El1 - Assistant Directors, Regional Development, Northern Australia And Local Government

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional ...; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 127,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RecruitAbility

Flexible working arrangements

Study Assistance Program

Professional Coaching

Job summary

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is seeking EL1 Assistant Directors for Regional Development across Northern Australia and Local Government. These roles support flexible work arrangements, including office and home-based hybrid work, with locations in Cairns, Darwin, Perth and Townsville.

A merit pool may be formed for future vacancies within the same area.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated capability against EL1 Work level standards.
• Experience embedding First Nations perspectives into infrastructure policy, program delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to deliver persuasive written briefs and engage senior executives.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance frameworks: NAIF Board interactions, ministerial appointments per Cabinet Handbook, update shared Risk Appetite Statement.
• Drive strategic policy advice: review NAIF Act provisions, ensure investment policy alignment, and lead Northern Australia Action Plan initiatives.
• Coordinate Ministerial, Parliamentary and Cabinet requests.
• Oversee NAMF secretariat and manage major external engagement activities such as Annual Statement to Parliament.

Job description

EL1 - Assistant Directors, Regional Development, Northern Australia and Local Government

Title:

EL1 - Assistant Directors, Regional Development, Northern Australia and Local Government

Classification(s):

Executive Level 1

Employment Type:

Ongoing/Non-Ongoing, Full Time/Part Time

Salary:

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

Business Division:

Regional Development, Northern Australia & Local Government

Branch / Section:

Office of Northern Australia

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 Cairns; Darwin; Perth; Townsville.

A merit pool may be formed and used to fill future similar vacancies in these locations and other locations within the same metropolitan area.

Security Clearance:

Baseline Vetting

Job Reference No:

48275

Contact Officer:

James Lowery, [e-mail],
02 6136 8468

Closing Date:

11.59pm AEDT, Sunday 22 November 2026

We actively seek to reflect the diversity of the Australian community in our workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and/or who are neurodivergent, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including people of all genders and gender identities. We uphold gender equality as a core organisational value. If you’re interested in the role but feel uncertain, we still encourage you to apply if you feel your passions, transferable skills and valuable experience align with this position.

The opportunity we have available

The Office of Northern Australia is a multi-disciplinary branch driving the economic and social advancement of Northern Australia. We oversee the Government’s $7 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) special investment vehicle, coordinate cross-jurisdictional frameworks, and deliver the Northern Australia Action Plan. We are seeking agile, collaborative Assistant Directors to provide strategic leadership across policy development, governance, infrastructure project advice, and high-level stakeholder relations. In this role, you will lead a dedicated team and shape policies that deliver lasting regional and cultural outcomes.

What you will do

As an EL1 Assistant Director, you will lead a small team or manage complex work streams to achieve the strategic objectives of your section. Typical duties include:

• Leading governance frameworks: Managing the Department’s interaction with the NAIF Board, overseeing ministerial appointments in line with the Cabinet Handbook, and updating the shared Risk Appetite Statement (RAS).
• Driving strategic policy advice: Directing legislative reviews of the NAIF Act, establishing investment policy alignment, and leading economic or social initiatives under the Northern Australia Action Plan.
• High-level coordination: Overseeing central triage and delivery of complex Ministerial, Parliamentary, and Cabinet requests.
• Stakeholder & event leadership: Managing secretariat functions for the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum (NAMF) and directing major external engagement activities like the Annual Statement to Parliament.

Inherent requirements for the role

The inherent requirements for this role include:

• The successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the Executive level 1 Work level standards.
• Support the department’s commitments to the National Closing the Gap Agreement and the Our Stories on Country Agreement by embedding First Nations perspectives into infrastructure policy, program delivery, and stakeholder engagement.
• Proven capability to evaluate complex information, make sound decisions, and apply work level standards under pressure.
• Demonstrated experience leading and fostering growth mindsets within a small team delivering concurrent, tight-deadline projects.
• Ability to deliver persuasive written briefs and engage confidently with senior executives and cross-portfolio jurisdictions.

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.

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.

More information can be found at RecruitAbility scheme: A guide for applicants | Australian Public Service Commission.

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?

We are dedicated to fostering personal and professional development, empowering individuals to set goals, acquire new skills, and cultivate unique qualities that define who they are. Some of the benefits we offer include:

• Access to our Study Assistance Program providing paid leave and financial support for courses relevant to our work.
• Diverse career pathways, learning and development investments, and a positive performance culture.
• Professional Coaching Schemes and tailored leadership opportunities.
• Flexible working opportunities, including part-time hours, home-based work, and job sharing.
• Generous leave entitlements of 20 days personal circumstances leave per year and 150 hours of paid annual leave.