Better Renting is recruiting a staff member to help launch and coordinate 'The Renter Centre'.

We are constantly hearing from people who rent with a story to tell. We also often hear from journalists looking to include renters’ voices in their articles. ‘The Renter Centre’ (TRC) is our initiative to systematically bring these things together. We will recruit a cohort of renters and equip them with the skills to confidently share their stories. We’ll look to get these stories into the media, both proactively and reactively. We also want these renters to form an Advisory Group that can provide input on the issues facing renters and what solutions they’d like to see.

While we have ambitious plans to expand TRC nation-wide, this is an initial four-month pilot working only with renters in Canberra. In general, we are keen to recruit excellent staff and offer long-term secure employment, but unfortunately at this point we cannot offer longer than a four-month contract.

About Better Renting

Better Renting is a community of renters working together for stable, affordable, and healthy homes. With more Australians locked out of homeownership, more of us are renting, and renting for longer. But renters are denied the rights and protections of homeowners. We can't all own a house — but we should all be able to rent a home. Renting can be a genuine alternative to ownership — and Better Renting exists to make it happen.

You can learn more about us from our Impact Report on our activities from 2018-2020: www.betterrenting.org.au/impact_report

About the role

• Classification: Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award. Social and community services employee 3.3 to 4.1, depending on experience. Annual salary of $69,938 to $76,776, pro-rata. Hourly pay rate of $35.77 to $39.26 per hour. This award includes leave loading of 17.5%.
• Primary location: Canberra, ACT. We are open to strong applicants working from other locations.
• Time commitment: Part-time, 0.6 FTE (22.5 hours). Weekly workload can be flexible according to your needs.
• Position length: Four month fixed-term contract.

The role will involve

Here’s what you’ll be responsible for:

• Recruitment. Promoting TRC and encouraging renters to apply. Reviewing and liaising with applicants to select an initial cohort of 20 applicants.
• Team-building. Creating a sense of community for participants in TRC and encouraging horizontal connection. Coordinating (but not necessarily running) training to build confidence in media engagement. Ensuring that participants feel supported in sharing their stories.
• Media engagement. Responding to media enquiries from journalists. Proactively seizing opportunities for renters to get their stories out there through Canberra-based or national media outlets.

Our success metrics for this pilot are:

• How many people were committed participants in TRC?
• How many times were renters’ voices in the media due to TRC?
• What foundations have been laid for an ongoing relationship with participants?

Selection criteria

Applicants will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• Ability to build rapport with renters. You can easily connect with people over the phone to build a trusting and committed public relationship.
• Ability to establish community. You can bring people together to establish a strong group with a shared purpose and identity and a positive culture.
• Media engagement. You can identify a compelling media angle and pitch it to a journalist then work with them to get a story published.
• Can operate independently and hold yourself accountable. We’re keen for someone who can take command of this pilot, commit to success, and hold themselves accountable for delivering.

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t have all of the above characteristics. A passion for the work and an eagerness to learn are the most important things.

Recruitment process

Interested in this role? We have an ongoing recruitment window until we find the right person. If you’re keen, please email a short expression of interest to [email protected]: tell us a bit about yourself, why you’d like to work on this project, and how you meet the selection criteria.

Better Renting is an equal-opportunity employer. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTIQ people, and people with a disability are encouraged to apply.