APS6 - Senior Rehabilitation Case Manager, People Branch

Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 100,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Study assistance program

Professional coaching scheme

Flexible working opportunities

Generous leave entitlements

Job summary

Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts in Canberra, with a hybrid work model, invites applications for an APS6 Senior Rehabilitation Case Manager. The role focuses on injury management, rehabilitation, and safe, sustainable return-to-work outcomes across the department.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, Rehabilitation and Injury Management, you will combine judgement with practical case management to support employees and

Qualifications

• Specialist rehabilitation, injury management, workers’ compensation, return-to-work, HR, employee wellbeing, related field with relevant qualifications.
• Practical experience managing complex case management matters using medical, functional and workplace information.
• Ability to handle sensitive rehabilitation contexts with confidentiality and professional integrity.
• Familiarity with legislative, policy and procedural frameworks governing rehabilitation and workers’ compensation.
• Capable of maintaining clear records and preparing well-structured written advice and case documentation.

Responsibilities

• Deliver rehabilitation and compensation case management to support employees and managers.
• Provide timely advice and coordinate actions to achieve safe, sustainable return-to-work outcomes.
• Strengthen stakeholder relationships across managers, employees, practitioners and external partners.
• Review policies and procedures to improve rehabilitation management systems and health initiatives.
• Support early intervention, injury prevention and confidential record-keeping.

Skills

Rehabilitation

Injury management

Workers’ compensation

Return-to-work

HR & wellbeing

Education

Relevant tertiary qualifications

Job description

APS6 - Senior Rehabilitation Case Manager, People Branch

Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts – Canberra ACT

$99,733 - $118,084 a year

Full time, Permanent

Hybrid

1d ago , from Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

APS6 - Senior Rehabilitation Case Manager, People Branch

Title:

APS6 - Senior Rehabilitation Case Manager, People Branch

Classification(s):

Employment Type:

Ongoing, Full Time

Business Division:

Enabling Services

Branch / Section:

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 Brisbane; Canberra; Melbourne.

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

Security Clearance:

Baseline Vetting

Job Reference No:

48176

Contact Officer:

Closing Date:

11.59pm AEDT, Thursday, 8 October 2026

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.

Opportunity we have available

The People Branch plays a central role in supporting the department’s people to do their best work in a complex, high-profile and nationally significant operating environment. As part of the Corporate and Territories Group, the branch delivers practical, contemporary and people-centred HR services that help the department respond to immediate priorities, emerging workforce challenges and the needs of a diverse national workforce.

This opportunity sits within Safety, Wellbeing and Performance, a team focused on fostering safe, healthy and productive workplaces. You will contribute to work that matters: supporting employees through injury, illness and recovery; partnering with managers to achieve safe and sustainable outcomes; and helping shape a rehabilitation and injury management function that is proactive, trusted and prevention-focused.

If you are motivated by meaningful case management, strong stakeholder relationships and the opportunity to influence better wellbeing and return to work outcomes across the APS, this role offers a rewarding next step.

What you will do

Reporting to the Assistant Director, Rehabilitation and Injury Management, this role is an opportunity to make a practical difference to employee recovery, wellbeing and safe, sustainable return to work outcomes across the department.

As Senior Rehabilitation Case Manager, you will bring together sound judgement, strong stakeholder engagement and practical case management expertise to support employees and managers through complex rehabilitation and compensation matters. You will provide clear advice, coordinate timely action and contribute to a mature, prevention-focused approach to rehabilitation and injury management.

In this role, you will:

• Help strengthen the department’s Rehabilitation Management System by reviewing policies and procedures, providing practical advice and supporting health and wellbeing initiatives.
• Deliver responsive compensation and rehabilitation services for employees in line with the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, including case management for ill and injured employees where required.
• Partner with managers to address workplace factors that may affect recovery, participation at work or successful return to work outcomes.
• Build trusted working relationships with employees, supervisors, medical practitioners, workplace rehabilitation providers and other stakeholders to develop and implement effective rehabilitation programs.
• Use medical, functional and workplace information to identify rehabilitation goals, monitor progress and support safe, durable return to work arrangements.
• Coordinate information gathering for workers’ compensation claims and work closely with the Pay and Conditions Unit to support accurate and timely claims processing.
• Identify opportunities to improve how rehabilitation and case management services are delivered, including contributing to projects and improved systems.
• Support early intervention, injury prevention and active management of workers’ compensation premium risk, while maintaining accurate, confidential and secure rehabilitation records.

Inherent requirements for the role

This role requires a combination of professional judgement, specialist case management skills and the ability to work confidently with sensitive health, employment and workplace information. The inherent requirements reflect the core skills and capabilities needed to perform the role safely, effectively and at the APS6 level.

• Demonstrated capability to perform at the APS6 level, consistent with the APS6 Work Level Standards, including sound judgement, initiative, personal drive, discretion, resilience and the ability to manage complex work with limited direction.
• Specialist skills in rehabilitation, injury management, workers’ compensation, return-to-work, human resources, employee wellbeing, allied health, psychology, work health and safety, case management or a related field, supported by relevant tertiary qualifications, training or equivalent professional experience.
• Practical experience managing sensitive or complex case management matters, including the ability to interpret medical, functional and workplace information and translate it into clear, timely and appropriate rehabilitation or return-to-work actions.
• Ability to engage appropriately with employees and stakeholders in sensitive rehabilitation and injury management contexts, including recognising wellbeing, confidentiality and workplace complexity considerations.
• Ability to work within relevant legislative, policy and procedural frameworks, including rehabilitation, workers’ compensation, work health and safety, privacy, APS values and Code of Conduct obligations.
• Ability to manage confidential personal, medical and employment information with care, accuracy and integrity, including maintaining clear records and preparing well-structured written advice, briefings and case documentation.

To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate that you can:

• Deliver high-quality outcomes by showing initiative, exercising sound judgement and managing competing priorities in a small team, often within tight timeframes.
• Prepare clear written and verbal advice for different audiences, including employees, managers and decision-makers.
• Build productive relationships across teams, senior leaders and stakeholders by engaging respectfully, valuing diverse perspectives and working collaboratively.
• Show curiosity, adaptability and a commitment to ongoing learning, while supporting a positive learning culture for others.
• Think strategically, analyse complex information from multiple sources, identify connections and make well-reasoned decisions.
• Use sound reasoning and evidence to explain recommendations, support decisions and influence practical rehabilitation or workplace outcomes.
• Work effectively across boundaries by keeping your supervisor and team informed, contributing to shared priorities and supporting coordinated delivery.

RecruitAbility

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.

Desirable requirements

The following experience is desirable and would help candidates make a strong contribution quickly. These are not mandatory requirements and should be read separately from the inherent requirements listed above.

• Experience applying the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 or comparable workers’ compensation legislation in an APS, Commonwealth or similar employer environment.
• Knowledge of rehabilitation management systems, prevention-focused injury management approaches, or workers’ compensation premium management.
• Experience contributing to rehabilitation, injury management or wellbeing projects, including improvements to processes, systems, guidance material or reporting.
• Experience working with Comcare, workplace rehabilitation providers, claims managers or similar external partners to support coordinated rehabilitation and return-to-work outcomes.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications, professional accreditation or specialised training in rehabilitation, injury management, allied health, psychology, human resources, work health and safety, case management or a related discipline.
• Technical Knowledge of the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation legislative framework and experience in interpreting this in a work environment and Case management experience.

Cultural capability requirement

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 CountryAgreementand the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025–28.

As an APS 6 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. We believe that this not only leads to a more fulfilling and happier life but also enhances the overall quality of our work. Some of the benefits we offer include:

• Access to our study Assistance Program that provides paid leave and financial support for you to undertake courses of study that contribute to the improvements of your professional skills and knowledge relevant to our work and broader Australian Public Service.
• Through our investment in learning and development opportunities, and a positive performance culture, we provide diverse career pathways for our people to enable their mobility and adapt in a rapidly changing world.
• Improve your leadership skills, through the department’s Professional Coaching Scheme and tailored leadership opportunities for staff members.
• Flexible working opportunities, including part-time hours, home based work and job sharing.
• We offer generous leave entitlements of 20 days personal circumstances leave per year, with one month’s accrual of leave credited on commencement and 150 hours of paid annual leave (based on a full-time employee), plus a range of other miscellaneous leave options to support you.

Join our department and embark on a journey of growth, fulfillment, and well-being. Experience personal and professional development, prioritise your health, and be part of a vibrant and positive culture that empowers individuals and drives exceptional performance.

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 Clearance Level. 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: 23 September 2026

Applications close: 8 October 2026

Application shortlisting: 15 October 2026

Further assessments: 22 October 2026

Selection report finalised: 5 November 2026

Offers and announcements: 12 November 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 work sample testing, interviews and reference checks.