Communications Manager - Fundraising

ABOUT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF FOUNDATION

Are you purpose driven and wanting to make a difference? Do you love working with smart and passionate people who are dedicated to creating impact for Australia’s most recognisable natural wonder? Do you long to work in a flexible and supportive workplace? We have the role for you!

At the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, we think big. We know the threats to coral reefs are too complex for one person or one solution to solve. That’s why we built a collaborative organisation to raise funds, invest in innovative ideas and design real-world, scalable conservation programs. We work in close partnership with communities, scientists, businesses and governments to do our work, in Australia and in the Pacific.

Our mission is to inspire action and wonder for coral reefs.

We collaborate with more than 600 dedicated partners on conservation projects in Australia and the Pacific. Our work is broad, but falls under our two overarching pillars: coral reef restoration, and island and coastal restoration. This is the critical decade for the world’s reefs. We cannot achieve our mission alone.

You could be the right fit for our team.

BENEFITS

• Flexible working arrangements
• Birthday Leave & recharge days
• Paid parental leave for permanent roles
• Additional leave offered over the Christmas break
• Cultural, Religious and Ceremonial leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Opportunities to visit the Reef and volunteer within our programs
• Option to purchase additional leave
• Tailored induction program
• Salary Packaging (Please note, the Foundation is an environmental charity and as such employees are not exempt from FBT for salary packaging for some expenses, therefore the staff member will be required to pay the FBT on the relevant expenses they chose to package)

ABOUT THE ROLE

We’re recruiting four new roles for the communications team to support the delivery of our bold new communications strategy. The organisation has recently undergone a period of significant change, and these roles are key to ensuring we can effectively engage our audiences, build our profile, and tell our story in fresh and impactful ways. This expanded team will bring new energy, skills, and perspectives to help us achieve our ambitions under our 2030 strategy.

The Communications Manager plays a broad role, specialising in delivering high-quality written content that drives supporter engagement and fundraising, builds brand trust, and communicates the impact of the organisation’s work. Reporting to the Communications and Marketing Lead, this role works across teams to support fundraising, brand, and internal communications through exceptional writing and storytelling.

A natural storyteller with a keen eye for detail, this Communications Manager is responsible for producing compelling copy for fundraising campaigns, donor materials, reports, speeches, newsletters, and organisational announcements. They will also play a lead role in refining and upholding brand voice and messaging across written content, ensuring consistency, clarity, and emotional resonance with audiences.

The role requires a highly skilled writer with the ability to distil complex ideas into engaging narratives that support fundraising, inform stakeholders, and elevate the profile of the organisation’s work.

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL HAVE

1. Tertiary qualification in Communications or related field.
2. 3-5 years professional experience in communication, ideally within the not-for-profit or charity sector.
3. Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with demonstrated experience producing persuasive content for fundraising, donor engagement, and organisational communications - while refining and upholding brand voice and messaging to ensure clarity and consistency across all written materials.
4. Proven ability to distil complex concepts into clear, emotionally engaging narratives tailored to different audiences and platforms.
5. Strong experience developing written materials across campaign, digital, and report formats in a fast-paced or purpose-driven environment.
6. Experience collaborating across teams to support communications needs and elevate content quality.
7. Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
8. Ability to translate the importance of the work of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in a compelling manner (in written and oral form) to our partners.
9. Relationship builder with the ability to influence and build trust-based relationships across teams and partners.
10. High energy, maturity, and leadership with the ability to serve as a unifying force and to position communications discussions at both the strategic and tactical levels.
11. Demonstrates commercial discipline and consistency through compliance with Foundation policy and process and performance expectations.

JOB LOCATION

Brisbane

OTHER INFORMATION

• Permanent Full-Time Role
• Flexible work arrangements are available
• Salary range is $110,000 - $120,000 plus superannuation

RECONCILIATION

First Nations people are strongly encouraged to apply. The release of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a proud moment in our organisation’s 20-year history. We see this achievement as an honour, a responsibility, and an opportunity. Take a look at our RAP plan here: www.barrierreef.org/uploads/GBRF-ReflectRAP.pdf