Policy and Political Officer – MEAA

About the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance

The Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance is the professional organisation and trade union for the media, entertainment and arts industries. It represents actors, journalists and entertainment industry employees and has over 15,000 members.

Building on our proud history we aim to empower the people who inform and entertain

Australia through:

• Protect & advance our rights at work: Improving our members income and conditions, providing timely and expert advice to members, enforcing members rights at work and promoting safe and respectful workplaces.
• Build Power: Recruit and grow leaders, activists and supporters, ensure best practice governance and accountability, continue staff development and build strategic alliances.
• Build Community: Utilise communications to engage and activate, remain relevant throughout members lives, reach out to new areas and be the creative hub.
• Shape our Industries: Be the respected and authoritative voice across all of our industries, influence policy, mobilise our membership and broaden our sphere of influence.

Our Members

Our members include people working in television, radio, theatre and film, entertainment venues and recreation grounds, as journalists, actors, dancers, cartoonists and photographers, orchestral and opera performers, as well as people working in public relations, advertising, book publishing and website production.

Our Locations and Staffing

The MEAA national office is in Redfern in Sydney.

There are branch offices located in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Policy and Political Officer – Sydney or Melbourne

We are seeking an experienced, highly skilled, and passionate individual who can work with MEAA leadership to develop a comprehensive policy platform in the interests of our members and the communities they serve.

The Policy and Political Officer, will play a key role in developing MEAA’s policy positions and driving the unions political organising. Reporting to MEAA’s National Campaigns Director, the successful candidate will develop and deliver MEAA’s policy platform and implement campaigns that deliver MEAA’s strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop the Union’s draft policy platform and options, covering a broad scope of topics from industry, economic, social, workforce and workplace policy.
• Develop and assist implementation of MEAA’s policy platform.
• Develop, direct and assist political organising campaigns and plans, arising from and in alignment with MEAA’s strategic plan.
• Implement and promote practices, policies, strategies, and systems that contribute to the unions goals, including diversity, safe and inclusive workplaces, and take steps to address discrimination and barriers to participation.
• Support the development of union delegates, members, organisers and union staff generally.
• Use relevant and available systems and tools to retrieve and analyse data as necessary.
• Translate and contribute to best practice outcomes to increase knowledge across the whole union, in political organising and campaigning.

Key Selection Criteria

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A passion and drive to improve workers’ lives and achieve the goals of MEAA.
• Extensive experience in union and political organising, industry strategy and campaigning.
• Highly skilled in policy development and analysis.
• Experience in political and organising strategy development, planning and reporting.
• Experience in using reporting systems to analyse data and create reports to provide advice on strategic plans.
• Experience in leading teams, developing leaders, motivating and educating others.
• Ability to write fluently in a range of styles and formats.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Experience in working with Government.
• Experience developing and supporting political leaders.
• Ability to engage with and develop strategic alliances and connect members with community campaigning.
• Assist with the organisation of lobbying at all levels of government.
• Ensure that the Union’s values of equity, diversity and inclusion are upheld and promoted.

Salary and benefits

The position is available on a full-time permanent basis with a package including:

• In excess of $120,000 per annum.
• 12% employer superannuation contribution.
• 5 weeks annual leave each year.
• 1 RDO every 4 weeks, plus an additional 3 days leave between Christmas and New Year.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 6 October 2023. Please forward your resume with a covering letter addressing the essential requirements to jobs@meaa.org