Senior Election Security and Operations Officer

Comcare (Australian Government); Canberra; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) invites applications for the Senior Election Security and Operations Officer role based in Canberra. You will support operational readiness, delivery of election security, and command centre activities to safeguard Australia's electoral processes.

Working within the Command Centre and Protective Security team, you will coordinate incident management, risk assessment, policy development, and stakeholder liaison to ensure timely, secure election delivery

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience delivering operational, project or security-related outcomes in a complex environment.
• Proven ability to manage complex tasks and enquiries with sound judgement.
• Ability to analyse information and provide clear reports or recommendations.
• Experience applying established policies to achieve consistent outcomes.
• Ability to work with limited direction while managing priorities and deadlines.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement across teams.
• Demonstrated integrity, professionalism and discretion with sensitive information.

Responsibilities

• Support operational readiness and electoral integrity through delivery of security and command centre activities.
• Coordinate incident management, risk assessment and security policy development.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure secure and effective election delivery.

Skills

Operational delivery

Project management

Analytical thinking

Policy and procedure application

Prioritisation and time management

Stakeholder engagement

Integrity and discretion

Education

Protective security / risk management qualification

Job description

Senior Election Security and Operations Officer - Vacancy Details

Position:

Organisation Unit:

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Synopsis:

Agency Purpose

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is an independent statutory authority established by the Australian Government to maintain an impartial and independent electoral system for eligible voters through active electoral roll management, efficient delivery of polling services, and targeted education and public awareness programs.

The AEC’s values and commitments

The AEC values and commitments are an essential component of our operating environment and frame how AEC staff work. The AEC's focus is on electoral integrity through the values of quality, agility and professionalism.

About the Team

Command Centre and Protective Security (CC&PS) supports the AEC’s mission by delivering election security and command centre capabilities that strengthen operational readiness and electoral integrity. The team leads protective security, situational awareness, incident management, and election security preparedness, working closely with AEC business areas and external partners to support the secure and effective delivery of Australia’s electoral system.

The Opportunities

This is an exciting opportunity to join the AEC and contribute to work that has a direct impact on Australia's democratic processes.

As a Senior Election Project Officer, you will play a key role in supporting the AEC’s operational readiness and electoral integrity through the delivery of election security and command centre activities.

Working within Command Centre and Protective Security, you will contribute to security preparedness, situational awareness, incident management, operational support, and the development of security policies and procedures. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the AEC and external stakeholders to support election delivery in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. Your work will help identify and manage risks, coordinate operational responses, and drive continuous improvement across election security activities.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant outcomes while developing your expertise in election operations, protective security, stakeholder engagement and operational coordination.

To excel you’ll have:

We are seeking a motivated and capable professional who can demonstrate the skills, knowledge and experience required to perform successfully in this role.

• Demonstrated experience delivering operational, project or security-related outcomes in a complex environment.
• Proven ability to manage complex tasks and enquiries, applying sound judgement and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyse information, identify key issues and contribute to clear, accurate and timely advice, reports, briefings or recommendations.
• Experience in applying established processes, frameworks, policies or procedures to support consistent and effective operational outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to work under limited direction while managing priorities and meeting deadlines.
• Demonstrated communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to work collaboratively across teams.
• Demonstrated integrity, professionalism and discretion in handling sensitive information.

Desirable

• Experience supporting election operations, major events or large-scale service delivery environments.
• Experience in, or familiarity with, command centre, situational awareness or incident management environments.
• Experience contributing to policy, procedural or SOP development.
• Exposure to protective security functions (e.g. physical security, incident management, workforce assurance).
• Relevant qualifications in protective security, risk management, emergency management or a related discipline.
• Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly gain knowledge of, Australian electoral processes and the AEC operating environment.

Eligibility

• AEC employees must be Australian citizens.
• Any person who is, and seen to be active in political affairs, and intends to publicly carry on this activity, may compromise the strict neutrality of the AEC and cannot be considered.
• Applicants are required to consent to, undergo, obtain and maintain a character clearance.
• Applicants are required to consent to, undergo, obtain and maintain the security clearance required for this role.