Policy Analyst

The Smith Family is an independent children's charity helping Australian children living in disadvantage to get the most out of their education, so they can create better futures for themselves.

• Become part of our family and make a difference to young Australians through supporting their education
• Permanent Part Time
• Based in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane or Melbourne

The Smith Family is a children's education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education.

We are seeking an experienced Policy Analyst to join our family. Reporting to the Policy Manager and working alongside dedicated, energised, and passionate team members, this role will be responsible for providing evidence, insights, advice and policy-based guidance for a portfolio of work related to The Smith Family's Learning for Life Program (and other organisational initiatives as required). This can include data analysis, reporting and evaluation functions, conducting literature and environmental scans, supporting program design and policy development and review.

About our role
You will be responsible for:

• Analysis of qualitative and quantitative program data
• Development of program outcomes reports, presentations and communications
• Development of performance measures to monitor the impact of program initiatives
• Monitoring program performance and quality in collaboration with key program stakeholders
• Development of new policy and reviews of existing policies
• Contribute to development of policy positions and priorities in collaboration with relevant stakeholders
• Participates in the development of literature reviews, preparing reports and providing policy advice as required
• Monitors and shares trends, information and knowledge relevant to improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people
• Supports the developing and/or refinement of existing programs within a research > policy > practice framework
• Contributes to the design and development of new programs and approaches within a research > policy > practice framework
• Leads the development of policy and program toolkits
• Identifies opportunities for program review & improvement and, contributes to program review process

About you
As well as passion for community, you will bring the following:

• Tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience in Social Policy, Education, Research or related disciplines
• Demonstrated experience in managing a range of projects in the Social Policy, Education, Research or related field
• Experience in qualitative or quantitative research techniques
• Well-developed conceptual and analysis skills
• Excellent writing skills for a variety of audiences including policy briefs, reports, facts sheets, presentations
• Effective communication and relationship management across a wide range of stakeholders
• Excellent organisational, administrative (including computer literacy) and time management skills
• Ability to manage a portfolio of varied projects and work independently to achieve identified goals within time constraints.
• Have or willing to obtain an employee Working With Children's Check

About our culture

The Smith Family has employees at the centre of its values and operations. We nurture a supportive and inclusive culture that enables people to achieve personal and professional goals, through collaboration and innovation. With a proven work-life balance, wellbeing and health are our top priorities. Enjoy many other benefits, such as tax concessions and flexible working arrangements.

If you are passionate about what you do, committed to make a difference and this sounds like your next role, please click apply, we'd love to hear from you. You may view the position description by copying and pasting the following link in your browser: https://static.ethicaljobs.com.au/media/1708042772_tOjeA_.docx

Closing date: 1 March 2024

Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate must be prepared to undertake a National Police Check and a Working with Children's Check. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to principles of cultural diversity. Applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are encouraged.