Assistant Director Security Operations PSOR and Emergency Management

The Department of Parliamentary Services; Canberra; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free on-site parking

Free gym membership

Childcare (pending availability)

Job summary

The Department of Parliamentary Services is seeking an Assistant Director Security Operations PSOR and Emergency Management to lead the Parliamentary Security Operations Room and APH emergency management capabilities, including real-time incident response and decision-making in a high-profile environment.

You will set priorities, drive continuous improvement, coordinate with AFP, ACT emergency services and internal APH stakeholders, and report to the Director Security Control & Preparedness.

Qualifications

• Nationally recognised qualification in emergency management, public safety, government security or related field is desirable.
• Experience in security control room, emergency coordination or incident management is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the PSOR and emergency management capability across APH.
• Set direction, priorities and standards for integrated security and emergency management arrangements.
• Lead reform initiatives and drive continuous improvement, embedding sustainable behavioural and organisational change.
• Lead and manage the PSOR to deliver coordinated, real-time security and emergency incident responses.
• Prepare and quality assure high-level briefing materials, reports and governance documentation.
• Build and sustain effective relationships with stakeholders across agencies to support integrated outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Operational leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Written communication

Education

Diploma of Public Safety (Emergency Management)

Job description

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Assistant Director Security Operations PSOR and Emergency Management

Company: Department of Parliamentary Services

Job Title:Assistant Director Security Operations PSOR and Emergency Management

Employment Type:Ongoing

Closing Date: 11:30pm AEST, Thursday 19 November 2026

The Opportunity

The Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) is recruiting for a Parliamentary Executive Level 1Assistant Director Security Operations PSOR and Emergency Managementwithin Security Operations.

The Security Operations Branch within the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) Security Division plays a critical role in protecting Australian Parliament House (APH), supporting a safe, secure and resilient environment for parliamentarians, staff, visitors and the broader parliamentary community. The Security Control & Preparedness section brings together operational security, incident coordination and emergency preparedness to support an integrated, contemporary and effective response capability across the parliamentary precinct.

AsAssistant Director Security Operations, Parliamentary Security Operations Room (PSOR) and Emergency Management, you will provide operational leadership and specialist advice across the PSOR and APH emergency management capability. The position also holds the APH Deputy Warden delegation, supporting the Director/Chief Warden and other lead response personnel and agencies during security and emergency incidents. The role requires the ability to make timely, defensible decisions in a sensitive and highly scrutinised operating environment, often while balancing competing operational, security and stakeholder considerations.

Working under limited direction, you will:

• Lead the PSOR and emergency management capability across APH, including coordinated real-time security and emergency incident responses
• Set priorities and standards for integrated security and emergency management arrangements
• Strengthen preparedness through exercises, training, assurance activities, after-action reviews and continuous improvement
• Analyse operational and incident information to identify risks, vulnerabilities and interdependencies
• Provide clear and authoritative advice to senior executives and stakeholders, including during incidents
• Prepare and quality assure high-level briefs, reports and governance documentation
• Lead reform and continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen operational capability
• Build productive relationships across the Parliamentary Security Service, Australian Federal Police, ACT emergency services and internal APH stakeholders.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for an experienced and resilient leader who can operate confidently in complex, dynamic and occasionally high-pressure environments. You will combine strong operational judgement with the ability to think strategically, lead people, influence stakeholders and translate lessons from incidents and exercises into practical improvements.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Proven capability leading operational teams or specialist functions, setting clear direction, balancing competing priorities and delivering outcomes through others.
• The ability to remain composed, assess complex information and make sound decisions in dynamic or high-pressure situations.
• Experience designing, coordinating and evaluating exercises, training, after-action reviews and other preparedness activities.
• The ability to identify operational risks, vulnerabilities and systemic issues and develop evidence-based recommendations.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including preparing concise briefs, reports and governance material and providing authoritative advice to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships and work collaboratively across operational, technical, executive and external agency environments.
• The ability to lead reform, embed positive change and translate lessons learned into sustainable improvements in capability.
• A professional, impartial and accountable approach consistent with Parliamentary Service values, particularly when operating in sensitive or high-pressure environments.

Qualifications and experience

A nationally recognised qualification in emergency management, public safety, government security or a related field, such as the PAU50120 Diploma of Public Safety (Emergency Management) or equivalent, is highly desirable. Experience in a security control room, emergency coordination, protective security or incident management environment is also desirable.

Job Specific Requirements:

• Some out-of-hours work may be required to support incidents, exercises, preparedness activities or other operational demands.
• The successful applicant will be required to obtain and maintain a Negative Vetting 1 (Confidential/Highly Protected/Secret) security clearance.

At DPS, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that ensures all our people can contribute to our shared purpose. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people with caring responsibilities, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, people from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people who identify as neurodivergent, and mature aged people.

Duty Statement

Classification:Parliamentary Executive Level 1

Branch: Security Operations

Section: Security Operations (PSS)

Immediate supervisor: Director Security Control & Preparedness

Duty Statement

Under limited/general direction undertake duties in accordance with the agreed standards for the specified classification. The duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Lead Strategically

• Lead the Parliamentary Security Operations Room (PSOR) and emergency management capability across APH.
• Set direction, priorities and standards for integrated security and emergency management arrangements, aligning operational capability with organisational objectives.
• Lead reform initiatives and drive continuous improvement, embedding sustainable behavioural and organisational change.

Achieve Results

• Lead and manage the PSOR to deliver coordinated, real-time security and emergency incident responses across APH.
• Ensure systems, workforce capability, and operational frameworks enable effective incident management and preparedness outcomes.
• Plan, coordinate and evaluate emergency preparedness activities, including exercises, training, and assurance programs, translating outcomes into measurable capability uplift.

Communicate with Influence

• Provide clear, authoritative advice and direction during incidents and in business-as-usual environments to senior executives and stakeholders.
• Prepare and quality assure high-level briefing materials, reports, after-action reviews, and governance documentation.
• Lead communications and information flow during incidents, ensuring timely, accurate and coordinated messaging.

Think Critically

• Analyse operational and incident information to identify risks, vulnerabilities and interdependencies.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations to strengthen security and emergency management capability.
• Apply sound judgement in dynamic environments to support decision-making and prioritisation.

Cultivate Productive Working Relationships

• Build and sustain effective relationships with Parliamentary Security Service (PSS), Australian Federal Police (AFP), ACT emergency services and internal APH stakeholders.
• Foster collaboration across operational, technical and governance functions to achieve integrated outcomes.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to support whole-of-site preparedness and response arrangements.

Display Resilience and Integrity

• Exercise position responsibilities to support the Director/Chief Warden and other lead response personnel or agencies during security and emergency incidents.
• Model Parliamentary Service values, promoting a professional, accountable and high-performing team culture.
• Operate with integrity and resilience in high-pressure environments, supporting senior leadership, maintaining composure and impartiality.
• Ensure compliance with security frameworks, information management Code of Practice requirements and Parliamentary Privilege obligations.

Selection Criteria

• Leads Strategically

Demonstrated leadership and management capability in overseeing operational teams or specialist functions in complex security, emergency management or control room environments, including setting clear direction, managing competing priorities and delivering outcomes through others.

• Achieves Results

Demonstrated experience in designing, coordinating and evaluating emergency preparedness activities, including exercises, training, after-action reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Communicates with Influence

Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise, high-quality written briefs, reports and governance documentation, and provide clear, authoritative verbal advice to senior stakeholders.

• Thinks Critically

Proven ability to analyse complex operational and incident issues, identify systemic risks and vulnerabilities, and develop evidence-based recommendations to inform decision-making and capability uplift.

• Cultivates Productive Working Relationships

Demonstrated ability to build, influence and sustain effective internal and external stakeholder relationships to support integrated security and emergency management outcomes.

• Parliamentary Service Values

Proven ability to lead reform and drive sustained positive culture change, delivering continuous improvement outcomes and organisational benefits.

Employees of DPS are required to be able, and to be seen to be able, to provide professional advice and services to all Senators and Members without favour or prejudice.

Our purpose and values

We proudly provide innovative, unified, and client-focused services to the Australian Parliament and parliamentarians. We are a values driven department, placing our values at the heart of everything we do; from ourservice offerings anddecision making to our interactions with stakeholders and each other.

Our people are employed in a broad and unique range of professional, customer service and trade‑based roles, all joined by a shared purpose:to make an enduring contribution to Australia’s parliamentary democracy. We have an inclusive workplace that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. While we come from all walks of life, we share a commitment to care for and protectour iconic workplace.

Every year, almost one million people visit Australian Parliament House to experience the parliamentary process, the building’s architecture, nationally significant art collections, events, tours, and food and dining experiences – all made possible by our people, who are active participants in an environment where no two days are the same.

What we can offer

Join our community based on innovative, unified, and client‑focused services, where your skills and development will be nurtured. You will also enjoy:

• flexible working arrangements can be negotiated in accordance with our Enterprise Agreement and the operational needs of the roles
• ongoing opportunities to learn and develop new capabilities
• free on-site parking
• free gym membership and access to recreational facilities available at APH
• childcare (pending availability), banking services, post office, value‑for‑money dining options and more available at APH.

An attractive salary, which could be negotiated with the successful candidate, is on offer.

Conditions of Employment

Employment opportunities at the department are subject to a range of conditions prescribed in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 which include:

• Australian citizenship:Section 22 of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 requires that employees of the Parliamentary Service are generally required to be Australian citizens. However, if you are not an Australian citizen you may be considered for engagement on the condition that you are able to gain Australian Citizenship within a specified time. Failure to obtain citizenship within the timeframe could lead to termination of employment.
• Loss and resumption of Australian citizenship:Under historical provisions of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 (section 17), some Australian citizens automatically lost the citizenship if they voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country between 26 January 1949 and 3 April 2002. This loss occurred by operation of law and may not have been known in the website .
• Applicants who progress to the offer stage with our department who have been affected by the loss of citizenship as outlined above will be required to demonstrate within a reasonable time that they have resumed, or are actively undertaking the process to resume, Australian citizenship.
• Security clearance and character clearance:the preferred applicant will be required to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the level specified, as well as complete and be deemed suitable through a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.
• Health assessment:a pre‑employment health assessment will be required where there are physical or medical requirements for the role.
• External Work Approval: Employees must seek approval for any paid employment outside the department and declare voluntary activities that could impact their role.

Department of Parliamentary Services acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.