Senior Policy Advisor

Australian Finance Industry Association; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Finance Industry Association in Sydney is seeking an experienced Senior Policy Advisor with a law degree to shape contemporary financial services policy and lead high-impact advocacy campaigns.

Reporting to the Head of Policy, you will work across law, policy, regulation and industry practice, building evidence-based positions and coordinating submissions, roundtables and thought leadership to deliver practical outcomes for AFIA members.

Qualifications

• Law degree required and strong policy background.
• Substantial experience in public policy, regulatory affairs, or industry associations.
• Experience with financial services and consumer policy.
• Ability to interpret legislation and complex policy proposals.
• Experience leading policy campaigns or projects.
• Excellent written communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Understanding of Australian financial services regulatory environment.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyse emerging regulatory developments affecting the finance industry.
• Provide legally robust policy advice to AFIA and members.
• Lead policy campaigns from issue to strategy and delivery.
• Prepare submissions, briefs, and member communications.
• Develop evidence-based advocacy positions balancing outcomes and regulation.
• Engage with Treasury, regulators, and AFCA as needed.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and industry roundtables.
• Translate complex policy into practical guidance for members.
• Contribute to industry codes and best-practice frameworks.
• Collaborate across teams to deliver reports and events.

Skills

Policy analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory affairs

Public speaking

Written communication

Education

Law degree (LLB/JD)

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Australian Finance Industry Association – Sydney CBD NSW

The Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA) is seeking an experienced policy professional with a law degree to take on a Senior Policy Advisor role to help shape contemporary financial services policy and lead high-impact advocacy campaigns.

This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of law, public policy, regulation and industry practice. The role will suit a strategic and intellectually curious policy professional who can interpret complex legal and regulatory developments, develop sound policy positions and turn good ideas into coordinated campaigns that achieve measurable outcomes.

About AFIA

AFIA represents a diverse finance industry. We advocate for a competitive, innovative and responsible finance industry, working with members, government, regulators and consumer representatives to develop practical, evidence-based solutions to contemporary policy challenges.

The role

Reporting to the Head of Policy, this Senior Policy Advisor role will contribute to AFIA’s policy and advocacy agenda across finance regulation and consumer policy. The role will require the ability to work with a high degree of autonomy to proactively bring in colleagues from government relations, media, policy, events, and external consultants to achieve policy outcomes for AFIA members.

The successful candidate will take responsibility for a portfolio of policy issues, lead selected campaigns and work closely with AFIA members, government, regulators, consumer representatives and other stakeholders. They will be expected to engage early in policy development, define the outcome sought, develop evidence-based positions and coordinate advocacy through submissions, stakeholder engagement, member forums and thought leadership.

The role will have a particular focus on consumer credit and regulatory policy, including responsible lending and access to credit, financial hardship, customer vulnerability, domestic and family violence, elder and financial abuse, and dispute resolution. AFIA’s current work in this area seeks to promote earlier access to support, tailored responses and fair, sustainable outcomes for customers experiencing financial difficulty. It includes the development of hardship and financial-abuse better-practice frameworks, member roundtables, industry guidance and engagement with consumer groups, ASIC, Treasury, and AFCA.

The Senior Policy Advisor will:

• monitor and analyse emerging legislative, regulatory, economic and community developments affecting the finance industry
• provide clear, commercially informed and legally robust policy advice
• lead policy campaigns or projects from issue identification through to strategy, delivery, stakeholder engagement and evaluation
• prepare high-quality submissions, policy papers, consultation responses, briefs, presentations and member communications
• develop practical advocacy positions that balance strong customer outcomes with proportionate, workable and evidence-based regulation
• maintain responsibility on consumer policy issues, including hardship, vulnerability, financial abuse, responsible lending, complaints and dispute resolution
• contribute to the development and implementation of industry codes, guidelines and better-practice frameworks
• convene member working groups, roundtables and consultation processes to develop informed and representative industry positions
• engage constructively with Treasury, ASIC, APRA, AFCA, AUSTRAC and other government and regulatory stakeholders
• work collaboratively with the broader team to leverage their specialist skills in delivering industry events, webinars, and reports
• build productive relationships with consumer advocates and community organisations
• translate complex legal and policy developments into concise, practical advice for members and senior decision-makers
• contribute to thought leadership on contemporary issues affecting finance, customers and the wider economy
• use industry data, research and insights to develop credible, evidence-based policy positions
• maintain a watching brief on domestic and international political, regulatory, economic and market developments affecting the finance industry
• work with members to identify issues, reconcile differing perspectives and build consensus around industry positions
• respond to member requests for policy and regulatory assistance, identifying issues that may require broader industry advocacybuild, maintain, and be supported to grow your own and the organisation’s reputation as a highly respected, professional, and responsible organisation

About you

You will be a thoughtful, credible and solutions-focused policy professional who is comfortable working across legal analysis, policy development, stakeholder engagement and campaign delivery.

You will bring:

• a law degree, juris doctor, or equivalent legal training (requirement)
• substantial experience in public policy, regulatory affairs, legislative design, government, or an industry association
• experience and a strong interest in contemporary financial services (particularly finance and banking) and consumer policy
• demonstrated ability to interpret legislation, regulation, regulatory guidance and complex policy proposals
• experience developing advocacy strategies and leading policy campaigns or projects
• excellent written communication skills, including the ability to prepare persuasive submissions, briefs and executive-level material
• strong stakeholder-management skills and the confidence to represent AFIA in discussions with members, regulators, government and community stakeholders
• the ability to identify emerging issues, exercise sound judgement and develop practical policy responses
• a collaborative working style, combined with the capacity to take ownership and progress work independently
• an understanding of the Australian financial services regulatory environment
• strong commercial acumen and an understanding of how regulatory and policy settings affect finance businesses, competition and customers
• demonstrated ability to build consensus, negotiate positions and achieve advocacy outcomes across stakeholders with differing perspectives
• proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities, exercise judgement and adapt quickly in a changing policy and political environment
• experience in consumer credit, hardship, vulnerability, financial abuse, dispute resolution or industry codes would be highly regarded.