CPD is looking for an astute, persuasive Communications Officer with great attention to detail and political judgment to help communicate CPD’s practical, collaborative solutions to complex problems. This is a unique opportunity to help shape a fair, sustainable society and economy across Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’re looking for someone who can help bring CPD’s work to life and make our research and ideas accessible and engaging to broader audiences. Working across some of Australia’s most pressing challenges, you’ll support communications across our focus areas - from writing content for reports, website copy, pitching, media and social media, events and other projects - while learning and building your skills along the way.

You'll be joining a close-knit team that delivers real impact. We believe our people are our key asset and we are committed to recruiting and retaining talented, dedicated people who care about the work they do. Currently CPD has a presence in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Jakarta, and this position would be located in either Sydney or Melbourne.

We support flexible work and will consider either full-time or part time work for the right candidate. We have a collaborative culture that invites curiosity and initiative, and values constructive, respectful working relationships.

Diversity and Inclusion

We especially encourage the following people to apply for this role: people who are gender diverse, First Peoples, people of colour, people with lived experience of discrimination, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQI+ community, and people without a tertiary education. We also welcome applications from people with different career paths and experiences, including those transitioning into communications or bringing skills from other sectors.

Here's a taste of what you'll do:

As Communications Officer, you’ll support communications across CPD, working with our focus area teams to help share their research, ideas and impact with policymakers, partners, media and the broader public.

Your responsibilities will include

- Helping to ensure CPD effectively communicates its policy work, campaigns, reports and events, working closely with colleagues across the organisation.
- Working with focus area teams to identify stories, key messages and opportunities to share their work in ways that are clear, engaging and accessible.
- Writing, editing and adapting content for different audiences and channels, including social media, website content, newsletters and media materials.
- Supporting CPD’s social media and digital channels, helping to grow our reach and create meaningful engagement with our audiences.
- Coordinating communications projects and timelines across different teams, helping to keep things moving and making sure people have what they need to meet deadlines.
- Supporting the production and publication of reports and other CPD materials, including coordinating inputs, proofreading and working with designers.
- Monitoring media and public conversations relevant to CPD’s work and sharing useful opportunities and insights with the team.
- Bringing curiosity, ideas and a willingness to learn,



and contributing to a communications approach that reflects the diversity of perspectives and experiences across our organisation and the communities we work with.

About you We’re looking for the following skills and experience, some of which are essential and others desirable:

Essential

- Genuine curiosity, an eye for a good story, and an ability to think and write persuasively to influence different people and perspectives.
- Good attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise and follow things through.
- Good organisational and coordination skills, with the ability to support communications projects across different focus areas and keep things moving.
- Experience with website management tools such as WordPress, NationBuilder, and CRMs like Mailchimp, Salesforce, HubSpot etc.
- A cooperative and inclusive approach, with a willingness to listen, learn and work respectfully with people with different perspectives and experiences.

Desirable

- Experience or demonstrated capability in communications, media, digital content, social media or a related field, gained through professional work or other relevant experience.
- Experience with design software such as Adobe suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) as well as Canva
- Ability and willingness to contribute across different areas of communications, adapt to new challenges and continue developing your skills.
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience (3+ years) in a related field.
- An interest in politics, policy and the issues CPD works on.

Whoever you are, whatever your background, if you’re a curious communicator who cares about making a difference and supports our mission, we’d love to hear from you, even if you don’t tick every box above.

Salary

Starting at $72,000 + 12% superannuation, with a higher salary available depending on experience and skills, and taking into account fairness and equity across the team.

Location The role will be based in Melbourne or Sydney.

Benefits

These benefits are part of CPD’s Salary and Benefits Policy, which is reviewed every two years.

- Hybrid work and flexible hours, part-time possible.
- A 6% annual increase to base salary, applied each year on 1 January
- Additional week of annual leave entitlement after 3 years employment, and a paid 3-month sabbatical leave after 5 years employment
- Additional end of year leave (between Christmas and New Year), study leave, birthday leave and wellbeing leave for all staff
- Parental leave: 14 weeks’ paid parental leave (after one year of service at the expected due date) + 12 months of unpaid parental leave
- Floating Public Holidays
- Collaborative culture that will foster your skills, build your career and broaden your horizons





About CPD The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) is an independent, not-for-profit policy institute with staff in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Jakarta. Our vision is a fair, sustainable society and wellbeing economy that serves current and future generations in Australia and Southeast Asia. Our mission is to help create transformative systems change through practical solutions to complex policy challenges. We tackle the hard questions, working towards change that is systemic and long-term.

Through our work, we aim to contribute to governments that are coordinated, collaborative, and effective, with an eye to both the near and longer term. We strive to build a social services system that helps people and communities to thrive now and in the future, and drive shifts in policy making practice with a focus on wellbeing and sustainability rather than primarily economic growth.

We acknowledge and celebrate Australia's First Peoples.

To learn more about our work check out our latest Impact Report .

How to Apply To apply, please complete this Google Form. We ask you to provide your CV and respond to three questions as part of your application. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview, with a timed written task also forming part of the process.

If you have any trouble accessing the Google Form, please email [email protected] with the subject line ‘Communications Officer Application’, attaching your CV and responses to the three questions below:

1. Tell us a little about yourself and what draws you to the Communications Officer role at CPD. What interests you about our work, and what would you bring to the role? (Max 250 words)
2. Imagine CPD is about to publish a current piece of research on a politically contested issue that is likely to attract media and public attention. What would you consider when communicating the research, and how would you approach reaching different audiences? (Max 250 words)
3. Please explain how you would use digital communications tools - for example, CRMs, social media, design, website tools - to support an organisation like CPD. You can draw on examples from your previous experience, or explain how you would approach this if you haven't used all of these tools before. (Max 250 words)

How we shortlist We are reviewing applications and shortlisting candidates on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications close at 6pm on 10 September 2026 . However, if the advertisement is still live after this date, it means the deadline has been extended and applications are still being accepted.

Our recruitment process is completely human-led from start to finish, with no AI or automated screening. We think it’s important to take the time to thoughtfully consider every application, which means our process can sometimes take a little longer than usual. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Please note:

1. Applicants must have valid Australian work rights. CPD is not able to provide visa sponsorship.
2. The role will be based in Melbourne or Sydney.
3. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We look forward to receiving your application!

📌 Communications Officer (Melbourne)
🏢 Centre for Policy Development
📍 Melbourne