APS5 - Program & Policy Officers, Regional Development, Northern Australia and Local Government

Australian-Department-of-Infrastructure-and-Regional-Development; Alice Springs; Hybrid; AUD 89,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Study Assistance Program

Leave entitlements

Job summary

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is seeking APS5 Program and Policy Officers to support governance, economic policy, social policy and strategic engagement across Northern Australia. These roles offer flexible working arrangements, including hybrid office and home-based work, with locations in Cairns, Darwin, Perth and Townsville.

A merit pool may be formed for future vacancies and the department strongly supports diversity and

Qualifications

• Demonstrate capability against the APS5 Work level standards.
• Embed First Nations perspectives into infrastructure policy, program delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• Prioritise everyday workflows and meet deadlines.
• Draft correspondence and interact professionally with a wide network of stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of key branch activities under general direction.
• Provide program and financial support and maintain risk registers.
• Assist with data gathering and initial analysis for economic and social policy initiatives.
• Coordinate logistics for NAMF and external engagement events.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Organisational skills

Teamwork

Job description

Career Opportunities: APS5 - Program & Policy Officers, Regional Development, Northern Australia and Local Government (48273)

Requisition ID48273-Posted05/11/2026-$89,225-$96,829- Location of Position (5) -Ongoing/Non-Ongoing-Full Time/Part Time

APS5 - Program & Policy Officers, Regional Development, Northern Australia and Local Government

Title:

APS5 - Program & Policy Officers, Regional Development,

Northern Australia and Local Government

Classification(s):

Employment Type:

Ongoing/Non-Ongoing, Full Time/Part Time

Business Division:

Regional Development, Northern Australia & Local Government

Branch / Section:

Office of Northern Australia

Location:

We want to recruit the best people to our department. Our roles support flexible work arrangements including the opportunity to work from one of our departmental offices and hybrid (mixture of office and home-based work).

These roles are located in Cairns; Darwin; Perth; Townsville.

A merit pool may be formed and used to fill future similar vacancies in these locations and other locations within the same metropolitan area.

We actively seek to reflect the diversity of the Australian community in our workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpeople, people with disability and/or who are neurodivergent, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including people of all genders and gender identities. We uphold gender equality as a core organisational value. If you’re interested in the role but feel uncertain, we still encourage you to apply if you feel your passions, transferable skills and valuable experience align with this position.

The opportunity we have available

The Office of Northern Australia is a multi-disciplinary branch driving the economic and social advancement of Northern Australia. We oversee the Government’s $7 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) special investment vehicle, coordinate cross-jurisdictional frameworks, and deliver the Northern Australia Action Plan. We are seeking motivated, highly organised APS5 Program and Policy Officers to join our division. These roles provide essential programmatic support across our governance, economic policy, social policy, and strategic engagement streams. Working with us offers a clear pathway to develop your professional public service skills within a supportive team that values growth and collaboration.

What you will do

As an APS5 Officer, you will perform varied tasks under general direction to support the delivery of key branch activities. Typical duties include:

• Program and financial support: Assisting with the processing of documentation, tracking financial administration tasks for the NAIF special appropriation, and maintaining risk registers.
• Research and analysis assistance: Gathering data and conducting initial research and analysis to support broader economic, social policy, and IRG initiatives.
• Secretariat and event assistance: Helping coordinate logistics, collate agenda papers, and distribute materials for the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum (NAMF) or external engagement events.
• Workflow coordination: Managing central intake mailboxes, tracking ministerial and parliamentary workflows, and ensuring accurate corporate records management.

Inherent requirements for the role

The inherent requirements for this role include:

• The successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the APS5 Work level standards .
• Support the department’s commitments to the National Closing the Gap Agreement and the Our Stories on Country Agreement by embedding First Nations perspectives into infrastructure policy, program delivery, and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to prioritise everyday workflows, work effectively within a small team, and meet scheduled deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to draft correspondence and interact professionally with a wide network of stakeholders.
• A proactive mindset with a willingness to learn new systems quickly and look for process improvements.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is committed to supporting the employment and career development of people with disability. Our participation in APS RecruitAbility means we will progress an applicant with disability to a further stage in the recruitment process, where they opt into RecruitAbility and meet the minimum requirements for the vacancy.

The RecruitAbility minimum requirements are listed above under ‘inherent requirements for the role’.

You will be asked to indicate if you wish to opt into RecruitAbility in the application form. You must tick the 'opt in' box to participate in RecruitAbility. Simply declaring that you have a disability will not automatically include you.

We provide reasonable adjustments such as access, equipment or other practical support at relevant stages of the recruitment process. Please advise in the application form or get in touch with the contact officer if you need any adjustments made.

The department believes every role contributes to cultural safety and that building staff cultural capability helps us deliver better policies, programs and services for First Nations people and the broader Australian community. Candidates will be required to demonstrate their willingness to develop their cultural capability as part of the assessment process. In making it a requirement across all roles in our department, we are taking a practical step in delivering our commitments under the Our Stories on CountryAgreement and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025–28 .

We recognise and value diversity as our strength and promote a culture of inclusion to enhance our work performance and the wellbeing of our employees. We are committed to systems that are accessible, inclusive and safe for all. If you need any further information about accessibility and inclusion at our department, please contact [e-mail].

As an APS5 you will be expected to:

• Consider the cultural context and implications of work area outcomes.
• Engage respectfully with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, building trusted relationships.
• Communicate respectfully and seeks appropriate cultural input to inform decisions.

What else can we offer?

We are dedicated to fostering personal and professional development, empowering individuals to set goals, acquire new skills, and cultivate unique qualities that define who they are. Some of the benefits we offer include:

• Access to our Study Assistance Program providing paid leave and financial support for courses relevant to our work.
• Diverse career pathways, learning and development investments, and a positive performance culture.
• Professional Coaching Schemes and tailored leadership opportunities.
• Flexible working opportunities, including part-time hours, home-based work, and job sharing.
• Generous leave entitlements of 20 days personal circumstances leave per year and 150 hours of paid annual leave.

Eligibility requirements

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

• Citizenship: candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of submitting your application.
• Health Assessment: The preferred candidate may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
• Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline. You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information. You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances. More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website .
• Police check: The successful candidate must complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.
• Integrity and Performance check: The successful candidate must satisfy the requirements in an Integrity and Performance check which is completed by your most recent employer.

Timeline and assessment

A selection panel will be established to assess your suitability against the advertised role.

If a merit pool is established, it will be valid for 18 months from date it first appeared in the APS Gazette.

Applications open: 6 November 2026

Application shortlisting: 27 November 2026

Further assessments: 4 December 2026

Offers and announcements:Week starting 21 December 2026

The above is indicative only, please reach out to the contact person if you have any questions on the recruitment process or timeframes.

Your application will be assessed against the inherent requirements of the role , the Work level standards and in comparison, to other candidates who applied . Once the entire applicant pool has been assessed, the panel will create a shortlist of applicants. If your application is shortlisted, you may be asked to undertake further assessment, this may include interviews and reference checks.

Applications for this opportunity close at 11.59pm AEDT, Sunday, 22 November 2026.