Assistant Director

Department of Defence; Wollongong City Council; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Defence, via the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO), seeks an Executive Level 1 Assistant Director to lead multidisciplinary teams delivering outcomes in support of Defence capability and national priorities. You will translate strategic priorities into operational results, foster collaboration, and guide staff through changes across multiple branches and domains.

As an EL1, you will drive planning, resource and risk management, and maintain productive

Qualifications

• Strong leadership capability and ability to align team efforts with strategic priorities.
• Proven problem-solving skills with sound judgement under pressure.
• Ability to influence and build productive relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication within diverse environments.
• Commitment to continuous learning and development in GEOINT/Defence fields.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop high performing teams to achieve organisational outcomes.
• Deliver operational, project, program, or capability outcomes with planning and risk management.
• Build relationships across internal and external partners, including senior decision-makers.
• Provide timely, evidence-based advice, reports and briefs to stakeholders.
• Coordinate tasking to meet branch and mission objectives during transitions.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and capability uplift across functions.
• Ensure staff compliance with policy, governance and security frameworks.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Problem solving

Job description

The Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) is seeking high-performing leaders and professionals to fill Executive Level 1 Assistant Director positions across multiple branches. As an EL1 Assistant Director within AGO, you will lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver outcomes that support Defence capability, Australian Government priorities and National Intelligence Community objectives. You will provide leadership, direction and guidance to your team, translate strategic priorities into operational outcomes and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.

Opportunities exist across a diverse range of functional areas including GEOINT operations, capability delivery, project and program management, enabling services, business operations, training and workforce development, data management, information governance, imagery management, production services and stakeholder engagement. Roles may involve leading specialist teams, managing programs and projects, delivering geospatial products and services, overseeing business operations, or enabling Defence capability outcomes through governance, planning and service delivery.

The merit pool established through this process may be used to fill a broad range of Executive Level 1 vacancies across AGO over the next 18 months.

As an EL1 Assistant Director within AGO, you will:

• Lead, motivate and develop high performing teams, providing direction and support to achieve organisational outcomes in support of Defence and National priorities.
• Lead the delivery of operational, project, program, business or capability outcomes, including planning, resource management, risk management and performance reporting.
• Build, maintain and leverage productive working relationships across the NIC, Defence, wider government, industry, and national and international partner organisations.
• Support strategic decision-makers and key stakeholders by providing timely, evidence-based advice, reports and briefs.
• Anticipate and respond to emerging priorities from AGO Senior Executives, coordinating timely and effective delivery of tasking to enable the achievement of branch and organisational mission outcomes.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and capability uplift across operational, business, project and enterprise functions.
• Support the effective implementation of change initiatives, ensuring staff are informed, engaged and supported through periods of transition.
• Ensure team compliance with policy, governance, security and legislative frameworks.

About our Team

There are positions available across the following branches:

Data, Collection & Futures leads AGO’s data acquisition, management and governance, including the collection of space based satellite imagery.

GEOINT Capability Delivery is responsible for the acquisition and sustainment of capabilities necessary to support AGO’s missions and Government priorities.

GEOINT Enterprise & Executive provides AGO’s enterprise functions including GEOINT training and tradecraft, GEOINT workforce and culture, security, communications, coordination, business enterprise solutions, policy, compliance and governance.

Foundation Geospatial supports Defence through the production, acquisition and dissemination of assured geospatial data, providing Defence with detailed information of the Earth’s surface enabling ADF mission planning and operations.

Intelligence & Insights comprises of analytic teams to produce intelligence that informs operational, tactical and strategic decision-making across Defence and government.

Maritime Geospatial provides maritime geospatial data, products and services to Defence and Australia’s Partners, and fulfils Defence’s obligations under the Navigation Act 2012 (Cth) to provide Australia’s national charting service.

Targeting, Mission & Engagement leads AGO’s international partnerships and mission management functions, ensuring the broad range of AGO outputs are integrated and delivered against Government priorities.

Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate is a collaborative and adaptable leader who inspires high performance in their teams, builds and maintains strong relationships, and delivers results in complex environments. You will demonstrate:

• Strong leadership capability, including the ability to direct and align team efforts to strategic priorities.
• Proven ability to contribute to organisational capability and missions through problem-solving and exercising sound judgement, triage competing priorities, and make informed decisions under pressure.
• The ability to influence, negotiate and build productive working relationships with key stakeholders, including senior decision-makers and external partners, through excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• An understanding of how your professional discipline contributes to AGO’s mission in delivering on Defence and Government priorities, with the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of the GEOINT environment.
• Knowledge and understanding of how geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) supports Defence and wider government priorities, with a commitment to continued learning and development in this field.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity and accountability, and a commitment to the APS and Defence Values and Behaviours.

We welcome applications from candidates with diverse professional backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Whether your expertise lies in intelligence, geospatial disciplines, capability delivery, project or program management, workforce development, training, business operations, governance, policy, stakeholder engagement, information management, data, engineering, enabling services or other related fields, we encourage you to apply.

Security clearance

Prior to commencement, successful applicants will be required to undergo a psychological assessment and an extensive security clearance process. As a Positive Vetting clearance is required, applicants must be Australian Citizens; be able to account for their personal background for their whole life; and be able to demonstrate suitability to work in a high security intelligence environment.

The key duties of the position include:

The Role

The Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) is seeking high-performing leaders and professionals to fill Executive Level 1 Assistant Director positions across multiple branches. As an EL1 Assistant Director within AGO, you will lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver outcomes that support Defence capability, Australian Government priorities and National Intelligence Community objectives. You will provide leadership, direction and guidance to your team, translate strategic priorities into operational outcomes and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.

Opportunities exist across a diverse range of functional areas including GEOINT operations, capability delivery, project and program management, enabling services, business operations, training and workforce development, data management, information governance, imagery management, production services and stakeholder engagement. Roles may involve leading specialist teams, managing programs and projects, delivering geospatial products and services, overseeing business operations, or enabling Defence capability outcomes through governance, planning and service delivery.

The merit pool established through this process may be used to fill a broad range of Executive Level 1 vacancies across AGO over the next 18 months.

As an EL1 Assistant Director within AGO, you will:

• Lead, motivate and develop high performing teams, providing direction and support to achieve organisational outcomes in support of Defence and National priorities.
• Lead the delivery of operational, project, program, business or capability outcomes, including planning, resource management, risk management and performance reporting.
• Build, maintain and leverage productive working relationships across the NIC, Defence, wider government, industry, and national and international partner organisations.
• Support strategic decision-makers and key stakeholders by providing timely, evidence-based advice, reports and briefs.
• Anticipate and respond to emerging priorities from AGO Senior Executives, coordinating timely and effective delivery of tasking to enable the achievement of branch and organisational mission outcomes.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and capability uplift across operational, business, project and enterprise functions.
• Support the effective implementation of change initiatives, ensuring staff are informed, engaged and supported through periods of transition.
• Ensure team compliance with policy, governance, security and legislative frameworks.

About our Team

There are positions available across the following branches:

Data, Collection & Futures leads AGO’s data acquisition, management and governance, including the collection of space based satellite imagery.

GEOINT Capability Delivery is responsible for the acquisition and sustainment of capabilities necessary to support AGO’s missions and Government priorities.

GEOINT Enterprise & Executive provides AGO’s enterprise functions including GEOINT training and tradecraft, GEOINT workforce and culture, security, communications, coordination, business enterprise solutions, policy, compliance and governance.

Foundation Geospatial supports Defence through the production, acquisition and dissemination of assured geospatial data, providing Defence with detailed information of the Earth’s surface enabling ADF mission planning and operations.

Intelligence & Insights comprises of analytic teams to produce intelligence that informs operational, tactical and strategic decision-making across Defence and government.

Maritime Geospatial provides maritime geospatial data, products and services to Defence and Australia’s Partners, and fulfils Defence’s obligations under the Navigation Act 2012 (Cth) to provide Australia’s national charting service.

Targeting, Mission & Engagement leads AGO’s international partnerships and mission management functions, ensuring the broad range of AGO outputs are integrated and delivered against Government priorities.

Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate is a collaborative and adaptable leader who inspires high performance in their teams, builds and maintains strong relationships, and delivers results in complex environments. You will demonstrate:

• Strong leadership capability, including the ability to direct and align team efforts to strategic priorities.
• Proven ability to contribute to organisational capability and missions through problem-solving and exercising sound judgement, triage competing priorities, and make informed decisions under pressure.
• The ability to influence, negotiate and build productive working relationships with key stakeholders, including senior decision-makers and external partners, through excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• An understanding of how your professional discipline contributes to AGO’s mission in delivering on Defence and Government priorities, with the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of the GEOINT environment.
• Knowledge and understanding of how geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) supports Defence and wider government priorities, with a commitment to continued learning and development in this field.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity and accountability, and a commitment to the APS and Defence Values and Behaviours.

We welcome applications from candidates with diverse professional backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Whether your expertise lies in intelligence, geospatial disciplines, capability delivery, project or program management, workforce development, training, business operations, governance, policy, stakeholder engagement, information management, data, engineering, enabling services or other related fields, we encourage you to apply.

Eligibility

Security clearance

Prior to commencement, successful applicants will be required to undergo a psychological assessment and an extensive security clearance process. As a Positive Vetting clearance is required, applicants must be Australian Citizens; be able to account for their personal background for their whole life; and be able to demonstrate suitability to work in a high security intelligence environment.

Getting to know the Department of Defence

The Department of Defence employs around 18,000 Australian Public Service (APS) employees. Defence APS employees work in a wide variety of critical roles, Australia wide, enabling our three services Navy, Army and Air Force, to do their job. Defence has a range of Australian Public Service (APS) career opportunities that offer interesting, challenging, and unique work. Our workforce includes administrative support, accountants, intelligence analysts, engineers, policy advisors, graphic designers, lawyers, social workers, IT specialists and contract managers to name a few. We offer a rewarding career that includes professional development, work-life balance, recognition, a flexible and supportive work environment and a diverse workforce. To find out more about a career with Defence please visit https://www.defence.gov.au/jobs-careers