APS5/APS6 Executive Assistant

Services Australia; Canberra; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Services Australia is seeking an Executive Assistant to provide professional administrative and operational support to Senior Executive Service staff. You will coordinate schedules, meetings, travel, and correspondence, while maintaining confidentiality and discretion in a fast-paced environment.

The role requires professionalism, adaptability, and collaboration with SES, executives, and internal/external stakeholders to support effective decision-making and agency outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting SES or senior executives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Manage and prioritise executive schedules, meetings, appointments and travel.
• Coordinate and prepare executive meeting documentation and provide secretariat support for meetings and working groups.
• Manage executive correspondence and inboxes, including deadlines and follow-ups.
• Coordinate briefs, reports, submissions, and presentations with quality assurance.
• Provide high-level administrative support including records management and office coordination.
• Build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Triages requests, adjusts priorities, and escalates complex matters as needed.
• Support research and initiatives for executive activities and process improvements.

Skills

Schedule management

Executive support

Stakeholder liaison

Job description

Executive Assistants provide professional administrative and operational support to Senior Executive Service (SES) staff who lead a Zone, Branch, Division or Group within Services Australia’s organisational structure. Executive Assistants coordinate and manage senior executive schedules, correspondence, information, tasks and competing priorities, working collaboratively to support effective decision-making to achieve business and agency outcomes.

These are trusted positions that require professionalism, sound judgement, discretion, tact and diplomacy when managing sensitive or confidential information and matters. Executive Assistants are expected to be adaptable and responsive, as responsibilities may vary according to operational requirements and the working preferences of the SES they support.

The roles operate in fast-paced and time-sensitive environments and require close collaboration with SES, Executive Officers, other Executive Assistants and internal and external stakeholders. Executive Assistants may occasionally be required to work outside normal working hours to support peak operational requirements.

Responsibilities will vary according to the classification and business context.

APS5 Executive Assistants generally provide high-quality administrative and coordination support, using sound judgement to manage priorities and resolve routine to moderately complex matters.

APS6 Executive Assistants operate with greater autonomy and under limited direction, managing more complex or sensitive matters, anticipating executive and stakeholder needs, and using sound judgement to identify risks and determine when issues should be escalated.

Executive Assistants work closely with and generally in the same location as their Senior Executive.

The key duties of the position include:

• Managing and prioritising executive schedules, meetings, appointments and travel, ensuring relevant information and papers are available.
• Coordinate and prepare executive meeting-related documentation and provide secretariat support for meetings, committees and working groups, including agendas, papers, minutes and follow-up actions.
• Managing executive correspondence and inboxes, including allocating, tracking and following up actions and deadlines.
• Coordinating, refining and providing quality assurance on briefs, reports, submissions, correspondence, presentations and meeting papers.
• Providing high-level administrative support, including records and information management, financial administration, office coordination and assets management.
• Building productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders and representing the executive office professionally.
• Triaging requests, adjusting priorities and using sound judgement to manage sensitive or complex matters and identify issues for escalation.
• Undertaking research and supporting executive activities, projects, programs and process improvements.

Eligibility

Security Clearance level required: Baseline (or the ability to obtain and maintain).

In accordance with section 22(6) of the Public Service Act 1999, Services Australia requires applicants to be Australian citizens to be eligible for employment with Services Australia.

An applicant’s suitability for employment with the agency will be assessed through a pre-employment screening process. This process includes but is not limited to a national police history check, referee checks, code of conduct check and an employment history integrity check.

Some positions within Services Australia may be required to work in settings where mandatory vaccinations are required. Staff in such positions will need to demonstrate that they meet the vaccination requirements or have a relevant exemption.

Notes

Services Australia’s workforce operates using an agile approach, and all staff should be prepared to redeploy to critical frontline functions as required. Should you need to redeploy as part of the agency’s surge workforce, all learning and development and technical/pastoral support will be provided to you to enable you to undertake that work.

Getting to know the Services Australia

We touch the lives of nearly every Australian. We’re responsible for helping people meet life’s challenges, but we don’t just serve the community we work with, we’re part of it. As one of Australia’s largest public sector employers, we offer meaningful work in every corner of the country. We’re one agency with many possibilities.When you work with us, you’ll be doing something that matters, and you’ll be valued for the unique views and skills you bring to the agency. We embrace and celebrate our diversity, and we’re proud to be a leading employer of First Nations Australians and a Platinum tier LGBTQIA+ inclusive employer. Are you interested in being part of a large organisation with a strong future?We’re looking for people who want to work with us to deliver our vision of making government services simple so people can get on with their lives. - https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/why-you-should-work-with-us?context=22