Policy Officer - Remote / Work from Home

Inclusion Australia is the national representative organisation for people with an intellectual disability and their families. We have been working strategically, with passion and dedication to advocate for greater inclusion of people with an intellectual disability in all levels of Australian society, for 70 years.

• This is a fully remote role, open to you wherever you live in Australia.
• The role is part time (0.6 – 0.8 FTE), 22.8 – 30.4 hours per week.
• This is a maximum term contract role through until 30 June 2027.
• SCHADS Level 5.1 Award salary.
• You must be available to work on Tuesday. You can choose the other days you will work.
• You can choose your working hours between 7.30am and 6pm your local time.

Why join us?

• Salary packaging available.
• Great flexibility - choose your working hours, work from home, and ask us about other flexibility to suit your personal needs.
• Opportunities for professional growth and impact.
• A supportive and collaborative work environment.
• A job that makes a difference.

Join Inclusion Australian (IA) and be a part of a team that is dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable society.

Purpose of this role

This Policy Officer will work closely with the Policy and Advocacy Manager, as well as the Policy and Advocacy team and Communications team, to deliver high quality policy, research, and systemic advocacy work.

What you will do

Duties and responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and coordinate Inclusion Australia's Voice and Impact Program, including story collection, consent processes, relationship management, thematic analysis, reporting, and feedback to contributors about how their experiences have influenced advocacy and policy.
• Build trusted relationships with people with an intellectual disability and their families, supporting them to share their experiences safely, ethically and in ways that suit them.
• Identify emerging themes and trends from lived experience and translate them into evidence that informs policy priorities, advocacy campaigns and organisational decision making.
• Provide high-level policy analysis and advice across a range of social policy and advocacy areas, centring the voices and experiences of people with an intellectual disability.
• Work with the Communications Team to identify opportunities for lived experience to inform media, campaigns, and publications, ensuring informed consent and contributor wellbeing.
• Develop and maintain systems to categorise, analyse and report on lived experience evidence, ensuring information is accessible, secure and informs organisational learning.
• Ensure contributors understand how their experiences have influenced Inclusion Australia's advocacy, policy positions and public engagement, strengthening trust and ongoing participation.
• Work collaboratively with IA staff, external stakeholders, contractors, and the Policy Reference Group – IA’s national network of people with an intellectual disability around Australia, which guides on our systemic advocacy.

Who we’re looking for

Experience:

You have:

• 3+ years of experience in policy development, analysis, and advocacy, preferably in a not-for-profit or public sector setting
•  Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement and building effective relationships with government officials, policymakers, and communities.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as inclusively and collaboratively in a team.
• Experience working with people with an intellectual disability would be an advantage.
• Experience using a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) would be highly regarded.

Knowledge and skills:

You have:

• An understanding of the role of Inclusion Australia in supporting the rights of people with an intellectual disability and their families
• Strong knowledge of disability policy issues
• Excellent research, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• An understanding of trauma-informed support approaches
• Organisational and time management skills
• Strong digital skills and confidence with Microsoft Office (particularly Teams).
• The ability to quickly learn and use new software systems. We use ClickUp for managing our workflow.

You can:

• Work collaboratively with people.
• Work remotely from home (with stable internet access)
• Write in Plain English and Easy Read or be interested to learn.
• Work productively and flexibly as part of a team and independently.

You are interested in:

• Human rights and equal opportunity
• Supporting people with an intellectual disability to participate fully in their roles.

You may also have personal or close experience in working with people with an intellectual disability.

You must have a:

• Police Record Check
• Current employment Working with Children Check (or equivalent in your state or territory).
• Completed NDIS Commission’s Worker Orientation Module certificate.

It would be an advantage if you have a university or TAFE qualification in social work, or a related field.

Equal opportunity

Inclusion Australia is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We understand you may have unique needs during the application or interview process. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to participate fully and fairly, please let us know:

• Within your cover letter, or
• Via email to Meredith Wiseman at meredith@ourhr.com.au (Inclusion Australia's people and culture partner) using the subject line: Policy Officer - Remote / Work from Home enquiry via EthicalJobs, or
• Email to request a call back from Meredith Wiseman for a confidential chat about your needs.

Please only use this email address to discuss your accommodation or adjustment needs. You can apply by using the "Apply Now" button.

We are dedicated to facilitating accessible and comfortable recruitment processes for everyone.

A position description is attached.