EL2 – Director, First Nations Programs, Inclusion, News and Media Diversity, Affirmative Measures, First Nations

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts; Canberra; Sur place; AUD 150 000 - 190 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is seeking a Director in the First Nations Programs team within the Consumer Safeguards, Media and Connectivity Division (CSMCD) in Canberra.

You will lead policy and program delivery to advance First Nations digital inclusion and Closing the Gap outcomes, including advisory group coordination and program governance.

Qualifications

• Strategic capability in policy reform and program delivery.
• High-level negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical capacity for reporting and Indigenous data sovereignty.
• Exceptional written and oral communication for executive briefings.
• Ability to lead teams, manage workflows and drive culture.

Responsabilités

• Lead policy reform and program delivery for First Nations digital inclusion.
• Support cross-branch work on First Nations initiatives and advisory group secretariat.
• Undertake research and analysis on priority issues affecting First Nations communities.
• Develop persuasive briefing papers, speeches and proposals for policy changes.
• Coordinate strategy, planning, implementation and stakeholder engagement.

Connaissances

Strategic leadership

Negotiation & collaboration

Governance & reporting

Executive communication

People & culture leadership

Description du poste

The opportunity we have available The Consumer Safeguards, Media and Connectivity Division (CSMCD) is at the centre of developing policy and programs to ensure all Australians have access to safe and reliable connectivity and communications services, as well as ensuring the diversity of Australia's media landscape. We also focus on digital inclusion for Australia's First Nations communities. The Inclusion, News and Media Diversity Branch in CSMCD is looking for a high-performing Director to lead our First Nations Programs team responsible for the delivery of First Nations digital inclusion measures, recommended by the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group (the Advisory Group) and funded in the 2024-25 Budget, and coordination of departmental work related to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap - Target 17, Outcome 17 and Priority Reforms. The First Nations Programs team has been established to take forward delivery of the First Nations digital inclusion Budget measures, including $20 million to deliver free community Wi-Fi in remote communities through a contestable program, $6 million towards improving the national collection of data on First Nations digital inclusion, and $22 million to establish a First Nations Digital Support Hub ($4 million) and a Network of Digital Mentors ($18 million). Our work is supported by the Digital Inclusion team in the branch has primary responsibility for providing policy and secretariat support to the Advisory Group, as well as oversight of digital inclusion policy, and digital inclusion initiatives for First Nations people consistent with achieving Target 17, which aims for equal levels of digital inclusion for First Nations people by 2026.

What you will do

The role is varied and dynamic, as the responsible Director you will:

• provide strong, collaborative and supportive leadership within your section and the branch
• lead in the development, implementation and delivery of policy and programs to support First Nations digital inclusion and Closing the Gap Outcome 17 and Target 17 objectives
• support the work of other sections across the branch on First Nations digital inclusion initiatives, including the team responsible for the secretariat function of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group
• undertake research and analysis on priority issues, particularly those affecting First Nations people, (including general research or economic and data analysis, depending on your skills and experience)
• develop persuasive communications materials, including written reports, briefing papers, speech inputs and discussion papers
• lead on and assist with project strategy, planning, implementation and coordination
• undertake stakeholder engagement, including close collaboration with agencies and colleagues across the public service, state and territory governments, industry and First Nations communities
• work closely with the Advisory Group and communities to maximise the outcomes and benefits of funded initiatives for First Nations people
• develop and assist with formal advice to the Executive and Government, such as Cabinet submissions and proposals for new policies and programs.

Inherent requirements for the role

To be considered for this position, you must demonstrate the following capabilities evaluated against the Executive Level 2 Work level standards :

• Strategic capability: Strong experience in leading policy reform and program delivery, with the ability to drive the development and implementation of improved socio-economic outcomes for First Nations people, thorough effective grant management and procurement processes.
• Negotiation and collaboration: Proven high-level negotiation skills with the capability to partner with internal and external stakeholders (including state and territory officials) to ensure strong, efficient and effective implementation of First Nations programs.
• Reporting and governance: Strong analytical capacity to coordinate reporting across First Nations programs, maintaining framework integrity and Indigenous data sovereignty principles.
• Communication and influence: Superior written and oral communication skills, with a track record of producing high-level executive briefings and successfully influencing diverse senior stakeholder groups.
• People and culture leadership: Proven capacity to lead teams with commitment, taking responsibility for shaping team culture, developing staff capability, steering workflows under tight deadlines, and making an active and positive contribution to the culture and leadership of your work area and the department.

Desirable requirements

Experience in the telecommunications sector would be considered highly favourable, including an understanding of telecommunications networks and technologies such as community Wi-Fi and broadband network architectures and services.

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 EL2 you will be expected to:

• Provide strategic leadership to embed cultural capability across programs, policies or functions.
• Influence senior leaders on culturally informed approaches.
• Drive partnerships and co-design with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities where applicable or appropriate.