Andrew Leigh

I’m restructuring my office and looking to hire a full-time policy and communications adviser, based in Canberra.

The job involves contributing to the economic policy work in my office. For example, the past year has seen my office contribute to policymaking on taxation, innovation, inequality and competition. With each of these issues, our aim is to engage with the academic literature, policy experts, interest groups and the wider community.

The office is friendly and collegial. We’re looking for someone who is able to assist with immediate tasks (eg. answering phones, transcribing media interviews) while also working with my other policy staff on ideas-generation (eg. drafting memos, speeches).

Our ideal candidate is someone with an economics background. That means either an economics degree, or time spent working with a state or federal government economics agency. We also want a person who relishes the many challenges that a political office presents, and can work cooperatively with the other staff who are part of my policy team.

A strong commitment to the Labor Party is a must. A passion for Canberra is a definite bonus. We love people who are widely read (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, New Yorker, Economist, etc etc).

In politics, as in other walks of life, it always helps to surround yourself with people who can teach you something. So if you write better sentences than me, if you’re wittier than me, or if you understand a policy area that I’m weak on, then I want to hear from you.

Naturally, the main benefit of working with us is having fun and contributing to the national policy conversation. But there is also a pay packet, which will be around $65,000 to $75,000 (negotiable), depending on prior experience and the overtime you’re able to put in. Women and people from culturally and linguistically diverse groups tend to be underrepresented among economics advisers, and so are particularly encouraged to apply for this position.

We’re not looking for a lifetime commitment, but we’d hope that the successful candidate would be with us for at least 18 months. If you need more information about what my office does, check out www.andrewleigh.com, or email my chief of staff Nick Terrell at [email protected].

To apply, please send a CV with a covering email to [email protected]. Applications close at midnight on Sunday 18 October. If you know of someone suitable, please pass this ad on to them and encourage them to apply posthaste.