EL1 - Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Affirmative Measures, Disability

Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 127,000 - 144,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts in Canberra is seeking an EL1 Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist within Integrated Services. The role provides strategic and operational protection across departmental sites, ensuring PSPF compliance and effective governance.

You will lead or support security initiatives, manage contracts, drive risk reviews, and coordinate with cyber, property, WHS and fraud teams to

Qualifications

• Inherent requirements: strong knowledge of PSPF, governance and risk management in a complex organisation.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication to senior stakeholders and discretion with sensitive matters.
• Experience coordinating security risk reviews, site security planning and managing security contracts.

Responsibilities

• Oversee physical and personnel security activities across the department and coordinate site security planning.
• Manage protective security contracts and initiatives, including electronic access control systems.
• Support incident investigations and supervise a small team to deliver priorities and maintain stakeholder relationships.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to provide strategic protective security advice to senior management.

Job description

EL1 - Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Integrated Services, Aff…

Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts – Canberra ACT

$126,838 - $144,278 a year

Full time, Permanent

Hybrid

11d ago , from Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Title:

EL1 - Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Integrated Services, Aff…

Classification(s):

Executive Level 1

Employment Type:

Ongoing, Full Time

Salary:

$126,838- $144,278per annum plus 15.4% superannuation

Business Division:

Enabling Services

Branch / Section:

Integrated Services, Protective Security

Location:

We want to recruit the best people to our department. Our roles support flexible work arrangements including the opportunity to work from one of our departmental offices and hybrid (mixture of office and home-based work).

These roles are located in Canberra.

A merit pool may be formed and used to fill future similar vacancies in this location.

Security Clearance:

Negative Vetting 2

Job Reference No:

48142

Contact Officer:

Closing Date:

11.59pm AEST, Sunday 27 September 2026

The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an affirmative measure under Section 33 of the Australian Public Service Commissioner's Direction 2022. This vacancy is open only to people with disability.

The opportunity we have available

Protective Security is responsible for overseeing the department’s physical and personnel security arrangements ensuring compliance with the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF).

The Section delivers security governance, risk management, policy, and operational functions, and supports a secure operating environment across all departmental sites.

The team safeguards the department’s people, information and assets from security threats through a coordinated approach involving key stakeholders, including cyber security, property, WHS and fraud.

What you will do

The Protective Security specialist provides strategic and operational advice to support compliance with the department’s protective security obligations and responsibilities. The role oversees physical and personnel security activities across the department, coordinates security risk reviews and site security planning, and drives continuous uplift in security governance, assurance and compliance.

The Protective Security specialist manages security contracts and initiatives (including electronic access control systems), supports incident and breach investigations, contributes to internal and external security committees, and supervises a small team to deliver priorities and maintain effective stakeholder relationships.

Key duties and responsibilities include:

• Manage protective security contracts and service agreements and support security budget management.
• Coordinate Protective Security Risk Reviews and Site Security Plans across all departmental sites, including sites outside Canberra.
• Drive remediation, assurance and compliance improvements, including coordinating annual PSPF reporting processes.
• Deliver security awareness information sessions and maintain security-related intranet guidance and communications materials.
• Draft, review and maintain protective security policies, procedures, guidance and related communications material.
• Represent the department in internal and external security committees, working groups and forums.
• Lead or support investigations into suspected security breaches and manage complex security incidents and enquiries.
• Manage a small team, including oversight of workflows, priorities and capability development.
• Support personnel security activities, including pre-employment screening, security clearance processes and maintaining the Designated Security Assessed Positions (DSAP) register.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to provide accurate, strategic protective security advice to senior management.
• Ensure appropriate records are maintained in accordance with the Department’s record keeping standards
• Exercise all delegations efficiently, effectively, ethically and in line with appropriate guidelines

Take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and that of others who may be affected by the worker's acts or omissions.

Inherent requirements for the role

The inherent requirements for this role include:

• Strong working knowledge of the PSPF and experience applying protective security policy, governance and risk management in a complex organisation.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide clear, authoritative advice to senior stakeholders and manage sensitive matters with discretion.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating security risk reviews, site security planning, remediation activities and managing protective security contracts and/or physical security infrastructure initiatives.

Desirable requirements

• Demonstrated technical knowledge or experience relevant to Electronic Access Control Systems, security infrastructure or physical security technology.
• Ability to oversee technical security projects, including working with vendors, contractors and internal stakeholders to support delivery, maintenance and issue resolution.
• Experience leading or supervising staff, including setting priorities, managing workloads, building capability and supporting a positive team culture.
• Relevant qualifications or certifications in security risk management, project management, physical security, personnel security or a related field.
• Qualifications in risk management highly recommended.

Cultural capability requirement

The department believes every role contributes to cultural safety and that building staff cultural capability helps us deliver better policies, programs and services for First Nations people and the broader Australian community. Candidates will be required to demonstrate their willingness to develop their cultural capability as part of the assessment process. In making it a requirement across all roles in our department, we are taking a practical step in delivering our commitments under the Our Stories on Country Agreement and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025‑28.

• Lead the integration of cultural considerations into work area outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders.
• Champion cultural capability within teams and challenges culturally unsafe practices.

What else can we offer?

In this role, you will have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful protective security outcomes across a department with a national footprint. You will work across both strategic and operational security priorities, including security governance, risk management, personnel security, physical security and electronic access control system initiatives.

We offer:

• meaningful work that supports the safety, security and resilience of the department’s people, information and assets
• the opportunity to lead and influence protective security outcomes across a complex operating environment
• exposure to contemporary security infrastructure, systems and assurance activities
• a supportive team environment, with opportunities to lead staff, build capability and contribute to continuous improvement
• strong engagement with stakeholders including senior leaders
• access to flexible working arrangements, learning and development opportunities and broader APS career pathways.

Eligibility requirements

This is an affirmative measure vacancy – This vacancy is open only to people with disability.

For more information on Affirmative Measures - Disability, please visit -

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

• Citizenship: candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of submitting your application.
• Health Assessment: The preferred candidate may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
• Security Clearance:

  The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Negative Vetting Level 2. You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information. You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding ten years for Negative Vetting 2 clearances. More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website

• Police check: The successful candidate must complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.
• Integrity and Performance check: The successful candidate must satisfy the requirements in an Integrity and Performance check which is completed by your most recent employer.

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Timeline and assessment

A selection panel will be established to assess your suitability against the advertised role.

If a merit pool is established it will be valid for 18 months from date it first appeared in the APS Gazette.

Applications open: 10 September 2026

Applications close: 27 September 2026

Application shortlisting: by 6 October 2026

Further assessments: by 23 October 2026

Selection report finalised: by 6 November 2026

Offers and announcements: by 12 November 2026

The above is indicative only, please reach out to the contact person if you have any questions on the recruitment process or timeframes.

Your application will be assessed against the inherent requirements of the role, the Work level standards and in comparison to other candidates who applied. Once the entire applicant pool has been assessed, the panel will create a shortlist of applicants. If your application is shortlisted, you may be asked to undertake further assessment, this may include interviews and reference checks.