My marvellous media adviser, Toni Hassan, has unfortunately decided to move on. So I'm looking for a new Canberra-based media adviser. In the past, I've advertised in newspapers, but the best applications have invariably been the ones who came across the ad on my website or twitter feed. So this time, I'm simply going to rely on word of mouth. If you know of someone suitable, please let them know.
What does the job involve? In a high-level sense, helping me do a better job of publicly communicating on issues of public policy. I have a pretty broad range of ways through which I engage on policy issues - from books to speeches to interviews to op-eds to tweets.
Along with my other four staff, my media adviser helps draft, coordinate, and project those ideas. This involves lots of typing transcripts (if you don’t touch-type, it’s likely to be a problem), as well as drafting media releases and chatting with journalists. The hours tend to exceed 40 hours a week, and can be unpredictable - for which there's an overtime allowance.
As Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Shadow Minister for Competition and Member for Fraser, the issues that I engage on range from multinational profit-shifting to saving the red post box in Nicholls. So an appreciation for economics and a love of Canberra are definite pluses.
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, if you know the media better than me, or if you understand a policy area that I’m weak on, then I want to hear from you.
The salary range is $83,180 to $88,623, which includes an overtime/on call allowance.
If you're interested, please send a CV with a covering email to andrew.leigh.mp<asperand>aph.gov.au. Toni finishes up with me in early-July, but I know it helps to have a weekend to prepare a job application. Accordingly, applications close at midnight on Sunday 22 June.
In case you're interested in my views on engaging with the media in the current environment, see my speech The Naked Truth? Media and Politics in the Digital Age.
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