Strategic Communications Officer

HorizonOne Recruitment; Canberra; On-site; AUD 895,000 - 1,033,000; Full time

Job summary

HorizonOne Recruitment is seeking a Communications Specialist for a six‑month contract in Canberra, with potential extension. You will lead a strategic communications plan for a treaty‑level partnership, manage overseas postings, and produce branded social media content while coordinating with multiple teams and stakeholders.

The role requires experience in government or high‑profile communications, strong writing, and proficiency with design tools (Illustrator/InDesign).

Qualifications

• Experience developing and maintaining strategic communications plans, ideally within government or a high‑profile environment.
• Direct experience managing social media channels, including content planning, moderation and reporting.
• Experience using design software such as Illustrator or InDesign to produce branded content.
• Strong stakeholder coordination skills across multiple teams and messaging alignment.
• Excellent writing skills for producing fact sheets, talking points and communications materials.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining and updating the department’s strategic communications plan for the partnership.
• Developing communications materials focused on development and security cooperation.
• Building coordination mechanisms across government and with in-country partners.
• Ensuring government communications align with the branding and plan.
• Managing an overseas diplomatic post’s social media channel, coordinating with post staff.
• Developing and forward-planning social content, including branded tiles (design software required).
• Monitoring and moderating program channels and maintaining a moderation tracker.
• Drafting and coordinating translation of program fact sheets and assets.
• Supporting image and video production and building a searchable media library.
• Capturing and sharing participant stories, coordinating interviews and consent.

Skills

Strategic communications planning

Social media management

Stakeholder coordination

Excellent writing

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

InDesign

Job description

Our client is a large Commonwealth department responsible for Australia’s international relations, diplomacy and development cooperation. It manages a broad program of bilateral and regional partnerships, including treaty-level agreements covering development, security and mobility cooperation with international partner countries. The department places a strong emphasis on clear, coordinated public communication of these partnerships across government and with its overseas posts.

The Opportunity

This six-month contract, with a possible extension to 12 months, sits within a bilateral relations team responsible for one of the department’s international partnerships. The role centres on maintaining and delivering a strategic communications plan for a treaty-level partnership, with a particular focus on development and security cooperation, alongside supporting communications for an associated mobility program, including its social media presence. You’ll work across multiple teams inside the department, with an Australian diplomatic post overseas, and with in-country stakeholders, to keep messaging aligned and on strategy.

• Ownership of a strategic communications plan for a live, high-profile international partnership, not just execution support
• Direct working relationships with an Australian diplomatic post overseas and in-country partners
• Hands-on social media management for a live diplomatic channel and a dedicated program channel
• Exposure to translation coordination, multimedia production and brand-consistent design work
• The chance to help shape a social media moderation policy from the ground up

The Role

This role spans two related workstreams: strategic communications for a treaty-level partnership, and dedicated social media, content and information support for an associated mobility program. You’ll be responsible for

• Maintaining and updating the department’s strategic communications plan for the partnership
• Developing communications materials focused on the partnership’s development and security cooperation, under the direction of the relevant team
• Building coordination mechanisms across government and with in-country partners to identify communications opportunities
• Ensuring government communications about the partnership align with the agreed communications plan and branding
• Managing an overseas diplomatic post’s social media channel, working closely with post-based staff
• Developing and forward-planning social media content for the program’s dedicated channel, including designed tiles in line with agreed branding (requiring design software experience, e.g. Illustrator or InDesign)
• Monitoring and moderating the comment sections of program channels, and maintain a moderation tracker
• Helping develop a social media moderation policy based on existing government guidance
• Drafting and coordinating translation of program fact sheets and information assets, and keep them current through regular review
• Supporting image and video production for the program, and help build a searchable media library
• Supporting a strategy to capture and share program participant stories, including identifying participants and coordinating interviews and consent

The Ideal Person

You’ve likely worked in government or corporate communications roles involving sensitive or high‑profile subject matter, where careful judgement, discretion and consistent branding all matter. You’re comfortable managing social media channels directly, and confident coordinating content and messaging across multiple teams and stakeholders. You will bring the following skills and experience:

• Experience developing and maintaining strategic communications plans, ideally within government or a similarly high‑profile environment
• Direct experience managing social media channels, including content planning, comment moderation and reporting
• Experience using design software (such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign) to produce branded content
• Strong stakeholder coordination skills, with the ability to work across multiple teams and align messaging
• Excellent writing skills, with the ability to produce fact sheets, talking points and other communications materials to a high standard

Due to the nature of the department a current NV1 security clearance is mandatory for this role.

Salary

• $65/hr – $75/hr + 12% Super
• Six-month labour hire contract, with a possible extension to 12 months
• Canberra based only

HorizonOne is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and we encourage applications from people of all cultures, capabilities and backgrounds.