Senior Communication And Events Officer

Senior role delivering communication activities and managing major events for UQ
Work with academics, professionals, key stakeholders and industry partners
Take on a role with meaningful impact and opportunity for career development
Based at our vibrant
About UQ
As part of the UQ community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.
Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.
Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of are available, such as:
26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave
17% superannuation contributions
17.5% annual leave loading
Access to flexible working arrangements
Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family
On campus childcare options
Cheap parking (from just $5 a day)
Salary packaging options
About QAAFI
The is a University of Queensland research institute supported by the Queensland Government via the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF).
QAAFI conducts research and development projects to benefit the food and fibre sectors both nationally and internationally.
As one of the few research-intensive universities worldwide located in a subtropical environment, UQ is a global leader in agriculture and food science research in tropical and sub-tropical production systems. Agriculture-related research activities and impacts at UQ are consistently ranked among the best in the world.
The institute’s strengths are reflected in its four research centres – Crops, Horticulture, Animals, and Nutrition and Food Science. QAAFI brings together world-leading scientists and researchers to deliver high-impact outcomes for industry and the community.
About TropAg conference
TropAg is a world-leading triennial international agriculture conference. The previous version of this conference attracted around 1000 delegates from more than 50 countries, 300 speakers and 30 trade display exhibitors and sponsors.
TropAg features leading Australian and international scientific voices who are actively engaged in advancing research and raising awareness of the many challenges in the diverse field of tropical agriculture and food production.
Considered QAAFI’s premier external-facing event, TropAg attracts delegates from the university, industry, and government sector as well as researchers, sponsors, exhibitors, and international keynote speakers. The conference program is formulated by an Executive Committee, International Advisory Committee and Scientific Program Committee.
The next TropAg conference will be held in Queensland in November 2025 and is a key deliverable and component of this role. The conference will feature a mix of plenary and symposium presentations occur during the day, followed by evening social functions.
A professional conference organisation (PCO) will be appointed to assist with coordinating the conference venue hire, delegate registrations, catering, exhibition designs, trade display management, hotel accommodation agreements and other conference logistics.
For more information visit
About This Opportunity
You will oversee QAAFI’s major event planning and delivery including the TropAg conference from initial program planning through to event logistics. You will also deliver engagement and communications activities for key projects aimed at raising the profile of the institute, researchers, and projects.
Key responsibilities will include:
Event management:
Coordinate external events to promote the institute including planning, logistics and delivery of the TropAg conference, science seminars, webinars, field days, and forums.
Liaise with the Professional Conference Organisation (PCO) appointed to support the delivery of the TropAg conference to ensure key milestones are being achieved on time and on budget.
Ensure TropAg partners, sponsors and exhibitor contracts are signed, and work with the PCO to ensure sponsor entitlements are delivered.
As secretariat for TropAg committees prepare meeting agendas, minutes and track action items for the conference.
Prepare invitations for TropAg plenary speakers, coordinate symposia and abstract submissions and prepare the conference program.
Liaise with external suppliers for events including negotiating venue hire, catering, photography, audio-visual requirements to budget and timelines etc.
Develop an internal and external reporting framework for TropAg including surveys and post-event evaluation reports for committees, hosts, and sponsors.
Other Institute event and communication duties as required by the communications manager.
Engagement and Communications:
Implement marketing activities for TropAg including website design and maintenance, marketing collateral, newsletters, conference update emails, social media posts and media announcements.
Contribute to the development of the sponsorship prospectus and delivery of sponsor entitlements before, during and after the TropAg conference.
Liaise with service providers including graphic designers, printers, trade display companies, venues, and designers regarding advertising, branding, and exhibition spaces from concept to production stage.
Administration and reporting:
Coordinate UQ’s tender procurement process to select a conference venue and appoint a PCO for the TropAg conference to be held in 2025.
Maintain a Customer Relationship Management system containing stakeholder contacts for TropAg and the Institute.
Process quotes, invoices, requisitions, and payments for suppliers for Institute events and activities.
Deliver other Communication and engagement activities as required by the communications manager.
This position may be required to attend conferences or events outside of ordinary work hours and some regional or interstate travel may be required. This full-time role is based at The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus.
This role is subject to The University’s .
This is a full-time (100%), fixed-term position for up to 2 years.
At HEW level 6, the full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range
$86,371.95 - $92,658.90, plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $101,055.18 - $108,410.91 annually. As this role is covered by an Enterprise Agreement, you will also receive regular remuneration increases – at least once a year.
About You
Essential
Qualifications in communications, project management and/or event management or relevant experience is required.
Demonstrated ability to plan, manage and deliver conferences or high-profile events within a designated budget and timeline.
Highly effective organisational and planning skills including excellent attention to detail and accuracy, the ability to use initiative, prioritise workloads, solve problems and meet strict deadlines.
Ability to prepare quality communication materials such as publications, website content and promotional items, sponsorship agreements, and grant proposals, negotiate agreements and ensure sponsorship entitlements are delivered.
Outstanding written and verbal Communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to build effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from a variety of organisational and cultural backgrounds.
Highly proficient skills and experience using event and marketing software programs to manage events effectively and create marketing collateral.
Skills
Experience with editing and maintaining websites using Drupal, WordPress or similar CMS.
Experience with Vision 6 software or similar to create and send messages to stakeholders.
Experience with Adobe InDesign graphic design software to create marketing collateral.
Experience with EventsAir event management software or similar.
Experience with Wrike project management software or similar.
Desirable
Knowledge of the agriculture industry and/or university research sectors
In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:
Work Rights: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.
Questions?
For more information about this opportunity, please contact QAAFI Communications Manager, Carolyn Martin -
For application queries, please contact stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.
Want to Apply?
All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
Cover letter addressing the ‘About You’ section
Resume
Other Information
At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on . We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be , , , , or . Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to
If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.
Applications close Monday 15 January 2024 at 11.00pm AEST (Job Reference Number – R-32537). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for January 2024.