Assistant Director

We are looking for a motivated person who loves communications, engagement and working collaboratively.
This is a great opportunity to join a diverse and high-performing team within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Team members share expertise and work flexibly to support a secure water future for Australia.

Who we are

The Water Policy Division provides leadership and strategic policy to ensure the sustainable future of our rivers, wetlands and groundwaters, and the people who depend on them. The Division supports water reform initiatives in the Murray–Darling Basin and leads national water reform – working to future-proof Australia’s water resources and provide support to First Nations in our national water story.

The National Water Policy, International and Engagement Branch works across water agencies, with First Nations people and with a range of internal and external stakeholders to strive towards a water secure future, by leading, coordinating, and providing expertise in:

National water reform, urban water, groundwater and international water policies
Cross cutting water policy issues
Engaging with our stakeholders effectively, providing strong secretariat services to ministers and senior officials, communicating clearly and working to build a collaborative and inclusive culture.

The National Engagement Team offers a range of external communication and engagement services to the Water Policy Division. We work across the water divisions to coordinate stakeholder engagement, and design and deliver tailored engagement and communication materials to support national engagement priority outcomes.

The job

Provide strategic leadership and support to the division on external engagement, events, communication, media, or internal communications and culture.
Possess strong writing and synthesis skills that can tailor content to a range of audiences and for a range of channels.
Develop and implement communication, engagement or sponsorships strategies to increase recognition of the value of water to the general community.
Manage the delivery of engagement and/or communications services in line with government requirements.
Demonstrate leadership through contributing to the strategic direction of the division and its culture.
Evaluate the effectiveness of communication and/or engagement strategies to ensure continual improvement.
Manage the procurement, selection, and delivery of contracts.
Manage and mentor staff and colleagues and share information to enhance outcomes.

What you’ll gain from the experience

The successful applicant will join a high performing and fast-paced team within the Water Policy Division working collaboratively to deliver sustainable water management for Australia.

You will take on a role as an Assistant Director designing, delivering, evaluating and advising on engagement and communications projects. You will work closely with other teams responsible for policy and programs to ensure stakeholder views are understood and responded to.

What we are looking for

We are seeking candidates who can demonstrate the following:

Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering communication and engagement strategies to meet departmental needs and meet Australian Government requirements.
High level written and oral communication skills, including an ability to synthesise and tailor diverse messages and information in plain English and for media use.
Ability to promote and manage complex relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple projects and to deliver within requested timeframes.
Ability to build commitment to shared goals though leadership and coaching.
A commitment to understanding the policy and program context and content, and the department’s responsibilities to ensure alignment of team activities.
A commitment to complying with the department’s legislative, financial, and administrative frameworks, government decision-making processes and agency guidelines and regulations.
Some travel and out of hours work may be expected.
Some knowledge of water policy and programs is highly regarded.

Desirable Qualifications

Relevant tertiary qualifications in marketing, communications, stakeholder engagement, journalism or a related field would be an advantage.

Eligibility

Citizenship – to be eligible for employment with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water you must be an Australian citizen.
Security Clearance – this position requires a Baseline Vetting security clearance. You will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.
Pre-employment checks – your suitability for employment will be assessed through a pre-employment screening process. This process includes a requirement to undergo and satisfy a National Police Check, referee checks, character clearance and where required a pre-employment medical assessment, specified mandatory qualification(s) validation and a probation period.

For additional information, please read the Job Description below.

DCCEEW Candidate Information Pack [word]

DCCEEW Candidate Information Pack [PDF]

Job description – PDF

Job description – Word