Policy Officer - Build a Ballot

About Project Planet and Build a Ballot

Project Planet exists to turn moments of attention — like elections and climate disasters — into sustained participation. Through our strategic partnerships, digital toolkit and media platform, we make it easier for Australians to turn their climate concern into climate action.

In 2025, we launched Build a Ballot, a first-of-its-kind tool that helped nearly 600,000 Australians research candidates and plan their vote for the federal election. Looking forward, we’re expanding Build a Ballot’s reach and impact, ensuring that voters have credible, transparent and accessible information at their fingertips.

The Role

We’re looking for a policy generalist to deliver and refine the rollout of Build a Ballot’s policy process across state and federal elections. Working alongside our small (but mighty!) team, you’ll help shape how our policy agenda is set, trial innovative approaches to civic engagement, and translate complex policy into plain language insights and copy that can be used within the tool and internally — all while ensuring our work remains transparent, evidence-based, and accessible.

Your work will directly impact how millions of Australians engage with democracy. We’re seeking a strategic, collaborative thinker with strong policy knowledge, political analysis skills, and experience in stakeholder engagement, who is excited to pioneer new approaches to increasing democratic participation.

This is a full-time, 12-month role, with the potential to renew subject to funding and performance. Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents with full working rights.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the policy-side rollout of Build a Ballot for the Victorian and NSW state elections
  • Assess and review state and federal policy landscapes to inform the Build a Ballot agenda for elections
  • Organise and coordinate Build a Ballot’s policy processes, including ‘focus group’ style events and expert advisor input
  • Bring together background research and translate it into clear, accessible copy for use both internally and for the Build a Ballot tool during elections
• Review, adapt and refine Build a Ballot methodology and processes after each campaign
• Apply broad policy knowledge and political analysis to guide strategic decisions
• Ensure transparency and integrity in policy agenda-setting and decision-making processes
• Engage with stakeholders, maintain relationships, and continue developing the credibility of the Build a Ballot brand
• Support the Build a Ballot team in the development of a major civic engagement strategy, to be delivered in the lead up to the next federal election

Skills and Experience

• Strong policy expertise with broad, generalist knowledge.
• Experience in political analysis, stakeholder engagement, and communications.
• Established networks or relationships in policy and political spheres preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex issues into plain-language insights.
• Strong understanding of the Australian political system.
• Self-motivated, collaborative, and strategic thinker keen to pioneer new approaches to civic engagement.

Why Join Us?

• Shape democracy at scale: Your work will directly impact how millions of Australians access credible information to make their vote count.
• Innovate with impact: Opportunity to pioneer new approaches to agenda-setting and civic engagement, from deliberative democracy trials to translating complex policy into accessible tools.
• Career-defining experience: Work at the intersection of policy, politics, and civic tech, building skills and networks that few roles in Australia can offer.
• Flexibility and autonomy: Join a small, dynamic team where your ideas won’t just be heard — they’ll shape the direction of our flagship tool. 
• Mission-driven culture: Be part of a collaborative, optimistic organisation turning climate concern into sustained action.
• Work with the team at an award-winning, architecturally designed co-working space in Richmond, for businesses and individuals driving social and environmental impact.
• We’re a female-led organisation that understands the fluctuation of our hormones and their impact. We offer additional menstrual and menopause leave to ensure you have the time and space to care for your personal well-being without stress.
• We offer additional paid time off over the Christmas/New Year period.

Next Steps

To submit your application please click 'Apply Now' by the closing date.