Media Lead

Oxfam Australia; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 118,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging up to $18,450 (not‑to

Flexible work arrangements

Superannuation matching

Job summary

Oxfam Australia is seeking a Media Lead to drive our media strategy and operations, enhancing our public profile and amplifying our voice on priority issues. You will lead proactive and reactive media engagement, provide strategic advice to senior leaders, and manage relationships with journalists and media outlets from Melbourne or Sydney in a hybrid setup.

The role reports to the Associate Director of Public Engagement and requires a proactive, collaborative approach aligned with Oxfam’s

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in media relations, strategic communications and delivering successful media campaigns.
• A proactive, adaptable and collaborative approach, with a commitment to Oxfam Australia’s values and purpose.
• Experience in strategic planning, budget management and supporting staff to achieve organisational objectives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong influencing, negotiation and relationship-building capabilities.
• Established relationships with Australian media outlets and journalists, with the ability to identify and maximise media opportunities.
• Proven ability to provide strategic media advice and guidance to senior leaders and key stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of crisis communications, reputation management and responding effectively to emerging media issues.
• Extensive knowledge of the Australian media landscape gained through working as a media/public relations professional or journalist.
• Ability to synthesize complex information to develop clear, evidence-based media and communications strategies.
• Experience assessing and advising on reputation risk and developing mitigation strategies.
• Keep across the trends that affect the industry and drive an insights-led approach towards developing media strategies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee Oxfam Australia’s annual media strategy to strengthen our public presence and amplify our impact.
• Plan and coordinate proactive and reactive media activities that align with Oxfam’s strategic priorities.
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders on media engagement, reputation management and emerging issues.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists and media outlets to maximise coverage and influence.
• Support and nurture the work of the Media Advisor in relation to new media partners.
• Manage media responses during critical incidents, ensuring clear, timely and consistent communication.
• Oversee the media function, including supporting and developing staff who report to the Media Lead, monitoring performance and driving continuous improvement.

Skills

Media relations

Strategic communications

Crisis communications

Budget management

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Media strategy

Job description

• Max term 12 month contract to commence 15 January 2027 to 15 January 2028
• Hours per week: Full time 35 hours
• Location: Melbourne or Sydney
• Hybrid
• Salary $131,067.71 pa + super + salary packaging

About Us

At Oxfam Australia, we believe all lives are equal and no-one should live in poverty. We are a member of Oxfam International, a global confederation working with partners and local communities in 76 countries.

Would you like to join this global movement of people working together to eliminate the inequalities that keep people in poverty?

We are currently seeking a Media Lead to join our team.

The Role

Reporting to the Associate Director of Public Engagement, you will lead Oxfam Australia’s media strategy and operations, driving proactive and reactive media engagement, strengthening our public profile and reputation, and amplifying our voice on the issues that matter most.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee Oxfam Australia’s annual media strategy to strengthen our public presence and amplify our impact.
• Plan and coordinate proactive and reactive media activities that align with Oxfam’s strategic priorities.
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders on media engagement, reputation management and emerging issues.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists and media outlets to maximise coverage and influence.
• Support and nurture the work of the Media Advisor in relation to new media partners.
• Manage media responses during critical incidents, ensuring clear, timely and consistent communication.
• Oversee the media function, including supporting and developing staff who report to the Media Lead, monitoring performance and driving continuous improvement.

For any enquiries relating to this role, please contact Rod Goodbun at [e-mail]

• Demonstrated experience in media relations, strategic communications and delivering successful media campaigns.
• A proactive, adaptable and collaborative approach, with a commitment to Oxfam Australia’s values and purpose.
• Experience in strategic planning, budget management and supporting staff to achieve organisational objectives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong influencing, negotiation and relationship-building capabilities.
• Established relationships with Australian media outlets and journalists, with the ability to identify and maximise media opportunities.
• Proven ability to provide strategic media advice and guidance to senior leaders and key stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of crisis communications, reputation management and responding effectively to emerging media issues.
• Extensive knowledge of the Australian media landscape gained through working as a media/public relations professional or journalist.
• Ability to synthesize complex information to develop clear, evidence-based media and communications strategies.
• Experience assessing and advising on reputation risk and developing mitigation strategies.
• Keep across the trends that affect the industry and drive an insights-led approach towards developing media strategies.

What we can offer you

• Superior leave benefits and access to a generous not-for-profit salary packaging program (up to $18,450 of your salary tax-free).
• The opportunity to use your talents and expertise to make a positive impact around the world.
• We value flexibility and seek to support our people in ways that meet their work/life commitments and support their wellbeing.
• Cultural leave
• Superannuation matching

Diversity, equity and inclusion are core to who we are. We actively seek to create a workplace that reflects the communities we are a part of, where everyone feels safe, respected and able to thrive.

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

We’re committed to making our recruitment process inclusive - please let us know if you need adjustments at any stage.

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Our culture is shaped by our values, which reinforce what we care about and how we do things, not just what we do. Our core values of Equality, Empowerment, Solidarity, Inclusiveness, Accountability and Courage drive everything we do at Oxfam.

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Therefore, our people are required to comply with the One Oxfam Child Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policies and sign the Oxfam Australia Child Safeguarding and One Oxfam Employee Codes of Conduct.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We care deeply about creating a safe and inclusive workplace where our people feel valued, respected and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunities and encourage applicants with personal experience of the forms of injustice we seek to address to apply for opportunities at Oxfam Australia.

Applicants will be required to show proof of their right to work in Australia and are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which include Police Checks and Misconduct Disclosure Scheme outcomes, before commencement. Pre-employment checks are not used by Oxfam Australia to prevent any applicant from applying for this position. Each application will be considered on its merits.

Oxfam Australia will not recruit international candidates who do not hold visas permitting them to work in Australia. Oxfam Australia does not provide visa sponsorship.

Additional information

For ongoing roles and fixed term roles, candidates will be required to have Australian work rights for the duration of their employment with Oxfam Australia.

At Oxfam Australia, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture where everyone's rights are recognised and respected. Guided by feminist principles and core values, we embrace different perspectives and work to eliminate systemic inequities that perpetuate discrimination. We centre and amplify the voices of people with lived experience and work in solidarity to build a future where no one is left behind.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is reflected in our actions, Oxfam Australia:

• Supports employee-led committees
• Promotes consultative ways of working and decision making
• Maintains a comprehensive enterprise agreement that prioritises employee well-being, as demonstrated through multiple leave types
• Provides ongoing awareness and training on unconscious bias, inclusion, and respectful workplace practices, ensuring alignment with Oxfam’s values
• Ensures a fair and accessible recruitment process