Director Business Operations

Department of Defence; Canberra; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Defence invites applications for a Director Business Operations, located in the Australian Capital Territory. The role leads a Branch Executive and support team to set the strategic direction and deliver governance services enabling Defence capability outcomes.

The successful candidate will oversee various functions including Commercial, Finance, and Information Management, reporting to the Director General.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a Branch Executive and support teams.
• Ability to set strategic direction and oversee governance services.
• Proven ability to manage diverse, executive-level stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a high-performance team across commercial, finance, and administration.
• Set strategic direction for the Branch and ensure delivery of defence capability outcomes.
• Oversee governance, reporting, and information management across programs.
• Collaborate with ADS or Space Systems Branch to align objectives and resources.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic planning

Governance

Team mentoring

Job description

Department of Defence – Australian Capital Territory

The Director Business Operations (DBO) leads a Branch Executive and support team, working collaboratively to set the strategic direction of the Branch. The DBO is accountable to the relevant Director General (DG) for delivering business, programmatic support and governance services that enable the successful delivery of Defence capability outcomes.

The role requires a significant degree of independence, judgement and leadership across a diverse executive and support workforce, encompassing functions including Commercial, Finance, Business Administration, Workforce Management, Strategic Planning, Executive Coordination, Security, Reporting, and Information Management.

The DBO provides integrated business leadership to ensure effective governance, resource management, performance monitoring and organisational alignment, supporting the delivery of complex capability programs and strategic objectives.

This recruitment process may be used to fill Director Business Operations positions within the Air Defence Systems (ADS) Branch or Space Systems Branch (SSB)

About our Team

The Air Defence and Space Systems Division have management and oversight of the next frontier of Defence capabilities - Integrated Air and Missile Defence Systems, Combat Air Support and Space Domain capabilities. The Division consists of Air Defence Systems Branch, Air and Surface Surveillance and Control Branch and Space Systems Branch. Each Branch has their own distinct responsibilities and priorities that contribute to the Division’s broader purpose.

The successful candidate may be placed within either Air Defence Systems Branch or Space Systems Branch. While the nature of the work may vary between Branches, each provides a collaborative and supportive environment in which staff can contribute to Defence’s and the Division’s objectives.

Our Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a driven and enthusiastic self-starter who will thrive in a dynamic environment.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong organisational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build, maintain and influence strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Lead and mentor a team to high performance.
• Resilience and adaptability, maintaining composure, sound judgement and productivity in a dynamic environment with competing priorities, evolving requirements and time-critical outcomes.
• A growth mindset and an appetite for learning and development, which is strongly encouraged and supported.
• A proactive approach when addressing complex problems with stakeholders.
• Confidence and ability to coordinate understanding of issues in a holistic and strategic sense and provide options for the way forward.

As a leader within Air Defence and Space Systems Division, embrace the collegiate nature of our workplace and actively practice the One Defence Leadership Behaviours and Values.

Security Clearance

Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance at “Negative Vetting Level 1”.

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