Senior Advisor, External Communications

John Holland; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Ongoing development opportunities

Inclusive workplace environment

Career experiences

Job summary

John Holland is seeking a Senior Advisor for External Communications in Adelaide, responsible for developing and delivering communication strategies for South Australia's largest infrastructure project. The ideal candidate will have 8-10+ years of experience in communications, exceptional writing skills, and proven stakeholder engagement abilities. This role involves leading communications across various platforms and working collaboratively in a complex, fast-paced environment. The position offers a commitment to professional growth in a diverse workplace.

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of experience delivering external communications in large-scale infrastructure.
• Ability to tailor messaging for different audiences.
• Experience providing strategic communications advice.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of proactive and reactive external communications.
• Provide strategic advice to project and Alliance teams.
• Develop high-quality content across a range of channels.

Skills

Exceptional writing, editing and content development skills

Strong stakeholder engagement skills

Ability to manage competing priorities

Proactive mindset

Education

Tertiary qualifications in communications, public relations or related discipline

Job description

The Project

The consortium of John Holland, Bouygues Construction, Arcadis Australia, Jacobs and Ventia has been selected to build South Australia's biggest-ever road infrastructure project. In partnership with the South Australian Government, this consortium forms the Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Alliance.

The Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Alliance, will deliver the final 10.5km section of the North-South Corridor, forming a continuous 78 km, non-stop, traffic light-free motorway, and contributing to a long-lasting legacy for the community and people of Adelaide.

The Role

Reporting to the External Communications Lead, the Senior Advisor, External Communications plays a key role in shaping how the T2D Project is communicated to the community, stakeholders and media.

This is not a traditional communications role. You will be working at the centre of South Australia’s largest infrastructure project, developing and delivering high-impact communications that support major construction activities, manage sensitive issues and build trust with diverse audiences.

You will lead the development of proactive and reactive communication strategies, working closely with technical, construction and stakeholder engagement teams to translate complex information into clear, engaging and timely content.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to a fast-paced, high-profile project environment, where your advice and outputs will directly influence how the project is understood and experienced by the community.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of proactive and reactive external communications across a complex, high-profile infrastructure project
• Provide strategic advice to project and Alliance teams on communications approaches, particularly for complex or sensitive issues
• Develop high-quality, audience-focused content across a range of channels, including media materials, digital content and stakeholder communications
• Coordinate day-to-day communications activities, ensuring alignment with Alliance priorities, government requirements and project timelines
• Work closely with technical and delivery teams to translate complex construction activities into clear, accessible messaging
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of communications activities to inform continuous improvement
• Support the External Communications Lead in managing workflows, priorities and emerging issues in a dynamic environment

About You

You are an experienced communications professional who thrives in complex, fast-paced environments and is confident operating at both a strategic and delivery level.

You bring strong judgement, a calm and solutions-focused approach, and the ability to navigate sensitive issues while maintaining credibility with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will also bring:

• Tertiary qualifications in communications, public relations or a related discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Significant experience (ideally 8–10+ years) delivering external communications in large-scale infrastructure, government or similarly complex environments
• Exceptional writing, editing and content development skills, with the ability to tailor messaging for different audiences
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic communications advice and managing competing priorities
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to work collaboratively across multi-disciplinary teams
• A proactive mindset, with the ability to anticipate issues and respond with sound judgement and pace
• A genuine commitment to safety, wellbeing and respectful workplace behaviours

Flexibility to undertake reasonable after-hours work is required to support project delivery and stakeholder needs.

We Offer

Your success is our success, and as an Alliance, we are committed to being an employer of choice in Adelaide. We pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where different perspectives and ideas are valued as crucial to our long-term success. We are invested in your future with us and prioritise providing rich career experiences and ongoing development opportunities to support your growth.