Assistant Director Government Engagement

About the role

The Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) is the government agency responsible for providing improved and equitable financial outcomes for consumers, business, and the community through application of bankruptcy and personal property securities laws, regulation of personal insolvency practitioners, and trustee services.

Purpose of the Position

TheAssistant Director, Government Engagement is responsible for supporting the Director to establish and maintain AFSA’s relationships and visibility across government, as well as managing AFSA’s ministerial and parliamentary functions.

The team has a core responsibility to demonstrate and drive agency-wide achievement of AFSA’s strategic priorities. ASFA is seeking highly motivated candidates comfortable working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. Key skills include critical thinking and judgement, political nous and awareness of the government operating environment.

Key accountabilities

• Providing strategic direction and coordination on Government Engagement for the agency, increasing AFSA’s advocacy through active and targeted alignment with government bodies.
• Providing high quality strategic and tactical advice to AFSA Executive and key stakeholders as required that supports the Agency’s and government’s priorities.
• Lead and build the team by:
• Establishing clear work expectations, systems and processes
• Encouraging and supporting ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Providing regular feedback.
• Identifying opportunities to enhance team performance in an environment of collaboration, continuous improvement, and change.
• Manage AFSA’s ministerial and parliamentary functions and coordination and submission of all ministerial documents on behalf of the agency.
• Provision of guidance and advice regarding ministerial submissions, briefs, correspondence, and ombudsmen complaints.
• Coordination and guidance for all parliamentary processes, for example, Senate Estimates and Parliamentary Committee Hearings.
• Providing advice on best practice processes and policy across the agency, for example the complaints framework.

All duties will be performed in accordance with:

• APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
• WHS Obligations, taking responsibility for own health and safety and that of others.
• AFSA’s risk management framework and relevant legislation, including guiding others to identify and mitigate foreseeable risks.

Skills and Capabilities

Fosters a service culture

• Keep clients and stakeholders at the centre of all thinking, decisions and actions, including internal systems and processes.
• Demonstrate empathy and listen deeply, to understand the stakeholder's context, challenges and needs.
• Keep one's word, and follow through any promise or commitment made to the stakeholder.

Thinks strategically

• Actively contributes to a shared understanding of strategic planning processes and the development of strategic direction, corporate priorities, policies, innovation and process improvement so as to achieve desired strategic objectives. Incorporates a strategic perspective in all aspects of work.

Achieves results

• Supports the timely delivery of quality outcomes through teamwork, planning, prioritizing, organizing and working to agreed objectives, procedures, timeframes and assigned resources, establishes clear plans and timeframes for project implementation.

Builds productive relationships

• Acts with honesty, integrity, and respect in dealings with others. Has the ability to understand others' perspectives, respectfully deal with conflict, manage boundaries, and appreciate others' strengths and skills.
• Builds and sustains positive working relationships with team members and stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes.

Communicates simply, tailors messages to the audience

• Demonstrates an ability to convey a message succinctly and with effect, regardless of medium (written, verbal, digital). Understands and appeals to the target audience through use of plain English while avoiding jargon.

Working with ambiguity

• Demonstrate proactivity, emotional intelligence and self-direction in the face of uncertainty or new situations.
• Demonstrate high levels of persistence and resilience when dealing with complex issues.
• Apply a solution-focused approach to solving problems and collaborate with others to achieve fit for purpose solutions.

Qualifications, accreditations and experience 

Highly Desirable: Tertiary qualifications and experience in a government environment that demonstrates:

• Critical thinking and judgement – Take a macro view and looks beyond the boundaries of own responsibilities to provide unbiased, comprehensive and accurate advice. 
• Political Astuteness – Uses past experience and organisational/environmental awareness to analyse what information is important and how it should be used in the decision-making process.

Why AFSA? 

You will enjoy excellent conditions including:

·       generous superannuation (15.4%).

·       hybrid working environment.

·       a modern work environment.

We are a workplace committed to providing an environment that values diversity and supports staff to reach their full potential.

We encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people from culturally diverse backgrounds and people with disabilities.

At AFSA we encourage every employee to balance their family commitments and personal interests with flexible working options.

 Eligibility:

Please note that this opportunity is open only to Australian Citizens.

The successful applicant must have or be willing to undergo and maintain a security clearance to the level of Baseline Vetting as a condition of employment.

To satisfy character requirements all AFSA employees must undergo a police records check.

Where a person has received a redundancy benefit from APS agency employment and their corresponding redundancy benefit period has not expired, they may be ineligible for employment.

How to apply? 

The closing date for this position is 11:59PM AEST, Friday 17 May 2024.

Applications for this vacancy are submitted online through theAFSA Careers Portal.

If accessing the AFSA careers portal for the first time you will need to register. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to confirm your registration. Make sure to check your Junk folder if you don't see this email in your Inbox. Please note that the registration process only needs to be completed one.

Once you have confirmed your registration, to complete your application, you need to:

• Click the 'Apply' button below which will open the AFSA careers portal.
• Provide evidence in the education/qualifications section of your application, if applicable  
• Complete a short questionnaire (mandatory).
• Attach your resume and statement of claims (cover letter 1-pages) addressing the skills and capabilities and required qualifications, accreditations, and experience outlined in the position description (mandatory)
• Provide the full name, employer, and contact details of at least two referees, one of which must be your current or most recent manager.
• Ensure that all mandatory fields (marked with a red banner) are completed.

Applicants who fail to provide the above requested information, will not be assessed by the selection panel.