Officer, Protecting Australia’s Nature, Pacific Ocean

Application Deadline: Monday, January 12, 2026.

Please include both a CV/resume and a cover letter to the attention of Human Resources with your application.

Protecting Australia’s Nature 

Australia is responsible for the third largest area of ocean on Earth, with more unique marine life than almost any other country in the world. More than 85% of Australians live near the sea, and healthy oceans are central to the Australian lifestyle, livelihoods and economy. But the health of Australia’s oceans is threatened by a range of pressures, including climate change, industrial fishing practices and pollution.  

Working with communities, First Nations, scientists, tourism, fishers and other stakeholders, Pew and its partners are helping to put in place important protection around Australia – bringing benefits to our marine life, local communities and supporting sustainable fishing into the future. To date, our work has helped to create the world’s largest network of marine sanctuaries, expand protection of our sub-Antarctic territories, and work with the people of Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands to protect their waters. 

Over the next few years, the majority of marine parks in Australia’s federal waters are coming up for their ten-year statutory review. This provides a unique opportunity to put in place the protection needed to keep Australia’s oceans healthy, and deliver solutions that support good conservation and fishing into the future. This work is part of Pew’s Protecting Australia’s Nature program which has a continental focus, aiming to extend protection to critical terrestrial, marine, and freshwater systems. 

The Environment Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts 

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive. 

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.  

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change. 

 
Position Overview 

The officer, Pacific Ocean, Protecting Australia’s Nature, is an experienced campaigner with a track record of campaign success, who will work closely with Pew and its partners to increase and expand marine protection in Australia’s Pacific Ocean, including the Coral Sea and Temperate East. Reporting to the oceans senior officer, Protecting Australia’s Nature, the officer will drive the campaign framework of supporter engagement, campaign communications and stakeholder interactions, contribute to strategy development and meetings with key decision-makers, stakeholders, scientists and members of the community to build a strong case and base of support for marine protection.  

This position is located in Pew's Brisbane office. A home office in other locations in Australia may be considered for the right candidate. This position participates in Pew’s hybrid work program with core days in the office and the flexibility to work from home the remaining days. Staff also enjoy four remote working “flex weeks” per year. 
 
Responsibilities 

• Work with the oceans senior officer to develop and implement effective campaign strategies and plans to secure improved protection for Australia’s Pacific waters. 
• Develop and maintain broad substantive knowledge of marine conservation strategies in Australia to inform and advance program priorities. 
• Support the development of campaign budgets and manage expenditures within budget. 
• Develop and manage productive and collaborative relationships with partners, First Nations groups, communities, scientists, tourism, fishers and other stakeholders, and community organisations. 
• Represent Pew in key government meetings, coalition meetings, conferences, media, and community events. 
• Work with the team to develop communications and outreach strategies and materials.  
• Provide support as needed to Pew’s other marine protection campaigns in Australia. 
• Foster a work environment that inspires excellence, values impact, encourages transparency, builds mutual trust and respect, embraces and values diversity, and is collaborative, caring and compassionate. 
• Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives. 

Requirements 

• Skilled at informing and influencing internal and external audiences through written and oral communications. 
• Strong interpersonal skills: aptitude to motivate and mobilize others and develop and manage productive relationships with partners and stakeholders. 
• Strong coordination and event management skills. 
• Time- and project-management skills, including managing multiple deadlines. 
• Political awareness and non-partisan perspective and approach. 
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 
• Generally, eight years of applicable experience. 

Key attributes and preferred experience 

• Develops and moves projects forward with a high degree of independence and autonomy. 
• Diplomatic skills and experience working productively with a wide array of different people and institutions that may disagree with and are in competition with one another. 
• Experience setting short- and long-term planning goals in line with program strategies. 
• Experience with public policy advocacy and delivering successful campaigns, particularly environment related, is preferred. 

Travel  
This position requires travel throughout Australia as required. Occasional international travel to meetings and conferences may also be required.  

Work Authorization 

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship. 

Salary Range

$101,000 AUD - $112,900 AUD

The salary range represents a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on Pew’s commitment to provide equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills and experience, internal pay equity, and business need.

Pew is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or any other protected characteristics.