- Lead the strategic direction of digital campaigns, content and audience engagement across IHC.
- Join a newly formed Channels team, supported by dedicated creative and production specialists.
- Bring fresh thinking, compelling storytelling and digital innovation to a purpose-led organisation making a genuine difference.
The opportunity
Are you an experienced digital communications professional who combines strategic thinking, creative storytelling and a passion for connecting with audiences?
IHC is looking for a Senior Advisor, Digital Communications and Engagement to join its newly established Channels team and play a key role in shaping how the organisation communicates, campaigns and engages across its digital platforms.
This is an exciting time to join IHC. With a renewed leadership team and a focus on strengthening communications across the organisation, there's genuine opportunity to bring fresh thinking, challenge traditional approaches and help build more connected, engaging and accessible communications.
This is a senior advisory role with a strong focus on campaign direction, editorial leadership and strategic digital engagement. Rather than being responsible for every aspect of hands-on production, you'll work alongside an established internal team of creative and production specialists, providing the strategic direction, clear briefs and editorial oversight needed to bring great ideas to life.
You'll be joining a collaborative and supportive team where your expertise will be valued, your ideas will help shape the future of digital engagement, and you'll have genuine scope to influence how IHC connects with its audiences.
About the role
Reporting to the Digital Communications and Engagement Manager, you'll work across IHC to translate organisational priorities, advocacy initiatives and audience needs into compelling content strategies, integrated campaigns and effective digital communications.
Acting as a strategic campaign lead and trusted editorial advisor, you'll bring together the right people, ideas and channels to deliver communications that are creative, accessible, purposeful and measurable.
You'll combine strong editorial judgement with digital expertise, using audience insights and performance data to guide decisions, improve engagement and strengthen the impact of IHC's communications.
You'll be responsible for:
- Leading integrated digital campaigns: Translating organisational and advocacy priorities into clear campaign strategies, creative briefs, production schedules and coordinated communications across digital, social, web and publication channels.
- Providing editorial direction and storytelling expertise: Shaping compelling narratives and overseeing the development of clear, engaging and accessible content that brings IHC's purpose, advocacy work and human stories to life.
- Advising and influencing across IHC: Partnering with teams and stakeholders to understand their priorities, manage competing demands and develop strategic, audience-focused digital communications solutions.
- Guiding creative and production delivery: Working closely with dedicated internal specialists to brief, coordinate and oversee high-quality content and campaign delivery, ensuring consistency, quality and alignment with organisational objectives.
- Championing accessible and inclusive communications: Embedding accessibility, Easy Read principles, universal design and recognised digital accessibility standards into content, campaigns and channel planning.
- Using data to drive better outcomes: Drawing on web and social analytics, audience insights and campaign performance measures to establish benchmarks, evaluate return on investment and identify opportunities to improve engagement and channel growth.
- Driving digital innovation and smarter ways of working: Identifying opportunities to integrate emerging digital technologies, AI-assisted tools and more effective workflows to improve campaign execution, team productivity and communications outcomes.
- Helping shape the future of the Channels team: Contributing fresh ideas, championing modern digital standards and fostering a collaborative, creative and continuously improving team environment.
About you
You're a confident and experienced digital communications professional who knows how to turn complex ideas into clear, compelling campaigns and stories that resonate with different audiences.
You bring a strong combination of strategic campaign thinking, editorial expertise and digital channel knowledge. You understand how to set direction, develop effective briefs and bring together creative specialists to deliver high-quality work.
You're equally comfortable advising senior stakeholders, shaping campaign narratives, interpreting performance data and finding better ways of working.
We're particularly interested in people who bring:
- Proven digital campaign leadership: Experience developing and directing integrated, multi-channel communications campaigns, from strategic planning and creative briefing through to delivery, evaluation and optimisation.
- Exceptional writing, editing and storytelling skills: A strong command of Aotearoa New Zealand English, with the ability to translate complex policy, advocacy issues and human-interest stories into clear, engaging and audience-appropriate content.
- Strong editorial judgement: The ability to shape messaging, maintain a consistent organisational voice and guide the development of compelling content across a range of channels and formats.
- Digital strategy and performance expertise: A sound understanding of digital platforms, websites, social media and content strategy, alongside experience using analytics, audience insights and performance measures to inform decisions and demonstrate impact.
- Accessibility expertise: Practical knowledge of WCAG 2.1 or later, Easy Read principles and universal design, with a commitment to ensuring digital communications are accessible and inclusive.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and advisory skills: Confidence working across complex organisations, building trusted relationships, navigating competing priorities and translating business needs into effective digital solutions.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and advisory skills: Confidence working across complex organisations, building trusted relationships, navigating competing priorities and translating business needs into effective digital solutions.
- Experience with emerging technology: Practical understanding of modern digital tools and AI-assisted workflows, and how they can be used responsibly to improve efficiency, creativity and team effectiveness.
- Collaborative leadership and creative direction: The ability to provide clear briefs, constructive feedback and strategic guidance while empowering creative and production specialists to do their best work.
Just as importantly, you'll be someone who brings curiosity, sound judgement and a collaborative mindset. You'll be comfortable challenging established ways of working, championing better digital practices and helping others embrace new ideas.
You don't need to be the person who does everything yourself. What matters is your ability to see the bigger picture, set a clear direction and bring people together to deliver communications that make an impact.
Why IHC?
IHC is committed to advocating for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with intellectual disabilities and supporting people to live fulfilling lives within their communities.
With a significant presence across Aotearoa, IHC's communications reach a wide and diverse audience, including people with intellectual disabilities, whānau, employees, members, communities and stakeholders.
You'll be joining at a time of positive change, with the opportunity to help shape a newly formed Channels team, influence how digital communications are planned and delivered, and contribute to a more strategic, connected and accessible approach to audience engagement.
You'll have the support of an established internal production team, alongside the opportunity to bring your own expertise, creativity and leadership to work that has genuine purpose.
For someone who enjoys strategic thinking, compelling storytelling, collaboration and finding better ways to connect with people, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution while continuing to grow professionally.
Interested?
If you're passionate about strategic digital communications, know how to turn ideas into impactful campaigns and want to contribute to an organisation with genuine purpose, we'd love to hear from you.
For any questions please call Bernie Sharkey-Burns (021 023 89733) or Rebecca Berney () and quote Job ID: 18834 for a confidential chat.
To apply for this vacancy, you MUST be a New Zealand citizen, resident, or have already secured the right to work in New Zealand and therefore hold a valid visa.
At the appropriate stage we will request your references, we ask that you do not include them on your CV when applying.