Strategic Communications Lead
Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility
- Closing: 9:00am, 6th May 2026 AEST
Job Description
Employer: Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility
Work Type/s: Permanent, full time, 0.8 considered for an excellent candidate
Salary: $140,000-165,000 + super depending on experience [pro rata if part time]
Sector/s: Not For Profit (NFP)
Location: any Australian location, working from home (supported by ACCR); or ACCR office in Sydney (Gadigal Country), Melbourne (Wurundjeri Country) or Canberra (Ngunnawal Country).
Please note that we're currently unable to sponsor visas and require the candidate to be authorised to work in Australia.
Job posted on: 14 April 2026
Applications close: 9am [AEST] on 6 May 2026
Late applications will not be accepted as the portal closes automatically.
Likely interview period: 18 May 2026 - 29 May 2026
Role
ACCR seeks to meaningfully accelerate fossil fuels phaseout, through catalysing effective action by institutional investors to mitigate physical and systemic climate risk. We are looking for a dynamic and strategic communications professional - ideally with a background in climate communications and familiarity with corporate and investment power - to steward ACCR’s communications as a critical tool in maximising the impact of and shaping the narratives around our work.
The position leads ACCR’s Communications team and the whole of organisation Communications Strategy. It manages three other media and communications staff based in Australia and the UK, and engages substantially with staff across ACCR. The role sets the direction for how ACCR is presented to the world, and deploys narrative communications as a strategic tool, to ensure a consistent brand identity, mitigation of risks and effective communication of the impact of ACCR’s work.
Staff at ACCR are based across Australia and Europe. This role will need you to be available to work regularly until 6pm AEDT/5pm AEST, and for some evening meetings (up to 3 evenings/week, especially during the Australian summer months), with fewer hours at other times around these commitments.
We recognise that meaningful collaboration happens across these time zones and also value balance and well-being. We will support you in managing your time in a way that works for you.
The role requires occasional travel within Australia, likely at least two trips per year for up to 5 days, possibly a few other shorter trips depending on home location.
You’ll love this job if:
You are motivated to use your strategic communications skills to address climate change.
You love leading a team to achieve impact. You bring out the best in those you manage and set up smooth workflows that work in fast-paced and unpredictable media and communications contexts.
You think strategically, understanding which levers to pull when. You plan well so you can be nimble when needed.
Responsibilities
The role will include the following types of tasks:
Lead the design, development and execution of ACCR’s whole of organisation Communications Strategy, aligned with ACCR’s strategy.
Lead the design, development and execution of communication strategies to foster investor understanding and enable action.
Design, develop and execute ACCR’s narrative strategy, to develop proactive narratives, challenge negative narratives and amplify aligned voices to enable conditions for meaningful action.
Advise the co-CEOs on thought leadership opportunities, communications imperatives, brand voice and reputational risk to ensure that ACCR is protected and strategic objectives can be progressed.
Work with ACCR’s Climate Scientists to assist in the development of compelling climate science communications to our investor audience.
Lead the design, and curation of effective and compelling content around ACCR’s work that is audience appropriate, engaging, aligned with brand voice and ACCR’s strategic objectives.
Ensure all external published material is optimised for desired impact with accuracy, consistency and alignment with ACCR’s brand and key messages.
Oversee the development and management of media relationships, with journalists and media agencies to increase ACCR’s influence, maintain credibility and reputation and enable ACCR’s strategic message to be communicated effectively. Owning responsibility for ACCR’s engagement with Australian and Japanese media.
Oversee the creation and coordination of supporter communications such as e-newsletters, Shareholder Impact Report and ACCR’s Annual Review, to ensure supporters are informed and engaged.
Oversee the work of the Digital & Marketing Lead to ensure digital content is optimised for the audience and ACCR has an effective strategic reach.
Provide leadership as a senior member of ACCR’s Analysis & Communications team, modelling and promoting accountability for delivery and to our values, proactively, promptly, and appropriately dealing with conflict, and promoting cross function collaboration and open communication.
Develop the Communications team by providing coaching and feedback, aligning people’s goals and skills with organisational needs, and encouraging teamwork to ensure a healthy, high-performing staff culture.
Criteria
We’re looking for someone with these types of skills and experience:
Strong management skills, ideally with experience leading a communications team, including the ability to set direction, support the development of workplans and coach staff
Excellent working knowledge of climate communications globally, ideally with an understanding of corporate accountability, shareholder advocacy, or finance/investment
Strategic and engaging written content creator, confident to draft and place op eds and lead on the creation of media releases, ideally with a journalism or strategic communications background
Strong written and verbal communications skills across a diverse range of stakeholders, with a passion for ACCR’s work and an investigative drive
Demonstrated ability to think and lead strategically
Ability to build collaborative relationships with supportive organisations to amplify content and narratives
Strong interpersonal skills to work across the organisation and an ability to project manage the copy-editing process through to publication
Existing relationships with Australian media, with experience with Japanese media a bonus
A commitment to ACCR’s mission and values including demonstrating respect and genuinely valuing diversity.
Flexibility to work overlapping hours with colleagues in Europe and travel occasionally.
Comfort working in a remote virtual context – connected to colleagues elsewhere, possibly with some colleagues and an ACCR office within the same region depending on location, but also able to work from home, and thus having an ability to operate autonomously.
If you don’t meet every point above, please still apply if you can see your skills well used in this role.
Reporting to: Head of Analysis and Communications
Key Relationships: Communications and Publications teams, Sector Strategy and Investor Engagement Leads, co-CEOs, General Counsel, external media
Work Environment: As a hybrid/remote role with a geographically dispersed team, this position will involve periods of working alone from home (offices are available in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, and co-working spaces may be possible). The position is predominantly desk-based throughout the day. Some air and possible road travel may be required, both for ACCR meetings and events. International travel may be an option. With ACCR locations including Australia and Europe, some evening work will be required.
As a strategic communications role, the position-holder will need to be responsive to the changing environment, media and actions by external actors. This means that, at times, this role will need to turnaround work and adjust approach quickly.
About ACCR
ACCR is a non-profit shareholder advocacy and research organisation founded in 2012. We seek to meaningfully accelerate fossil fuels phaseout, by catalysing step-change across industries and financial markets, in the interests of investors, planetary systems and people. We use a range of tools, including company and investor engagement, the filing of resolutions, legal strategy, and the publication of financial analysis. More information about our latest work can be found in our FY25 Annual Review.
ACCR has a dynamic team of about 40 driven and experienced staff, based in Australia and Europe, working globally. Our growing team has a wide range of expertise - climate science, communications, engineering, law, equities analysis, finance, investor relations, IT and more.
What we offer:
We enjoy flexible work hours and supportive home-based working.
An annual home office set-up allowance
Mobile phone and home internet allowance
Annual team retreat so we can connect, learn and grow together.
Personal leave is double the statutory requirement (20 days in total, pro rata), plus additional paid leave from Christmas to New Year. Option to purchase additional leave.
Paid parental leave (regardless of who the birth parent is).
We value peer learning and each of us has a professional development budget to use towards individual career goals.
Access to our Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing platform, which includes a discount for friends and family.
ACCR offices are accessible, and further details can be provided.
Remuneration package
The salary range for this role based in Australia is $140-165K + super, along with benefits designed to support work-life balance. At ACCR, we are committed to aligning our compensation framework with the principles of fairness, equity and transparency. We benchmark salaries at least every two years against relevant not-for-profit salary reports and other similar organisations.
Additionally, we maintain no more than a 4 to 1 ratio between the most senior and junior staff, ensuring that our compensation structure remains equitable across the organisation. To ensure equity, salaries at ACCR are non-negotiable.
Application Guidelines
We use Applied as our recruitment platform, helping us reduce the risk of unconscious bias in our hiring process.
You will not be asked for a cover letter. Instead, we invite you to answer 3 questions designed to test your ability to do the job.
Please give it your best effort; your scores on these questions will be important in determining whether you are invited for an interview. To avoid bias, we do not look at CVs until after the deidentified scoring process.
Once started, you can save and return to your application before submitting.
An example of the 3 questions is:
Give an example from your work history of when you have pushed out into Australian media a report, campaign or other key strategic message for an organisation. How did you approach it? What was your goal? What determined the level of success of take up in the media?
We understand that applicants may use AI tools as thought partners. Submissions that are directly copied or heavily reliant on AI will be flagged and scored lower. Use of AI at interview will be viewed very negatively. Each application is reviewed and scored individually by multiple ACCR staff, supported by systems designed to help maintain authenticity and fairness.
Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to providing all employees with a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. ACCR encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people of all cultures, abilities, sex and genders.
We do not discriminate on the basis of any of the protected attributes under Australian legislation.
Reasonable Accommodation
We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment or selection process due to a disability, health condition, or other individual needs, please let us know. We will work with you to provide appropriate support to ensure you have a fair and equitable opportunity to demonstrate your skills and experience. All requests for adjustments will be handled confidentially.
Removing bias from the hiring process
Removing bias from the hiring process
- Your application will be anonymously reviewed by our hiring team to ensure fairness
- You’ll need a CV/résumé, but it’ll only be considered if you score well on the anonymous review
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