Position Description

Manager, Policy

Role Specifics

Position | Manager, Policy

Location | A national remote role, available in every major Australian city (with no preference for any location.

FTE | 1.0 (Full-Time) - with flexible arrangements available (eg. part-time)

Direct Reports| Policy & Advocacy Lead and Evidence & Evaluation Lead

Reporting to | Director, Policy and Systems Reform

Salary Range | $000,000 - $000,000 + superannuation + salary packaging options

Role Summary

The Manager, Policy leads a small, high-impact team driving systemic reform to prevent child sexual abuse and improve outcomes for victims and survivors.

Through strategic policy development, advocacy, and knowledge generation, this role champions evidence-informed approaches; elevating Lived Experience, cultural knowledge and practice-based evidence.

By generating compelling evidence, fostering partnerships, and influencing change, this role directly contributes to the National Centre’s mission to prevent child sexual abuse and strengthen systems of support, accountability, and recovery.

Who We Are

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (National Centre) The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse was established in November 2021 as a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It is a symbol of hope and an essential vehicle for action for many victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Its formation recognises the decades of advocacy by victims and survivors to be listened to, believed, validated, protected and ultimately supported to heal from the trauma they carry with them. Its focus extends beyond institutional child sexual abuse to abuse that occurs in the family, community and online.

The National Centre has woven the voices and experiences of victims and survivors into its very fabric. It acknowledges the strength and expertise that derives from their Lived and Living Experience of child sexual abuse. The National Centre recognises and honours the diversity of victims and survivors' experiences, identities and cultural backgrounds and their contributions to the common purpose of addressing child sexual abuse.

At the National Centre, we believe for victims and survivors to have the best opportunity to heal, they must feel safe to disclose and receive the necessary support that is non-stigmatising, appropriate to their needs and effective. Our purpose is to disrupt the dynamics that have failed to stop child sexual abuse from occurring, and prevented victims and survivors from being validated and supported.

Our values and behaviours

We are a purpose-driven organisation committed to creating a safer future for children and communities. We are committed to integrity, collaboration, innovation, and courage. Our team culture is inclusive, supportive, and focused on driving meaningful change.

Employees of the National Centre are required to demonstrate commitment to the organisation’s:

Diversity – we value an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and strongly encourages applications from First Nations people, people with disability, people from the LGBTIQ+ community, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Integrated Management Systems – established Quality Management and Workplace Health and Safety Management Processes.

Values – better together, trustworthy, driving action, inclusive, bold.

Privacy and Confidentiality - managing and maintaining confidential information, records and data in line with the National Centre’s Privacy Policy and relevant legislation.

Areas of Responsibility

1. Strategic Leadership

  • Provide strategic leadership and direction across the policy, knowledge mobilisation and advocacy functions to ensure alignment with organisational priorities.

  • Champion survivor-led, trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches across all activities, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities.

  • Manage, mentor, and support a high-performing team, providing day-to-day leadership, clear work planning, performance management and professional development.

  • Ensure strong integration and collaboration across the Lived Experience, policy, advocacy, communications and research work streams, fostering cross-functional impact and knowledge sharing.

2. Stakeholder Engagements & Partnerships

  • Partner with Lived Experience experts, researchers, diverse communities, and practice leaders to generate and elevate new knowledge that informs policy and systemic change. 

  • Build and maintain trusted relationships and partnerships with Lived Experience advocates, government, sector leaders, and other key stakeholders to amplify impact and drive collaboration.

  • Facilitate collaborative initiatives that generate and share knowledge; strengthening our collective voice and advancing advocacy goals.

  • Identify new partnership opportunities to expand reach, influence and knowledge generation capacity.

  • Represent the National Centre in strategic forums and working groups, contributing to national conversations on systemic reform.

3. Policy & Advocacy

  • Lead and oversee the development and delivery of policy materials including policy briefs, submissions to inquiries and reviews, policy papers and policy positions ensuring they reflect Lived Experience, evidence and sector insights and incorporate strong calls to action. 

  • Lead and oversee the development of advocacy strategies including campaign messaging and stakeholder engagement methodologies.

  • Ensure advocacy activities are proactive, strategic and timely; positioning the organisation to influence public policy, legislation and systems reform.

4. Knowledge Mobilisation

  • Lead projects that generate and elevate diverse forms of knowledge including Lived Experience, cultural knowledge and practice-based evidence. 

  • Develop and implement knowledge mobilisation strategies to ensure evidence gathered meaningfully informs public discourse, policymakers and organisational advocacy.

  • Ensure evidence, insights and Lived Experience shape public discourse and policy design through trauma-informed engagement.

5. Environmental Scanning & Strategic Foresight

  • Monitor emerging trends, evidence gaps, systemic issues and policy opportunities through building evidence, networking and collaboration with key stakeholders and partners, anticipating issues and positioning the organisation for influence.

  • Build relationships with key stakeholders to stay informed of emerging issues, reforms and research.

  • Use insights from scanning to refine priorities and anticipate shifts in the policy landscape.

6. Team Leadership

  • Oversee and manage the Policy & Advocacy Lead and Evidence & Evaluation Lead, providing leadership, guidance, and support, training, skill development and performance reviews.