Environment and Sustainability Manager – Department of Defence
📌 Vacancy Fact Sheet
- Reference Number: VN-0770841
- Agency: Department of Defence
- Job Title: Environment and Sustainability Manager
- Position Number: SEG/03399/26
- Classification: APS Level 6
- Closing Date: Thursday 30 July 2026
- Job Type: Full-Time, Non-Ongoing
- Location: Wagga Wagga NSW, Bandiana VIC, Hobart TAS,
- Future Merit Locations: Wagga Wagga, Bandiana, Hobart, Melbourne, South
- Salary: $99,733 – $112,431
- Office Arrangement: Flexible (Defence is committed to supporting workplace)
About Department of Defence
As the largest Commonwealth landowner, with a 3 million-hectare portfolio consisting of more than
1000 owned and leased properties, the Department of Defence operates across many sites with
nationally significant environment and heritage values.
To support Defence with its environmental and heritage management obligations, a network of
local Environment and Sustainability teams are located across Australia. These Environment and
Sustainability teams provide environmental management advice to internal and external
stakeholders in support of Defence outcomes, activities and sites. Their work directly contributes
to Australian Government initiatives and commitments such as action on climate change and
management of biodiversity.
The Environment and Sustainability teams work across all aspects of environmental management
including environmental assessments and approvals, compliance, pollution prevention,
contamination, heritage, biodiversity, biosecurity, and sustainability. The teams are made up of a
diverse and skilled workforce who work together to achieve Defence outcomes.
Working within the Environment and Sustainability team provides access to environmental work,
sites and experiences unique to Defence and not commonly found within other environmental
roles or industry sectors. It also provides the ability to greatly diversify, develop and expand your
professional environmental management knowledge, skill set and experience as part of your role
and responsibilities.
You will also work within a broader Branch that is focused on maintaining Defence environment
and engineering policies, and contributing to Australian Government priorities. You will have
exposure to the development of policy and the opportunity to bring project and site-specific
knowledge to improve national guidance.
Our Ideal Candidate
Our ideal candidate will enjoy working in a dynamic and fast-paced workplace on a wide variety of
issues, and will have the following characteristics:
Experienced in operational environmental management including identifying issues and
potential solutions, and overseeing the delivery and assurance of outcomes. The ideal
candidate will have knowledge across environment, heritage and sustainability related
disciplines;
Experience interpreting legislative and policy requirements to provide project specific
guidance and advice;
An excellent communicator focused on developing and maintaining positive and effective
relationships to generate results who can communicate effectively across diverse
stakeholders;
An excellent collaborator, who can work collaboratively across a geographically dispersed
team to deliver Defence environmental management outcomes and build team knowledge;
An ability to manage multiple issues with effective time management and prioritisation;
A motivated and collaborative team member who contributes to a positive organisational and
team culture, who will share their knowledge and innovative ideas with others to help
problem solve and generate results, and who is eager to learn and grow.
Duties
- The Role
- Do you have a passion for environmental management and want to contribute to Australia’s
- national Defence priorities?
- The Department of Defence is currently looking for enthusiastic environmental management
- professionals to join our Environment & Sustainability Teams across the country to provide
- effective environmental advice and support to local Defence outcomes and activities.
- In this role, you will be the local lead for environmental advice. This is your chance to play a key
- role in the implementation of national Defence and environmental policies, plans and initiatives at
- a local level and to work on diverse issues from contamination to heritage, biodiversity to
- biosecurity, and environmental assessments and approvals. Common projects include new
- construction, remediation of legacy contamination, weed and pest management and support for
- Defence training activities.
- You will undertake and contribute to complex environmental work that helps ensure Defence
- activities are managed, sustainable and compliant. You will collaborate with a variety of teams and
- stakeholders including military and industry partners.
- In this role, you will have access to unique environmental work, sites and experiences that are not
- commonly found within other environmental roles or industry sectors. This role will also provide the
- ability to diversify, develop and expand your professional environmental management knowledge,
- skill set and experience. Whilst primarily office-based, this role includes occasional on-site work
- and travel to non-metropolitan regional and remote Defence operational sites. Roles are located in
- Southern New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmanian states and work from a major Defence base
- to support multiple sites.
- If you are someone who wants to contribute to environmental outcomes at an operational level we
- would love to hear from you. 2 positions available. 1 position for 5 months, 1 position for 9 months
- with the possibility for this to be extended.
Eligibility / Notes
- Security Clearance
- Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance at “Baseline Vetting” level.
How to Apply
Position Contact Jo Hardy, 0438 248 057
Agency Recruitment Site https://defencecareers.nga.net.au/?jati=E33D62A8-332A-A971-4276-ED1C9B99E
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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