EL1 - Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Affirmative Measures, First Nations

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

Job summary

The Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts in Canberra is seeking an EL1 Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Integrated Services, to lead strategic security governance and operations across the department.

The role oversees physical and personnel security, contracts, and risk management to ensure a secure operating environment.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of the PSPF and protective security policy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for senior stakeholders.
• Experience coordinating security risk reviews and site security planning.
• Ability to manage contracts and a small team.
• Stakeholder engagement across multiple sites.

Responsibilities

• 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 guidance.
• Draft 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 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.

Skills

Protective Security

Policy governance

Risk management

Team leadership

Contract management

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

Electronic access control systems

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

14d ago , from Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

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

Title:

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

Classification(s):

Employment Type:

Ongoing, Full Time

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:

48143

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 8(1) of the 'Racial Discrimination Act 1975'. This vacancy is only available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait people.

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

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:

48143

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 8(1) of the 'Racial Discrimination Act 1975'. This vacancy is only available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait people.

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.

RecruitAbility

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is committed to supporting the employment and career development of people with disability. Our participation in APS RecruitAbility means we will progress an applicant with disability to a further stage in the recruitment process, where they opt into RecruitAbility and meet the minimum requirements for the vacancy.

The RecruitAbility minimum requirements are listed above under ‘inherent requirements for the role’.

You will be asked to indicate if you wish to opt into RecruitAbility in the application form. You must tick the 'opt in' box to participate in RecruitAbility. Simply declaring that you have a disability will not automatically include you.