Campaign Director – Paid Parental Leave & Dads Advocacy

Location: Remote, anywhere in Australia

Hours: Full time, 4–5 days per week, with flexible arrangements

Contract: 18-month fixed-term contract

Reports to: Chief of Staff

Organisation: The Parenthood

About The ParenthoodThe Parenthood is Australia's leading parent advocacy organisation, representing more than 88,000 parents and supporters. We campaign to make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent and raise a child. That means paid parental leave that properly supports families, quality affordable early childhood education and care, and workplaces that value caregiving.

The Challenge

Australia's parental leave system was designed for families that no longer exist. Most families can't afford to have a parent at home for 12 months. Dads face workplace cultures that penalise caregiving, and mums carry a care load that undermines their economic security.

Our policy goal: 12 months of paid parental leave at replacement wage, shared between parents, with reserved time for both.

The RoleYou'll lead the next phase of our national campaign. You'll build on its existing strategy, relationships and community, assess what's working, and grow the movement and the political pressure that deliver reform. You’ll turn strategy into practical action, personally driving campaign delivery and organising dads and parents to get involved and stay connected.

You’ll work closely with the Chief of Staff, Senior Director Strategy, Campaigns & Community, and our digital and communications colleagues, with strategic guidance from the CEO.

What You'll DoCampaign Strategy & Delivery

- Review and develop the campaign strategy, theory of change and milestones, and turn it into a rolling plan covering audiences, activities, owners, resources and measures.
- Own delivery from start to finish: briefs, logistics, stakeholder follow-up and evaluation. Raise risks and decisions early, with a recommendation.
- Spot political windows (budgets, inquiries, elections) and news moments, and propose timely responses without waiting to be asked.
- Give digital and communications colleagues clear briefs (objective, audience, ask, inputs and deadline), and keep trackers and progress updates current.

Organising Dads

- Grow and activate our existing dad community, and recruit and support dad champions to share their stories.
- Personally lead recruitment,



organisation and follow-up for dad events and actions.
- Build pathways from first contact to deeper action, such as telling a story, attending an event, recruiting others or meeting a decision-maker. Keep accurate engagement records.
- Initiate and record regular on-camera social videos: explainers, calls to action and responses to news.

Corporate & Policy Influence

- Maintain a prioritised stakeholder map, and turn introductions into public commitments from corporate champions.
- Build employer case studies and joint advocacy that brings corporate voices to government.
- Develop evidence-based positions, draft submissions, brief politicians and advisers, and track legislative opportunities with the CEO.

What Success Looks LikeFirst 90 days: After reviewing existing work, agree a delivery plan, a stakeholder engagement plan and a dad recruitment approach, each with baselines, realistic targets and review dates.

Year 1:

- A growing community of dads taking campaign actions, with measurable progress on recruitment and sustained participation
- Corporate champions publicly backing reform
- Media coverage that positions The Parenthood as the lead voice on paid parental leave
- Political stakeholders taking our policy positions seriously

Targets will reflect the role's agreed hours, budget and support.

What You'll BringEssential:

- Campaign leadership: 3+ years designing and leading advocacy or public campaigns with measurable impact, grounded in a clear theory of change
- Practical delivery: a track record of turning strategy into a workable plan and personally delivering it
- Initiative and ownership: a proactive approach to identifying opportunities, proposing practical solutions and progressing agreed work without waiting to be asked
- Community organising: recruiting people into collective action and keeping them involved, including personally organising events and campaign activities and following up to sustain participation.
- Communication and media: strong writing and on-camera presence, in media interviews,



public forums and self-recorded social video, plus the political savvy to build relationships and know when to push and when to negotiate
- Commitment: to gender equality, modern fatherhood and families' economic security

Highly Valued:

- Experience engaging male audiences, or work on fatherhood and masculinity
- Experience in corporate partnerships, workplace advocacy, policy or digital organising
- An understanding of the practical barriers to accessing and sharing parental leave, from professional, community or lived experience

How We WorkWe're a small remote team that practises the flexibility we campaign for. We value people who take ownership, share ideas early, follow through and stay resilient when campaigns don't go to plan.

Practicalities

- Reporting: You’ll report to the Chief of Staff, who will be your line manager, with overall strategic direction set by the CEO.
- Location: Anywhere in Australia, with regular team video calls. Some travel will be required for political meetings and events.
- Remuneration: Competitive salary, with the range disclosed to shortlisted candidates, plus superannuation and additional paid leave above the standard four weeks, including over the December holidays.

- How to ApplyTo apply, please email [email protected] with the application materials outlined below. We do not accept applications through LinkedIn.

1. Short video (2–3 minutes, recorded on your phone) covering why this campaign matters to you, the approach you'd take and why you're the right person to lead it
2. CV highlighting relevant campaign, advocacy or organising experience
3. Brief cover note (1 page max) covering your most impactful campaign and what you learned, how you see the dad engagement challenge, and why The Parenthood and why now

Shortlisted candidates will receive a short campaign planning exercise to talk through at interview.

Applications close: Wednesday 18 November 2026

Interviews: Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to arrange a suitable time.

Start date: Ideally early 2027, with timing to be discussed with the successful candidate.

Questions? Email [email protected]. We're happy to chat if you want to learn more before applying.

The Parenthood is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including dads who've faced parental leave challenges firsthand.

📌 Campaign Director – Paid Parental Leave & Dads Advocacy (Australia)
🏢 The Parenthood
📍 Australia