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

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

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Hybrid work option

Job summary

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is seeking an EL1 Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Integrated Services, to provide strategic and operational advice on protective security obligations. The role oversees security activities department-wide and drives continuous uplift in governance and compliance.

The position involves managing contracts, coordinating risk reviews, and leading a small team, with flexible/hybrid

Qualifications

• Strong PSPF knowledge and experience applying protective security policy and risk management.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication to senior stakeholders.
• Experience coordinating security risk reviews, site security planning and managing protective security contracts.

Responsibilities

• Oversee physical and personnel security activities across the department.
• Coordinate site security risk reviews and security plans across all sites.
• Drive remediation and compliance improvements, including PSPF reporting.
• Deliver security awareness and maintain guidance materials.
• Lead or support investigations into security breaches and manage incidents.

Skills

PSPF knowledge

Security governance

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Relevant security qualifications/certifications

Tools

Electronic Access Control Systems

Job description

Career Opportunities: EL1 - Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Aff… (48143)

Requisition ID48143-Posted09/09/2026-$126,838-$144,278- Location of Position (1) -Ongoing-Full Time

EL1 - Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Integrated Services, Affid

Title:

EL1 - Assistant Director, Protective Security Specialist, Integrated Services, Affid

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.

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.

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.

We provide reasonable adjustments such as access, equipment or other practical support at relevant stages of the recruitment process. Please advise in the application form or get in touch with the contact officer if you need any adjustments made.

• 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.

As an EL1 you will be expected to:

• 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 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

This is an affirmative Measurements – First Nations applicants only position. The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an affirmative Measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. To be eligible to apply under the affirmative Measures initiative, applicants must:

• be an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person
• identify as an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person, and
• be accepted by their community as being an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person

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.

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

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.