Jobs
Principal Advisor Emergency Management – Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety
📌 Vacancy Fact Sheet
- Reference Number: VN-0770028
- Agency: Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety
- Job Title: Principal Advisor Emergency Management
- Position Number: 13756
- Classification: Executive Level 2
- Closing Date: Thursday 11 June 2026
- Job Type: Full-Time, Non-Ongoing
- Location: Yallambie VIC, Miranda NSW
- Future Merit Locations: Various locations – ACT, Various locations – NSW,
- Salary: Future Merit
- Office Arrangement: Flexible (Flexible)
About Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is the Australian Government’s primary authority on
radiation protection and nuclear safety. Our purpose is to protect the Australian people and the environment from the harmful
effects of radiation, through understanding risks, best practice regulation, research, policy, services, partnerships and engaging
with the community.
Duties
- The provides high-level strategic advice to the Principal Advisor Emergency Management
- and senior executives on the development, positioning and Chief Radiation Health Scientist
- continuous improvement of ARPANSA’s emergency management capability in support of its
- responsibilities as the for radiological and nuclear Australian Government Coordinating Agency
- incidents.
- The role is primarily advisory and developmental in nature. It provides expert mentorship to the
- emergency management team, helping to shape strategic priorities, guide delivery, build capability
- and strengthen the team’s ability to operate effectively in a complex whole-of-government
- environment. The role also supports senior leadership in navigating emerging policy, coordination
- and operational demands across the Australian emergency management framework.
- The Principal Advisor brings deep expertise in emergency management systems, national crisis
- coordination, radiological and nuclear preparedness, and organisational change. The role requires
- the ability to integrate strategic policy, operational planning, external engagement and capability
- development to support ARPANSA’s evolving responsibilities in a dynamic national context.
- Key accountabilities
- Strategic advisory leadership
- Provide authoritative strategic advice to the Chief Radiation Health Scientist and other senior
- leaders on ARPANSA’s emergency management responsibilities, priorities and capability
- uplift requirements.
- Mentor and guide the emergency management team to strengthen strategic thinking,
- planning discipline, operational readiness and delivery of ARPANSA’s responsibilities as the
- Australian Government Coordinating Agency.
- Support the development of a coherent strategic direction for ARPANSA’s emergency
- management function, ensuring alignment with whole-of-government crisis management
- arrangements, radiological and nuclear preparedness requirements, and agency priorities.
- Commonwealth engagement and coordination
- Advise senior leadership on engagement with Commonwealth emergency management
- bodies, committees and coordination forums, and support ARPANSA’s positioning as a
- credible and effective national coordinating agency through strong relationships across the
- Commonwealth emergency management community.
- Provide strategic counsel on ARPANSA’s role in multi-agency coordination settings, and
- identify emerging policy, capability and coordination issues across the national emergency
- management environment to inform whole-of-government decision-making.
- Radiological and nuclear preparedness
- Support ARPANSA’s transition to meet evolving preparedness and coordination
- requirements associated with nuclear powered warship visit arrangements and related
- national security and emergency management expectations.
- Guide the continued operationalisation and maturation of the Radiation Emergency
- Coordination Centre, including its concept of operations, staffing model, readiness systems,
- activation arrangements, and supporting procedures.
- Capability development and change management
- Mentor the emergency management team in the design and implementation of sustainable
- capability development initiatives, including planning, doctrine, training, exercising, lessons
- management and performance improvement.
- Jurisdictional capability and Commonwealth support
- Support ARPANSA’s understanding of state and territory radiological emergency response
- capability, including strengths, limitations, interdependencies and areas for national
- improvement.
- Advise on opportunities for the Commonwealth to complement and enhance jurisdictional
- capability, including through Commonwealth coordination mechanisms, specialist national
- assets, technical expertise and deployable response capabilities.
Eligibility / Notes
- To be successful in this role, you will be a highly credible emergency management professional
- with deep experience operating in complex, high-consequence environments. You will bring a
- strong understanding of whole-of-government emergency management themes and processes, an
- ability to work confidently across strategic and operational contexts and demonstrated expertise in
- the radiological and nuclear response environment.
- You will be recognised for your judgement, professionalism and ability to provide calm, practical
- and trusted advice to senior leaders. You will be comfortable operating in ambiguity, responding to
- evolving priorities and helping others navigate complexity with confidence and clarity.
- You will demonstrate a strong capacity to mentor and uplift a team without relying on formal line
- authority. You will be able to influence through expertise, relationships and credibility, helping
- shape priorities, strengthen delivery and build organisational confidence in a changing
- environment.
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- You will also bring substantial experience in emergency management, crisis coordination or
- national security-related environments and a strong understanding of emergency management
- governance, planning, capability development and assurance processes.
- You must hold Australian citizenship and be prepared to travel interstate from time to time as
- required. ARPANSA requires all new employees to obtain and maintain a national security
- clearance as a condition of engagement. You must also meet required pre-employment checks as
- necessary.
- Selection criteria
- The selection criteria for this role are:
- Demonstrated experience providing high-level strategic advice in emergency management
- or crisis coordination environments, including advice to senior executives on governance,
- preparedness, capability development and whole-of-government engagement.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor, influence and build capability in a specialist team, including
- supporting delivery in complex and evolving operating environments without necessarily
- relying on direct supervisory authority.
- Deep understanding and experience in emergency management frameworks, processes and
- themes, including planning, exercising, readiness, coordination, assurance, lessons
- management and continuous improvement.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the radiological and nuclear response environment, including
- the ability to apply that expertise to capability development, operational preparedness,
- interagency coordination and strategic planning.
- Highly developed change management, communication and stakeholder engagement skills,
- including the ability to build trusted relationships and work effectively with Commonwealth
- agencies, state and territory partners, technical experts and senior committees.
How to Apply
Position Contact Rick Tinker, 03 9433 2326
Agency Recruitment Site https://candidate.aurion.cloud/arpnsa/production/redirect/to/dmFjYW5jaWVzLzI5M
Applicants to vacancies notified in all formats of the electronic Public Service Gazette should be aware:
that the names of successful applicants will also be notified in all formats of the electronic Public Service Gazette
applicants found suitable may be offered similar employment opportunities by other Australian Public Service agencies
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