[1] From 1976 to 1978, Macklin worked as a researcher at the Australian National University (ANU) under accounting and finance professor Russell Matthews.

She was a member of a Canberra discussion group, the Red Fems, which presented a paper to the Women and Labour Conference in 1980.

On the day of the ballot, Macklin effectively stepped down from the position, choosing not to contest the deputy leadership after Kevin Rudd was elected as the new party leader.

In this capacity she oversaw the passage and implementation of Australia's first national Paid Parental Leave Scheme, the Closing the Gap framework to address the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, a historic rise in the pensions and a number of other significant changes to social policy and family support payments.

This strategy saw record investment in health, education, housing, early childhood development and remote Indigenous service provision.

She has said that one of her most important achievements was to take the politics out of Indigenous affairs and destroy the toxic division between "symbols" and "practical" change.

On 23 November 2011, the Stronger Futures Policy legislation was introduced by Macklin to address key issues such as unemployment, school attendance, alcohol abuse, child protection, safety, housing and land reforms in the Northern Territory.

On 10 August 2011, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister Macklin announced the Labor government's support for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) a major social policy reform designed to ensure that people with disability received the care and support they need.

Macklin was the Minister was responsible for the design and implementation of Australia's first national paid parental leave scheme.

Prior to its launch on 1 January 2011, Australia was one of two developed countries without a national paid parental leave scheme.

Macklin led Labor's opposition to the Liberal government's cuts to paid parental leave, which have failed to pass the Parliament.

An independent report conducted by the University of Queensland in 2014 found that DAPP reduced the barriers to fathers taking leave following a birth.

Prime Minister Rudd gave the apology on 16 November 2009 on behalf of the Australian Government to over half a million children who were taken from their families and placed in institutions where they were often victims of abuse.

[12] In 2022, Macklin was appointed as chair of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, a panel which publishes yearly recommendations to government on the adequacy of welfare payments.