Tender Evaluation Secretariat

First Nations Jobs; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Defence sector experience

Job summary

Downer Professional Services in Australia is seeking a procurement professional to support a Defence tender evaluation process. You will coordinate governance, maintain documentation, and ensure confidentiality and probity across the evaluation.

Working with stakeholders across project, commercial, technical, financial and legal teams, you will prepare agendas, minutes, and evaluation reports, and support a transparent, defensible procurement process under CPRs.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting Defence tender evaluation activities.
• Familiarity with Commonwealth Procurement Rules.
• Experience coordinating Tender Evaluation Boards and moderation sessions.
• Strong records management and audit trails.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the administrative and governance activities that keep the tender evaluation process moving.
• Receive, register and maintain tender submissions and evaluation documentation, manage records and correspondence, ensure confidentiality and conflict-of-interest controls.
• Coordinate clarification questions and responses with tenderers, including stakeholder review and approval prior to release.
• Coordinate meetings, workshops and evaluation moderation sessions, prepare agendas, minutes, actions, and evaluation reports.

Skills

Defence procurement knowledge

ASDEFCON templates

Governance & probity

Tender evaluation coordination

Documentation control

Stakeholder management

Written communication

Job description

Join our Downer Professional Servicesteam and play a key role in delivering complex defence and national security projects that safeguard Australia's future.

Downer Professional Services is comprised of two business units, our Technical, Advisory, and Capability consulting practice and Team Downer, a major service partner to Defence. Together, we are a multi-disciplinary advisory and delivery partner of choice for our clients in Defence and National Security.

About the Role

This is an opportunity to play a key role in supporting a complex Defence tender evaluation and procurement process, providing governance, coordination and administrative support to the Tender Evaluation Organisation and Tender Evaluation Board.

Working across the evaluation process, you will coordinate tender evaluation activities, maintain procurement documentation and audit trails, manage confidentiality and conflict-of-interest requirements, and support moderation, governance and reporting activities.

You will work closely with project, commercial, technical, financial and legal stakeholders to help ensure the evaluation process is well coordinated, transparent and defensible, while operating in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs), Defence procurement policies and the approved Tender Evaluation Plan (TEP).

The role will also coordinate clarification questions and responses with tenderers, ensuring appropriate stakeholder review, clearance, record keeping and probity requirements are maintained throughout the process.

What You’ll Do

As part of the TEO Secretariat, you will coordinate the administrative and governance activities that keep the tender evaluation process moving. You will receive, register and maintain tender submissions and evaluation documentation, manage records and correspondence, and ensure appropriate security, confidentiality and conflict-of-interest controls are maintained.

You will coordinate clarification questions and responses with tenderers, including stakeholder review and approval prior to release, while maintaining accurate registers and documentation to support a clear procurement audit trail.

You will also coordinate meetings, workshops and evaluation moderation sessions in consultation with the Delegate, TEB Chair and TEWG Leads. This includes preparing agendas, minutes and actions, as well as evaluation reports, procurement correspondence, delegate briefs and evaluation recommendations.

About You

You are an organised and detail-focused procurement professional who understands the importance of governance, probity and accurate documentation in a Defence tender evaluation environment.

You will ideally bring:

• Experience supporting Defence procurement and tender evaluation activities.
• Demonstrated experience working with ASDEFCON templates and Defence procurement documentation.
• Sound understanding of the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and Defence procurement governance requirements.
• Experience coordinating Tender Evaluation Boards, evaluation activities and moderation sessions.
• Experience preparing evaluation reports, tenderer correspondence, briefing papers and delegate submissions.
• Strong records management and document control capability, with experience maintaining robust procurement audit trails.
• Experience managing commercially sensitive and confidential information.
• Understanding of probity requirements, including conflicts of interest and confidentiality declarations.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to consolidate and present complex evaluation information clearly and objectively.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders while working within demanding procurement timeframes.

Why Downer Professional Services

At Downer Professional Services, we're not just a workplace - we're a business dedicated to contributing to the shaping of the future of defence in Australia. As the country's only sovereign prime, we're committed to making a real difference in protecting Australia's interests.

What it means to belong at Downer Professional Services

• Meaningful work: Help to deliver critical Defence projects that protect Australia and shape its future.
• Professional development: Access career mapping, accelerated learning programs, and shared learning through our Communities of Practice.
• Great perks: Enjoy discounts on healthcare, retail, vehicles, and more through Perks@Downer.
• Veteran support: Benefit from initiatives like up to 20 days of Reservist Leave to stay connected post-service.

You want your work to matter and so do we.

With over 26,000 people across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, our team is made up of individuals with unique perspectives, backgrounds, and ideas.

We know that diversity makes us stronger and we actively celebrate it through our commitment to inclusion and belonging.

We're committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve and we welcome people of allages, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, abilities, and lived experiences.

We especially encourage applications from those whose voices have traditionally been underrepresented in our industry, including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Māori and Pasifika Peoples, veterans, people with disability, and neurodivergent individuals.

Even if your experience doesn't align perfectly with this role, we'd still like to hear from you.

If it feels like the right fit, apply - potential counts, and so do you.

As a WORK180 Endorsed Employer, we support flexibility that works for your life, inclusive leadership that values your voice, and equitable access to opportunity so you can do your best work and bring your whole self to it.

If you need support or adjustments through the recruitment process, just let us know, we're here to help you put your best foot forward.