Communications Officer

The Communications Officer is a key member of the fast-paced Victorian Farmers Federation Making our Farms Safe Project Team that is responsible for the promotion of farm safety for VFF members and the wider community. 

Through the delivery of this project, a safety and well-being campaign will be implemented with development of an online platform, tools and services for Victorian farmers that promote and improve farm safety and farm family well-being.

The Communications Officer will provide campaign management and communications for the safety and well-being campaign for the Making Our Farms Safer project. The Communications Officer works closely with the Project Manager and Farm Safety Advisors and will deliver all internal and external communications for the Making our Farms Safer project.

This is a fixed-term full time position contracted position until August 2024 with the possibility of extension. The VFF offers hybrid flexible working arrangements.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. The Communications Officer will implement the Making our Farms Safer communication plan and provide campaign management of the safety and wellbeing campaign for the duration of the project.
2. Ensure due care, skill and judgement is exercised in delivering the farm safety and wellbeing campaign for the project in a timely manner in accordance with the Project delivery milestones.
3. Write, develop, manage, and maintain up to date communication materials and resources that support the project. This includes collating and sending out a monthly farm safety newsletter to members and social media management.
4. Provide monthly communication analytics, reporting and interpretations to the project manager.
5. Manage communications in relation to the project via the channels detailed in the communication plan; including Social media posts, letter and pamphlet drops, posters, Town Halls, local newspapers and magazines, Google and Facebook ads, Phone calls and text messages and surveys to promote the safety and wellbeing campaign and engage with the farming community 
6. Coordinate and promote farm safety events with the Farm Safety Advisor and any relevant external agencies
7. Develop interactive and useful communication alternatives that supplement face-to-face communications (i.e., videos, interviews, podcasts, etc).
8. Liaise with and manage external marketing agencies, graphic designers, photographers and videographers and journalists in a hybrid communication- model to create and implement marking plans and develop high-quality project campaign resources such as guide books, case studies and videos. 
9. Work in conjunction with broader industry and providers such as WorkSafe to design and deliver the farm safety and well-being campaign element of the project. Oversee and collaborate with external marketing and other providers in the development of campaign marketing materials as required to ensure consistent messaging and branding throughout the safety and wellbeing campaign duration.
10. Comply and consult with government departments such as Agriculture Victoria and Industry Capability Network Victoria and other Government Departments. Liaise and consult regularly with the Department’s representatives on the operation of the Project, including to seek clarification in relation to the Project communications as required.
11. In conjunction with the Project Manager, measure and evaluate campaign effectiveness, which may include sourcing data such as digital platform visits, material downloads, Farm Safety site visits and communications between farmers (emails, phone calls, etc). Measure by increase in excess of Safety Wellbeing resources and channels and future farm OHS statistics
12. Provide regular updates to the General Manager Farmer Engagement and Project Manager and the Farm Safety Team in relation to the deliverables and milestones of the safety and wellbeing campaign for the project. If requested by the Department, provide written and verbal updates to the Farm Safety Council but these must be approved first by the Project Manager.
13. Generate brand growth and awareness through managing an always-on digital marketing campaign including updating and managing website content (word press and umbraco) relating to farm safety
14. Possess strong understanding of cultural and safety issues affecting farming communities/agriculture and caretake appropriate use of social media imagery and influence to portray safe/best practice OHS standard across social media platforms. 
15. Experience with Mailchimp, Bitly, Hootsuite, Linktree, Eventbrite, Google analytics, Canva and other digital marketing platform tools

About you 

Experience and qualifications 

• Tertiary qualifications in communications, PR, Marketing, or a related discipline
• Demonstrated experience in media relations, public relations, contemporary communication, social media, or journalism
• A demonstrated understanding of the agriculture industry. 
• Ability to establish networks within government and the agriculture sector. 
• Experience in a similar advisory capacity, within a complex issue-rich work environment will be highly regarded. 

Competencies 

• Strong Social Media marketing experience including planning, content creation, management of social media advertising and reporting. 
• Sophisticated analytical skills, including the ability to source, synthesise and critically evaluate evidence and data from diverse sources, including but not limited to legislative and regulatory instruments. 
• Well-developed, proactive and creative problem-solving skills, including the ability to design innovative solutions and identify the necessary levers to get things done. 
• Excellent writing skills. The ability to convey complicated ideas and policy justifications to a number of audiences through a variety of formats. 
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, including presentation, consultation, facilitation and negotiation. 
• A demonstrated understanding of the government and public policy as it relates to the agricultural industry and regional communities. 
• Strong time management and organizational skills.  
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a close-knit team as well as independently, and to flexibly manage workload and competing demands. 

If this opportunity sounds perfect for you, please apply by uploading your cover letter and resume through the apply button.