Assistant Director, Protective Security – Australian Electoral Commission
📌 Vacancy Fact Sheet
- Reference Number: VN-0769801
- Agency: Australian Electoral Commission
- Job Title: Assistant Director, Protective Security
- Position Number: 2026-077 10160
- Classification: Executive Level 1
- Closing Date: Sunday 07 June 2026
- Job Type: Full-Time, Ongoing;Non-Ongoing
- Location: Canberra ACT
- Future Merit Locations: Various locations – ACT, Various locations – NSW,
- Salary: $122,163 – $137,665
- Office Arrangement: Flexible (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
- As an Assistant Director, you will contribute to the leadership and delivery of priority outcomes for
- the section, including managing staff, providing strategic advice, and supporting the achievement
- of operational and organisational objectives.
- The Assistant Director (Specialist Security Adviser) provides expert leadership and advice on
- personnel security, employment suitability and workforce integrity across the employment lifecycle,
- in alignment with the PSPF.
- To excel you’ll have:
- Demonstrated expertise in personnel security, employment suitability, vetting or workforce
- integrity roles, including applying PSPF requirements across the employment lifecycle
- (recruitment, onboarding, ongoing suitability, and separation).
- Proven experience designing, implementing and maintaining risk-based suitability or
- personnel security frameworks, policies or assessment methodologies.
- Strong capability to assess complex personal, integrity or security-related information and
- provide clear, defensible advice and recommendations.
- Experience managing ongoing suitability and workforce integrity risks, including identifying
- triggers for review and appropriate mitigations.
- Sound understanding of insider risk concepts and the management of integrity, behavioural
- or cumulative risk factors within a workforce.
- Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including preparing high-quality
- briefs, advice and documentation for senior executives on sensitive matters.
- Ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders across security, cyber, fraud, legal, audit, risk
- and HR functions.
- Demonstrated professionalism, discretion and judgement when handling sensitive or security
- classified information.
- Relevant degree and/or qualifications in personnel security, protective security and/or
- security risk management.
- Desirable
- Experience contributing to or supporting insider threat or trusted insider risk programs.
- Experience advising on foreign interference, foreign association or influence risks, or
- suitability considerations for contractors and contingent workforces.
- Experience working with AGSVA processes, clearance sponsorship, or managing concerns
- relating to clearance holders.
- Exposure to PSPF assurance activities, maturity assessments or security governance
- reporting.
- Experience developing guidance, tools or training to uplift integrity and suitability awareness
- among managers and staff.
- Experience leading or contributing to organisational reforms, uplift or continuous
- improvement initiatives in security or integrity contexts.
Eligibility / Notes
- 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.
How to Apply
Position Contact Tanya Evans, [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