About The Australian Medical Association (AMA)
The AMA is the nation's leading professional body representing registered medical practitioners and medical students in Australia. Advocating for the wellbeing of patients and the integrity of the healthcare system, the AMA plays a crucial role in shaping health sector policies, ensuring high standards of practice and advancing public health initiatives. With a focus on ethical and for-purpose leadership, the AMA engages with its members, government, industry bodies and the community to influence healthcare reforms and promote evidence-based solutions.

The AMA prides themselves on having a collaborative, professional and supportive culture, which has built their strong reputation in the market. They have 50 staff total and a flat structure that allows for close collaboration between teams and an ability for staff to be involved in a broad breadth of initiatives.

They offer a range of employee benefits including two days per week working from home (after initial onboarding period), free car parking (valued at approx. $4k per year) at their office in Barton, 14 weeks parental leave, free flu shot and a great social club that hosts regular social events.

The Opportunity
Of AMA’s three Policy Departments, their Public Health Policy Team has a vacancy for a full-time permanent Policy Adviser. You’ll join a small team of three staff working on an exciting portfolio covering population and community health issues, including prevention, climate change impact on health, harmful substance abuse, child and youth health, mental health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. By way of example, the team were a major player in getting the recent vaping laws in place.

The Public Health Policy Team manages the secretariat for three committees focused on mental health, public health and indigenous health, each of which meet four times per year.

This role provides the opportunity to:

• Contribute to practical and topical policy issues that make a real difference in the health sector
• Grow in an organisation that provides career pathways for promotion and encourages a culture of sharing ideas
• Report to a hands-on and open manager that listens to their staff and is invested in their professional development
• Work with government and influence outcomes without having to operate in the bureaucracy of the public service
• Engage with other Departments across the AMA including the Advocacy Department responsible for “proactive” campaigns and research driven policy, advocacy and media

The Role
Reporting to the Manager of Public Health Policy, the responsibilities of the Policy Advisor include the following:

• Support the Manager to provide policy and strategic advice to key stakeholders on public health policy matters
• Support the Manager and other team members, in providing secretariat support to three committees. This includes assisting with scheduling meetings and forums, setting agendas, managing member attendance, preparing meeting papers and minutes, and undertaking follow-up actions
• Prepare written materials such as position statements, submissions, input for speeches, media content, and briefings
• Respond to written and verbal enquiries from AMA members, the public and other organisations
• Actively contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organisation by working collegiately across the Federal AMA Secretariat and with State and Territory AMA offices
• Contribute to the success of the Public Health Policy Team through actively engaging in policy development, sharing ideas and seeking to build new stakeholder relationships to support the AMA’s aims and objectives

The Ideal Person
This is an entry level position suited to an initiative-driven individual looking to advance their career in policy and advocacy. There is flexibility for the candidate to come from a government, NFP, NGO or academic background. Health-specific knowledge is not required, however a keen interest and passion for public health policy will be integral to driving the individual’s motivation in the role. A tertiary qualification in health, science, public policy or a related field is highly desirable.

Key competencies of the ideal person include:

• Experience preparing evidence-based written materials in a university or professional context
• An ability to research and analyse data and information, as well as identify its relevance to AMA’s policy work
• Highly developed verbal communication skills in order to engage with internal and external stakeholders effectively
• Strong coordination, organisation and liaison skills, with secretariat experience being highly desirable (but not essential)
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team to deliver high quality work within allocated timeframes

Salary / Benefits Package

• Annual salary of $80k + 11.5% super (some flexibility depending on experience)
• Full-time permanent position
• Canberra-based role with office location in Barton
• Two days per week working from home (after initial onboarding period)
• Free car parking (valued at approx. $4k per year)
• Free salary continuance insurance
• 14 weeks of parental leave
• Free flu shot
• Great social club that hosts regular social events

How to Apply
To apply online, please click on the this link.

Alternatively, for a confidential discussion, please contact Liz Strachan or Lisa Shakhovskaya on 02 6108 4878 quoting ref no. 19965.

HorizonOne is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and we encourage applications from people of all cultures, capabilities and backgrounds.