Brittany Higgins returns to work in senior PR role at Sydney agency alongside husband David Sharaz

Brittany Higgins has stepped back into the professional world four years after resigning from federal politics, taking up a senior role at public relations agency Third Hemisphere.

The former political staffer, now 30, has been appointed Public Affairs Director at the Sydney-based firm, where her husband, David Sharaz, also works. Mr Sharaz, 33, joined the company as a director in April, focused on political media engagement.

The pair will work remotely from their Melbourne home while caring for their three-month-old son, Freddie.

Ms Higgins will lead strategic advocacy and reputation management for a portfolio of clients aligned with her long-standing advocacy, primarily women-led organisations, non-profits, and female leaders.

She will also oversee media relations, stakeholder engagement, and initiatives aimed at shaping public perception and driving social change.

Third Hemisphere’s founder and CEO, Hannah Moreno, is also a rape survivor and social justice advocate, factors that Ms Higgins said deeply influenced her decision to join the firm.

“There was this general feeling of ‘how long do I have to be the story for?’” Ms Higgins told the Australian Financial Review.

“At what point do I get to put it to rest and actually get on the tools and be a working person again, and have my own identity outside this narrative of Brittany Higgins?”

Known for her intense work ethic during her time in Government, Ms Higgins said returning to the workforce was part of reclaiming her identity.

“To lose that was really quite tough. To start to reclaim that sense of identity feels good.”

She emphasised the importance of aligning herself with a workplace that reflects her values, noting she has a “brand reputation” to uphold and wanted to avoid “untoward” corporate environments.

Beyond her parliamentary career, Ms Higgins has been a prominent advocate for gender equality and cultural reform.

In 2021, she was appointed the inaugural Visiting Fellow at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University. Her advocacy was instrumental in prompting a review of parliamentary workplace culture by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner.

The review led to the federal government’s commitment to adopt all recommendations from the Set the Standard report.

Despite her national profile, Ms Higgins said advocacy alone is “not forever” and doesn’t represent a sustainable career path.

She cited Governor General Sam Mostyn as a gender equality advocate, AFL executive Tanya Hosch, and business leader Christine Holgate as role models in her next chapter.

“Who I was was really founded in my work,” she said.

“To feel sidelined and forever be living in your trauma is really reductive.”

Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz returned to Australia earlier this year after a period living in the south of France.

The couple relocated overseas following intense media coverage surrounding her legal case and subsequent $2.4 million compensation payment from the Commonwealth.

They have since sold their French home and settled in Melbourne to raise their young family while embarking on new professional chapters.