Assistant Director, Vendor Management Office

Australian Electoral Commission; Canberra; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Electoral Commission is seeking an Assistant Director in the ICT Vendor Management Office to lead complex procurement activities and drive compliance with the Commonwealth Resource Management Framework. You will manage a team, build capabilities and coordinate with stakeholders to deliver procurement priorities on behalf of the CIOD and Indigo Division.

The role requires strong written and verbal communication, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence diverse teams while

Qualifications

• Demonstrated understanding of legislative and policy requirements relating to procurement and contract management in ICT procurement.
• Experience in leading teams, managing work plans and monitoring performance to deliver procurement outcomes.
• Ability to build relationships with business areas, external stakeholders and senior leaders to achieve outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage procurement activities in line with Commonwealth policy.
• Oversee end-to-end procurement including sourcing, tendering and contract compliance.
• Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to meet procurement priorities.

Skills

Procurement policy

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Risk management

Education

Diploma of Government (Procurement)

Certificate IV in Government (Procurement and Contracting)

Public administration degree

Job description

Australian Electoral Commission – Canberra ACT

The Chief Information Officer Division (CIOD) includes the Chief Technology and Data Officer Branch, the Platforms and Application Development Branch, and the Website Modernisation Project, which share a common objective of sustaining and managing key systems for the Indigo Program and the AEC more broadly.

The ICT Vendor Management Office (VMO) sits within the Chief Information Officer Division and is responsible for the procurement and ongoing contract management of information and communication technology (ICT) resources for the Chief Information Officer Division (CIOD) and the Indigo Division. The Indigo Division was established to drive the AEC's transformation agenda and deliver the Election Systems Modernisation Program (Indigo Program) on behalf of the agency.

The VMO works with vendors and business areas to ensure contractual arrangements are delivered in line with procurement policy.

The Chief Information Officer Division (CIOD) includes the Chief Technology and Data Officer Branch, the Platforms and Application Development Branch, and the Website Modernisation Project, which share a common objective of sustaining and managing key systems for the Indigo Program and the AEC more broadly.

The ICT Vendor Management Office (VMO) sits within the Chief Information Officer Division and is responsible for the procurement and ongoing contract management of information and communication technology (ICT) resources for the Chief Information Officer Division (CIOD) and the Indigo Division. The Indigo Division was established to drive the AEC's transformation agenda and deliver the Election Systems Modernisation Program (Indigo Program) on behalf of the agency.

The VMO works with vendors and business areas to ensure contractual arrangements are delivered in line with procurement policy.

The key duties of the position include:

This is an exciting opportunity to join the AEC and contribute to work that has a direct impact on Australia's democratic processes.

The Assistant Director provides moderately complex to complex advice and guidance on all aspects of procurement to support compliance with the Commonwealth Resource Management Framework, including the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth) and associated policies and rules.

You will lead and manage a team to deliver high-quality outcomes, build team capability and support career development. You will also develop and maintain productive internal and external relationships, working collaboratively with stakeholders to identify opportunities, achieve outcomes and facilitate cooperation.

Strong written and verbal communication skills will be essential, including the ability to communicate effectively with influence, engage with people from diverse backgrounds and work with members of the AEC Executive Team. You will also contribute to innovation and business improvement initiatives through strategic thinking and sound judgement.

Success in this role will require you to set priorities, plan and coordinate section activities, align longer‑term work plans with agency objectives, actively manage risk and report on outcomes to deliver procurement priorities.

The Assistant Director will oversee the maintenance of accurate ICT procurement and contract registers and databases to support procurement activities and stakeholder needs. This includes making informed decisions, exercising professional judgement and assessing risks in a complex and evolving environment.

To excel you’ll have:

• Demonstrated understanding of legislative and policy requirements relating to procurement and contract management and the ability to apply this knowledge in ICT procurement activities.


• Experience in leading teams, managing work plans and monitoring performance to deliver procurement outcomes, manage risk and support strategic objectives.


• Demonstrated ability to build and manage relationships with business areas, external stakeholders and senior leaders to identify opportunities, achieve outcomes and facilitate cooperation.


• Proven capacity to contribute to strategic thinking, innovation and business improvement initiatives, including developing or improving procurement guidance, processes, templates or reporting resources.


• Demonstrated experience managing end-to-end procurement activities, including sourcing, tendering, supplier evaluation, contract negotiation and compliance with relevant policies and regulatory requirements.

Desirable

• Relevant qualifications and/or industry certifications, such as a Diploma of Government, Certificate IV in Government (Procurement and Contracting), or an equivalent qualification.


• Understanding of, or the ability to gain an understanding of the Commonwealth Resource Management Framework.


• Relevant qualifications in project management, business, public administration or a related discipline.


• Demonstrated ability to maintain contemporary knowledge of Commonwealth procurement and contract management practices and emerging industry developments.

Eligibility

• AEC employees must be Australian citizens.


• Any person who is, and seen to be active in political affairs, and intends to publicly carry on this activity, may compromise the strict neutrality of the AEC and cannot be considered.


• Applicants are required to consent to, undergo, obtain and maintain a character clearance.


• Applicants are required to consent to, undergo, obtain and maintain the security clearance required for this role.

Getting to know the Australian Electoral Commission

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is at the heart of Australian democracy.The AEC is responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums, maintaining the Commonwealth electoral roll and making sure the Australian public is informed about all electoral matters. Our goal is to see that all eligible Australians actively participate in our democracy.The AEC values of electoral integrity through quality, agility and professionalism drive strategic and corporate planning and assist in organising the agency in a way that will effectively deliver the business into the future.The AEC is an equal opportunity employer which upholds the APS employment principles and actively encourages a diverse and inclusive workplace.The AEC’s statutory functions in relation to the conduct of elections and referendums require that the AEC and its employees must be, and must be seen to be, impartial and politically neutral. As a result, the AEC Enterprise Agreement and Political Neutrality Policy state that it is an inherent requirement of AEC employment that employees, and prospective employees, are not publicly active in any political affairs and do not publicly engage in such activities. This includes advocating any issues associated with a referendum. Should a prospective employee fail to meet this inherent requirement, they will be ineligible for employment with the AEC.