Director, National Security

Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous leave entitlements

Diversity and inclusion

Job summary

AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence unit, seeks an EL2 Director, National Security, to provide strategic leadership across collection, analysis and delivery of financial intelligence in a highly classified environment.

You will lead a high-performing team within the National Security and Insights Branch, engaging domestic and international partners and driving capability uplift while managing risks to ensure outputs support investigations and operations.

Qualifications

• Must have tertiary qualifications or substantial equivalent experience in intelligence, national security, law enforcement, cybercrime or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a high-performing team and manage resources.
• Experience providing authoritative advice on national security financial intelligence matters.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for AUSTRAC's national security financial intelligence capability.
• Provide authoritative advice on national security financial intelligence matters.
• Lead and manage a high-performing team, including performance and development.
• Identify innovative analytic methods and capability uplift across intelligence functions.
• Negotiate and lead AUSTRAC's contributions to intelligence missions with partners.
• Anticipate and manage risks and implement appropriate controls.

Skills

Strategic leadership

National security

Intelligence analysis

Team management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Tertiary qualifications in related field

Job description

Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre – Haymarket NSW

Join AUSTRAC and help protect Australia from serious and organised crime. As Australia's financial intelligence unit and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulator, AUSTRAC plays a critical role in detecting, deterring and disrupting criminal activity that threatens our economy, national security and community.

The EL2 Director, National Security is a senior member of the National Security and Insights Branch within AUSTRAC's Intelligence Division. The Branch works closely with a wide range of domestic government partner agencies across national security, law enforcement, revenue, and regulatory functions, as well as international counterparts and key private sector partners.

In this role, you will provide strategic leadership across the collection, collation and analysis of financial data and other information, and oversee the delivery of high-quality intelligence assessments in a highly classified environment. You will help ensure AUSTRAC provides highly relevant, actionable tactical, operational, and strategic financial intelligence to support investigations, joint agency task forces, and efforts to disrupt national security threats.

About the opportunity

Join AUSTRAC and help protect Australia from serious and organised crime. As Australia's financial intelligence unit and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulator, AUSTRAC plays a critical role in detecting, deterring and disrupting criminal activity that threatens our economy, national security and community.

The EL2 Director, National Security is a senior member of the National Security and Insights Branch within AUSTRAC's Intelligence Division. The Branch works closely with a wide range of domestic government partner agencies across national security, law enforcement, revenue, and regulatory functions, as well as international counterparts and key private sector partners.

In this role, you will provide strategic leadership across the collection, collation and analysis of financial data and other information, and oversee the delivery of high-quality intelligence assessments in a highly classified environment. You will help ensure AUSTRAC provides highly relevant, actionable tactical, operational, and strategic financial intelligence to support investigations, joint agency task forces, and efforts to disrupt national security threats.

The key duties of the position include:

• Setting the strategic direction for AUSTRAC's national security financial intelligence capability, ensuring work priorities align with agency objectives, whole of government priorities and partner requirements.
• Providing authoritative advice on national security financial intelligence matters, including terrorism financing, foreign interference and espionage financing, counter proliferation financing, and financial cybercrime-related matters.
• Leading and managing a high-performing team, including setting expectations, allocating resources, developing capability, managing performance, and coaching and mentoring staff.
• Identifying and leading innovative analytic methods and business improvement and capability uplift, across national security intelligence functions.
• Negotiating and leading AUSTRAC's contribution to a range of intelligence missions, including engaging with National Intelligence Community (NIC) agencies and intelligence customers.
• Anticipating and managing strategic, operational, information and reputational risks associated with highly sensitive intelligence work, escalating issues and implementing appropriate controls.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking a highly motivated national security professional, who can lead a high-performing team in a diverse and challenging national security and intelligence focused role.

Highly Desirable

• Relevant tertiary qualifications and/or substantial equivalent experience in intelligence, national security, law enforcement, cybercrime, financial crime, counter terrorism, international relations or a related field.

For more information about the capabilities we are looking for, please refer to the Candidate Pack in the AUSTRAC Jobs Listing.

Eligibility

• Must be an Australian citizen at the time you apply.
• Will need to undertake AUSTRAC’s pre-engagement checks.
• Will need to obtain and maintain an ongoing Positive Vetting (PV) or Top Secret–Privileged Access (TS-PA) Security Clearance

Use of AI

The Principles for Candidate Use of AI in Recruitment outline how AI can be used ethically, responsibly, and transparently when applying for APS jobs. Before submitting your application, please review the principles to ensure any use of AI supports, rather than replaces, your own skills, experience, and capabilities, and that your application accurately reflects you as a candidate.

Why AUSTRAC?

Mission Driven:

Make an impact at Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing regulator and financial intelligence unit. We offer you a challenging and rewarding career with meaningful work.

Generous Leave Entitlements

including NAIDOC leave, parental leave, cultural leave, compassionate leave, carers leave, blood donation leave and community work leave.

Diversity and Inclusion:

Our core values of diversity, inclusion, and integrity drive everything we do. We actively encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and those of mature age. We recognise that united behaviours and mindsets will support our agency today and guide us into the future.

Getting to know the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)

AUSTRAC is the Australian Government’s financial intelligence unit and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulator. With government and industry partners, we use financial intelligence and regulation to:

• prevent criminal abuse of the financial sector
• help business, government and law enforcement partners detect, deter and disrupt money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious crimes
• build and maintain trust and integrity in Australia’s financial system.

Every day our people use their intellect, skills, initiative and the latest technologies to protect our country, economy and community. With supportive benefits and culture, we offer a challenging and rewarding career where you can make a real impact.