If you’re interested in social policy and have a strong commitment to social justice then here’s a job you might be interested in. Catholic Social Services Australia is looking for a new policy officer.
CSSA is looking for an appropriately qualified and experienced person to:
- Undertake social policy research with an emphasis on the causes, incidence and consequences of aspects of poverty and disadvantage in Australia, and on policy options to redress these (Examples of relevant issue areas include: employment policy, welfare policy; locational disadvantage; education; mental health; and the interaction of government policies on welfare benefits, taxation and industrial relations).
- Prepare policy papers, submissions, briefings and other written material that develop and promote Catholic Social Services Australia policy positions.
- Maintain awareness of current research and developments in social policy and relevant programs.
- Liaise as appropriate with Program Managers and other key personnel at National Office in relevant policy areas.
- Liaise with, collect data from, and assist coordination of research activities undertaken by, Catholic Social Services Australia — most specifically with Catholic Social Services Australia’s own Members.
- Maintain networks with Catholic Social Services Australia Member organisations, academics, social service providers, government contacts, social policy researchers, welfare NGOs, Catholic bodies, other Churches, and others concerned about Australians in poverty.
- Represent Catholic Social Services Australia at relevant conferences, networks, public forums, sector meetings, and other forums.
For full position description click here. For more information, call CSSA on 02 6285 1366. Applications are due Monday 23 June 2008.
Personally, I think this is a great job — in fact it’s almost exactly like the job I do. CSSA employs two policy officers and I’m one of them.
OTOH, it is based in Canberra. I know (and I’ll bet you know the same person) someone who lives in Melbourne who would be delighted to apply, if it was in Melbourne!
I recommend moving to Canberra.
The person in question already tried it for some years. I suspect he would struggle to convince his wife to try it again!!
As an ex-pat Melbournian who has lived in Canberra for the past couple of years, I’d certainly recommend people move up here for a job they think they would enjoy. It’s certainly not the easiest place to get socially integrated into, but it’s a very easy city to live in, especially if you’re past the age when you need to go out to crowded nightclubs every second night.
The job sounds interesting (and I certainly fit the position description), but for the moment I’m perfectly happy making a pittance in the academic world.
Anyone else find this post title a little easy to misread? ;)
Obviously FDB’s not a real wonk!
Dr Faustus, what if your whole family down to grandkids and 80 per cent of your friends lived here?
Patrick,
Obviously it’s different for everyone, and that sort of move is the sort of thing that’s easiest to do at certain points in your life (particularly when you’re young and unencumbered, such as I was). Still, flights between Melbourne and Canberra are quick and pretty inexpensive (and probably cheaper than the petrol most cars would consume for the 650km trip), so it’s not as if you’re moving to Mars. My family and most of my friends are still in Melbourne, and I catch up with them relatively frequently.
But yes, I’ve certainly seen people for whom the social dislocation was too much who have moved back to where they’ve come from — they do seem to be the exception, however. It’s not for everyone, but lots of people find it a pretty nice place to live.
And if you don’t like flying or don’t have the money to spend on the DH-8 tickets, the train’s very civilised. I caught the train back from Canberra to Sydney a couple of months back and enjoyed a book, a newspaper, a hot meal and a couple of cold cans, and could easily imagine making it a once-or-twice-a-week commute.