Location: Sydney (preferred) | Work Model: Hybrid – 50% in office | Employment type: 4-month contract / Part-time 3 days a week
About Avant
Avant is Australia's leading medical defence organisation, protecting and supporting medical practitioners throughout their careers. With a proud history of advocating for better healthcare, Avant combines deep claims expertise with research-driven thought leadership to shape the future of safe, equitable, and sustainable healthcare in Australia.
About the Role
This is initially a short-term strategic project to design Avant's thought leadership and insight development across topics relating to safety, quality, sustainability, professionalism, and equity in the health system. You will define a multi-year research strategy, for a $500k annual research budget, and propose how we should translate complex research into actionable advocacy and education outcomes for our members.
Working at the intersection of research, policy, and practice, you will collaborate closely with colleagues across Advocacy and Education, Public Affairs, Government Relations, Sustainability, and Avant Foundation.
What You'll Do
Research Strategy
- Define the role of thought leadership research at Avant in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer and General Managers in the Advocacy, Education & Research division.
- Develop a 3–5 year research plan that underpins Avant's advocacy vision for our members and positions us as a thought leader with Government and regulators.
- Identify high potential external research partners aligned to the long-term agenda.
- Design a multi-year budget scenario for approximately $500k p.a. in commissioned research.
- Explore opportunities for deeper claims data research as AI and data governance capabilities evolve.
About You
We are open minded about whether you are in-between roles, or a full-time consultant, or even working in a small consulting business. But we think it’s important that you work out of the Avant office for a good portion of this engagement, so you can absorb the culture and spend time with those who will influence your thinking and recommendations.
Essential
- Tertiary qualifications at bachelor's or master's level (discipline agnostic).
- 10+ years' experience managing internal and external research specialists.
- Extensive hands-on experience budgeting and commissioning medium-sized research programs ($25k–$250k).
- Deep understanding of how research strategy underpins long-term thought leadership and strategy in a large organisation.
- Demonstrated ability to design and execute an enterprise research strategy via commissioned projects.
- Strong stakeholder management skills across a complex, matrixed environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, including research translation for non-academic audiences.
Desirable
- Hands-on academic research experience.
- Qualitative group and workshop facilitation skills.
- Data analytics experience.
- Strong presentation skills (in person, infographics, persuasive writing).
- Understanding of government relations and what Government looks for in thought leadership research.
- Experience with health and medical research, and insight into the Australian health system.
Why Avant?
- Influence at scale – shape the research agenda of Australia's leading medical defence organisation.
- Collaborative culture – work across advocacy, education, public affairs, and government relations.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Avant supports doctors so they can serve Australia's diverse communities. Having diversity in our workforce brings valuable perspectives and strengthens our ability to support healthcare professionals.
We therefore welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those with caring responsibilities.
Our inclusive workplace is somewhere everyone can succeed.
Ready to join us? If you're passionate about supporting Australia's healthcare professionals, we'd love to hear from you. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact us at
[email protected] 