.
• develop crisis communications, ensuring timely and consistent communications, and participate as part of the Incident Management Team as required.
• assist the Managing Director and Executive by writing speeches and writing/reviewing all-staff emails.
• lead the response to any community enquiries on social media during business hours and keep the response matrix updated so staff on-call outside of business hours can respond based on the business’ recommended approach.

Who we are looking for:

We’re seeking a proactive and collaborative communicator with a passion for storytelling and public engagement. You’ll bring tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience in journalism, media, communications, or a related discipline, along with a strong background in public relations and crisis communication in a fast-paced media environment.

You will also require:

• proven experience managing crisis communications and media enquiries in a complex organisation.
• a strong track record in building spokesperson capacity and identifying proactive media opportunities.
• highly advanced writing, editing, and proofreading skills with an eye for detail and tone.
• knowledge of effective communication principles and best practices.

Icon Water is committed to equal employment opportunities and welcomes applications from diverse candidates.