EL2 Director, National Security

Austrac; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 4 weeks

Paid Christmas close down

18 weeks parental leave

15.4% superannuation

Study assistance

Personal leave

Job summary

AUSTRAC seeks a Director of National Security to lead the collection, analysis, and delivery of high-quality financial intelligence in a highly classified setting. The role oversees strategic priorities and interfaces with domestic and international partners to support investigations and disrupt threats.

You will provide authoritative guidance on terrorism financing, foreign interference, and related financial crime matters while managing risk and building capability within a diverse team.

Qualifications

• Strategic leadership across financial intelligence collection, collation and analysis.
• Ability to deliver actionable intelligence in high-stakes environments.
• Experience advising on terrorism financing, foreign interference and related risks.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for national security financial intelligence capability.
• Provide authoritative advice on national security financial intelligence matters.
• Lead and coach a high-performing team and manage resources.
• Identify innovative analytic methods and uplift capabilities.
• Engage with NIC agencies and intelligence customers.
• Anticipate and manage risks with appropriate controls.

Skills

National security

Team leadership

Strategic leadership

Policy advisory

Education

Tertiary qualifications in intelligence or related field

Tools

None

Job description

AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence agency and anti-money laundering and terrorism financing regulator, is undergoing a significant transformation to enhance its role in combating money laundering and terrorism financing. This includes proposed expansion of its regulatory regime and a broader digital transformation to support our growing agency. As we embrace these changes and grow, our focus is on fostering innovation, collaboration, and effective problem-solving within an inclusive and supportive work environment. At AUSTRAC, you’ll be part of a team dedicated to maintaining the integrity of Australia’s financial system and making a real impact in preventing financial crime.

About the opportunity

The Director, National Security is a senior member of the National Security and Insights Branch within AUSTRAC's Intelligence Division. The Branch works closely with a wide range of domestic government partner agencies across national security, law enforcement, revenue, and regulatory functions, as well as international counterparts and key private sector partners.

In this role, you will provide strategic leadership across the collection, collation and analysis of financial data and other information, and oversee the delivery of high-quality intelligence assessments in a highly classified environment. You will help ensure AUSTRAC provides highly relevant, actionable tactical, operational, and strategic financial intelligence to support investigations, joint agency task forces, and efforts to disrupt national security threats.

• Setting the strategic direction for AUSTRAC's national security financial intelligence capability, ensuring work priorities align with agency objectives, whole of government priorities and partner requirements.
• Providing authoritative advice on national security financial intelligence matters, including terrorism financing, foreign interference and espionage financing, counter proliferation financing, and financial cybercrime-related matters.
• Leading and managing a high-performing team, including setting expectations, allocating resources, developing capability, managing performance, and coaching and mentoring staff.
• Identifying and leading innovative analytic methods and business improvement and capability uplift, across national security intelligence functions.
• Negotiating and leading AUSTRAC's contribution to a range of intelligence missions, including engaging with National Intelligence Community (NIC) agencies and intelligence customers.
• Anticipating and managing strategic, operational, information and reputational risks associated with highly sensitive intelligence work, escalating issues and implementing appropriate controls.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking a highly motivated national security professional, who can lead a high-performing team in a diverse and challenging national security and intelligence focused role.

Highly Desirable

• Relevant tertiary qualifications and/or substantial equivalent experience in intelligence, national security, law enforcement, cybercrime, financial crime, counter terrorism, international relations or a related field.

For more information about the capabilities we are looking for, please refer to the Candidate Pack in the AUSTRAC Job Listing.

• Must be an Australian citizen at the time you apply.
• Will need to undertake AUSTRAC’s pre-engagement checks.
• Will need to obtain and maintain an ongoing Positive Vetting (PV) or Top Secret–Privileged Access (TS-PA) Security Clearance

Closing Date and Notes

Applications close at 11:30 pm AEDT on Tuesday 6 October 2026.

For enquiries, please contact: Melissa Vile on - 0491222359

Notes

This recruitment process will initially be used to fill a current vacancy and in future, may be used to fill similar positions in the event positions become vacant. The merit pools established from this recruitment process will be valid for 18 months from the date of advertising.

We offer competitive remuneration and great conditions, including:

• Annual leave of 4 weeks (20 days) per year + additional paid Christmas close down.
• Cultural, Ceremonial and NAIDOC leave.
• 18 days of paid personal leave per year.
• 15.4% superannuation, which continues through paid parental leave.
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Competitive APS salaries with access to annual salary progression.
• Study assistance - up to $6,000 per annum and up to 120 hours of study leave.

View the AUSTRAC Enterprise Agreement for more information about current salaries and other conditions of employment.