The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is Australia’s audiovisual archive, telling the national story by collecting, preserving and sharing audiovisual media, the cultural experience platforms of our time. The collection itself dates back to 1935, making it one of the world’s oldest audiovisual collections. It is also one of the country’s most used cultural collections, with around 125 million views of collection content each year. The NFSA is in a period of significant change. Following increased Government investment, the institution is in a process of digital transformation, establishing the NFSA as Australia’s most dynamic and valued cultural organisation. We are rebuilding our curatorial workforce and developing the NFSA’s capacity to digitise our collection at scale – to preserve it for the future, to make sure it can be discovered, and to share it with all Australians.
We continue to work on developing a stable, secure and future-proof workforce across our four physical sites based in Canberra and Mitchell in the ACT as well as in Sydney and Melbourne.
We are also undergoing a program of business improvement for many of our corporate systems to improve efficiency and reduce manual handling.
We are an ambitious organisation, and we aim to be an employer of choice within the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector, providing exciting and challenging work, as well as favourable employment conditions and unique development opportunities for our staff.
About the Team
The Communications team is part of Marketing and Communications Branch which includes marketing, design, communications, editorial and digital content. The team is split across our Sydney and Canberra offices and this role will be based in our office in Acton.
The Opportunity
The Communications Specialist plays a key role in attracting local audiences to our compelling on-site public programs in Canberra, and reach national audiences with stories about the collection, our work and our ambitions.
The Communications Specialist will be an experienced publicist and communications professional, able to work independently and to manage communications activity for our Canberra public programs. This role requires enthusiasm and strong storytelling abilities to pitch to a wide variety of consumer and industry media, and to add value to NFSA corporate and internal communications activities. The Communications Specialist will utilise their exceptional verbal and written communication skills to deliver key messages effectively by tailoring them for intended audiences.
This position requires a self-starter, ready to take on any tasks irrespective of whether they are big or small and willing to work across a variety of projects at a given time. The Communications Specialist will be a team player with an interest in Australian audiovisual culture who understands the benefit of collaborative digital and social marketing and communications campaigns to deliver messages across a range of platforms with imagination, flair and accuracy.
Please note: Previous applicants need not apply for this position.
Job Description
Under limited direction, this position is responsible for delivering the following functions:
Conceive and implement targeted and effective publicity campaigns for NFSA projects, programs, exhibitions and events, designed to promote the NFSA’s public programs at its heritage Acton HQ. and including:
the development of media releases and press materials,
the fostering of strong relationships with Canberra media,
contributing to integrated campaigns,
developing an advertorial content strategy; and
monitoring and reporting on campaign results and media coverage.
Coordinate media activities including interviews, filming and photoshoots, response to press enquiries and the production and promotion of media events, listings and launches.
Lead network marketing engagement to maximise event promotion with engaged target communities and represent the NFSA to those communities and in pan-agency cultural outreach.
Assist the Communications Manager with national communications projects designed to optimise audience engagement with NFSA digital platforms.
Assist in the writing, editing and coordination of editorial content for NFSA publications, including the website, external newsletters, and social media.
Collaborate with the Communications Manager on the development of integrated external and internal Communications strategies and a Corporate storytelling framework.
Lead the deployment of internal communications tools using a variety of different platforms, including leading the development of the NFSA intranet and editing and producing the regular NFSA staff newsletter.
Manage internal and external stakeholders across key communications projects, including relationships with suppliers, and represent the NFSA in pan-agency cultural sector promotions.
Track budget spend and undertake other administrative duties – such as responding to enquiries sent to NFSA email inboxes, maintenance of Customer Relationship
Management system, and creating timely and meaningful reporting from NFSA media coverage.
Build strong relationships with staff across the NFSA to ensure that communication needs are understood.
Selection Criteria
The successful candidate will demonstrate their capacity against the following:
Current and well-developed network of media contacts and strong working relationships with media and journalists.
Strong and strategic storytelling skills, including exceptional writing, with the ability to produce copy for a variety of platforms (media releases, advertorial, web, speeches, social content, eDMs etc), alongside a track record achieving measurable success against targets.
Demonstrated experience in internal communications, including project management.
Demonstrated interpersonal and relationship building skills, including clear experience of executive-level stakeholder management.
Desired Skills and Experience
Mandatory:
Four or more years’ experience in communications, public relations and/or journalism.
Note:
Some after-hours work will be required for event management and photography.
Occasional travel to Sydney will be required.
How to Apply
When applying via our online e-recruitment system, please provide a written application addressing each Selection Criteria. Your current resume is also to be included in your application.
In addition to an application and your resume, the assessment process for this position may also include an interview and referee reports.
We welcome and encourage applications from people with disability, the LGBTIQ+ communities, from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this position you must:
Be an Australian Citizen.
Satisfactorily complete an Australian Federal Police National Police Check.
What we offer you
We provide a diverse, inclusive, and supportive work environment with access to:
Great training and development opportunities.
Generous leave and flexible working arrangements.
Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP – a free counselling service for you and your family).
A competitive salary, plus 15.4% superannuation.
Rewards and recognition initiatives.
Cultural Values
We are an equal opportunity employer, embracing a diverse range of applicants such as veterans, and people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA community members, individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions, as well as those from varied faith and cultural backgrounds. At the NFSA we prioritise the development of a safe, inclusive, and high-performance culture through shared actions and behaviours that align with our strategy and direction. This empowers our employees to effectively contribute to our goals.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is committed to ensuring a child-safe and child-friendly environment. All employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and support for these principles in theory and practice.
RecuitAbility
RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme; declare you have a disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the job. For more information see: RecruitAbility | Australian Public Service Commission (https://apsc.gov.au)
