Assistant Director, Protective Security

Agency Purpose

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is an independent statutory authority established by the Australian Government to maintain an impartial and independent electoral system for eligible voters through active electoral roll management, efficient delivery of polling services, and targeted education and public awareness programs.

The AEC’s values and commitments

The AEC values and commitments are an essential component of our operating environment and frame how AEC staff work. The AEC's focus is on electoral integrity through the values of quality, agility and professionalism.

The Team

The Command Centre and Protective Security section supports the AEC’s operational resilience by delivering a coordinated, risk based protective security capability. The section is responsible for ensuring the AEC meets its protective security obligations in accordance with the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) and for providing security advice to support sound decision making.

Key functions include security governance and policy implementation, personnel security and security clearances, incident management, physical and access security management, and the design and delivery of security awareness and training initiatives. The section works collaboratively across the organisation and with external partners to promote a positive security culture, manage security risks, and protect the AEC’s people, assets and operations, underpinning public confidence in Australia’s electoral system.

The Opportunity

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

• 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.