Assistant Commissioner, Compliance and – Australian Electoral Commission
📌 Vacancy Fact Sheet
- Reference Number: VN-0770798
- Agency: Australian Electoral Commission
- Job Title: Assistant Commissioner, Compliance and
- Position Number: 2026-086 17517 SES
- Classification: Senior Executive Service Band 1
- Closing Date: Tuesday 21 July 2026
- Job Type: Full-Time, Ongoing
- Location: Canberra ACT
- Future Merit Locations: Various locations – ACT, Various locations – NSW,
- Salary: Future Merit
- Office Arrangement: On Site (The AEC support flexible workplace arrangements as)
About Australian Electoral Commission
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is at the heart of Australian democracy. The AEC is responsible for conducting federal
elections and referendums, maintaining the Commonwealth electoral roll and making sure the Australian public is informed about
all electoral matters. Our goal is to see that all eligible Australians actively participate in our democracy. The AEC values of
electoral integrity through quality, agility and professionalism drive strategic and corporate planning and assist in organising the
agency in a way that will effectively deliver the business into the future. The AEC is an equal opportunity employer which upholds
the APS employment principles and actively encourages a diverse and inclusive workplace. The AEC’s statutory functions in
relation to the conduct of elections and referendums require that the AEC and its employees must be, and must be seen to be,
impartial and politically neutral. As a result, the AEC Enterprise Agreement and Political Neutrality Policy state that it is an inherent
requirement of AEC employment that employees, and prospective employees, are not publicly active in any political affairs and do
not publicly engage in such activities. This includes advocating any issues associated with a referendum. Should a prospective
employee fail to meet this inherent requirement, they will be ineligible for employment with the AEC.
Duties
- Lead nationally significant regulatory reform and help shape the future of electoral integrity
- in Australia.
- The Assistant Commissioner, Compliance and Investigations Branch is a senior leadership role
- with real influence across the AEC’s evolving regulatory environment. You will provide strategic
- leadership and operational oversight of the AEC’s compliance and investigations functions,
- shaping how the agency responds to risk, delivers defensible decisions and strengthens electoral
- integrity.
- The position provides high-quality strategic advice to the AEC Executive Leadership Team on
- compliance and enforcement approaches, investigative practice, risk management, governance
- and assurance. The Assistant Commissioner is accountable for identifying and managing
- operational and reputational risks and for ensuring robust governance, reporting and quality
- assurance arrangements are embedded across branch activities.
- The role leads the development and implementation of compliance and investigative strategies,
- policies and operational models that promote voluntary compliance through education,
- engagement, and guidance, while enabling effective detection, assessment, investigation and
- response to suspected non-compliance and other risks to electoral integrity. This may include
- oversight of compliance and authorisation functions, the conduct of investigations into potential
- contraventions of electoral legislation, and the delivery of voter compliance initiatives designed to
- protect the integrity of electoral processes.
- The Assistant Commissioner represents the AEC in engagements with other APS agencies,
- integrity and law enforcement bodies, and Parliamentary Committees on matters relating to
- compliance and investigations. The position leads and develops senior leaders, staff, and
- contractors within the branch, fostering a professional, ethical, and high-performing workforce with
- strong investigative, analytical, and regulatory capability.
- The role contributes to the achievement of the AEC’s corporate outcomes and strategic objectives,
- particularly those supporting trust, confidence, and integrity in Australia’s democratic system.
- The Assistant Commissioner may also undertake additional duties or assume responsibility for
- additional functions as directed by the Electoral Commissioner or the Executive Leadership Team.
- What you will bring
- We are looking for an accomplished senior leader with the qualifications, judgement and
- experience to lead in a complex, visible and evolving regulatory environment. You will
- demonstrate leadership behaviours consistent with the APS Secretaries Charter of Leadership
- Behaviours and work with the SES cohort across the agency to deliver shared priorities, with a
- strong focus on stewardship, collaboration, integrity and accountability.
- To excel you will have:
- Relevant qualifications and/or demonstrated senior-level experience in regulatory reform and
- delivery.
- Demonstrated experience in leading compliance programs and directing sensitive
- investigations and making defensible decisions in a highly scrutinised environment.
- Demonstrated ability to provide sound leadership in a high-pressure, fast-paced operational
- environment, carefully responding to shifting priorities and navigating critical timeframes.
- Demonstrated experience engaging credibly with Ministers’ offices, Parliament, oversight
- bodies and senior stakeholders.
- Proven capability in risk-based compliance and enforcement frameworks, with the ability to
- support proportionate, fair, consistent and transparent regulatory outcomes.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing senior teams that deliver
- outcomes aligned with the AEC’s corporate objectives and evolving regulatory capability.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities across several areas, within very tight
- timeframes and in line with legislative requirements.
- Proven ability to maintain a strategic focus while supporting the delivery of critical agency
- outcomes across a geographically dispersed agency.
- Desirable:
- Knowledge of, or ability to quickly gain knowledge of, Australian electoral law, political
- finance, and public sector governance requirements.
Eligibility / Notes
- To be eligible for this position, you must be an Australian citizen. Exemptions may apply in certain
- circumstances, such as if you are expecting to gain citizenship.
- In addition, there may be an exclusion period if you have received a redundancy benefit from a
- previous APS employer.
- This position is a position of trust. The occupants must have the ability to obtain and maintain a
- security clearance to the level of Negative Vetting Level 1 or hold a current security clearance of
- appropriate level. You will be required to undertake a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History
- check (police check) prior to engagement.
How to Apply
Position Contact Alex Famelis, [email protected]
Agency Recruitment Site https://candidate.aurion.cloud/aec/production/
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
Vacancy