Assistant Director, Chemicals Policy

Safe Work Australia; Canberra; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Safe Work Australia is seeking an experienced leader to fill the Assistant Director, Chemicals Policy role in Canberra. The successful candidate will lead the development of national work health and safety policy related to hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants and occupational health risks, guiding evidence-based outcomes to protect workers.

As a senior policy leader, you will work across Commonwealth and state jurisdictions, regulators and industry to develop policy, guidance material and

Responsibilities

• Lead development, implementation and review of national WHS policy on hazardous chemicals and exposure limits.
• Analyse scientific and regulatory information on chemicals, occupational hygiene and disease prevention.
• Provide evidence-based policy advice, ministerial briefings and submissions on chemical issues.
• Lead projects and coordinate policy initiatives across jurisdictions and stakeholders.
• Contribute to national guidance, model WHS laws, standards and frameworks on chemicals and health.
• Build relationships with agencies, regulators, industry, unions, researchers and experts.
• Represent the agency in intergovernmental forums, stakeholder meetings and committees.
• Lead and mentor staff, building a high-performing policy team.

Job description

Safe Work Australia is seeking experienced and adaptable leaders to fill an Assistant Director role in the Chemicals Policy team. The Assistant Director, Chemicals Policy leads the development of national work health and safety policy relating to hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants and occupational health risks. The role provides strategic leadership on complex and sensitive policy issues, drawing on scientific, technical and regulatory evidence to support effective risk management and the protection of workers’ health and safety.

The Assistant Director works collaboratively with Commonwealth, state and territory governments, regulators, industry representatives, unions, researchers and technical experts to develop evidence-based policy, guidance material and regulatory proposals. The role requires the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and influence outcomes across a broad range of stakeholders.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Lead the development, implementation and review of national work health and safety policy relating to hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants and workplace exposure limits, and worker exposure risks.
• Review, analyse and interpret scientific, technical and regulatory information relating to hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants, chemical risk management, occupational hygiene and occupational disease prevention.
• Provide high-quality, evidence-based policy advice, ministerial briefings, submissions and strategic recommendations on complex and emerging chemicals issues.
• Lead projects and coordinate policy initiatives across multiple jurisdictions and stakeholder groups.
• Contribute to the development and review of national guidance material, model WHS laws, standards and regulatory frameworks relating to hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants and occupational health.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with government agencies, regulators, industry groups, unions, researchers, technical specialists and other stakeholders.
• Represent the agency in intergovernmental forums, stakeholder meetings and national committees.
• Lead and mentor staff, fostering a high-performing team culture and delivering outcomes in a dynamic policy environment.

Eligibility

Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS), unless the Agency Head has agreed otherwise in writing.

The successful candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance.

Successful applicants will be required to complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme, you will be invited to participate in further assessment activities if you choose to opt in, declare you have disability and meet the minimum requirements for the role. More information is available at apsc.gov.au/recruitability.

Notes

This selection process may also be used to establish a merit pool, which may be accessed to fill similar ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies across Safe Work Australia over the following 18 months.

Applications should be submitted via our website by Sunday 1 November 2026 at 11:30pm AEDT.

Please note that online assessment activities and/or a panel interview will form part of the selection process. If you require any adjustments to participate in the assessment process, please let us know.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Susan Bernardi on (02) 61216*** or **************@swa.gov.au. If you experience technical difficulties submitting your application, please contact ***********@swa.gov.au

Getting to know the Safe Work Australia

Safe Work Australia (SWA) is a leading national policy body for work health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation. We are a small Agency of around 100 people yet our work plays a significant role in the lives of 13.5 million working Australians and their families through the provision of guidance to create safer and more productive workplaces, and the prevention of work-related death, injury and illness.We provide generous terms and conditions and flexible working arrangements. We are committed to professional development, health and wellbeing, as well as maintaining an engaged and enthusiastic workforce. Our Agency has an active Workplace Inclusion Network and social club, and we participate in a range of corporate and charitable activities.We pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace. People from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, LGBTIQ+ people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and people with parenting or caring responsibilities are strongly encouraged to apply.Centrally located in the Nishi Building in Canberra, our office has easy access to a variety of cafés and restaurants. We are also close to Lake Burley Griffin which provides excellent views as well as walking and cycle paths.