Director, State Office - Victoria

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 Director State Office is a key member of the Victorian state executive leadership team. This team is responsible for leading AEC operations in Victoria including the planning, preparedness and delivery of electoral events, management of the electoral roll, state roll partner relations, community engagement and increasing electoral participation.
The Director State Office is also responsible for the Project Support Unit team (PSU). The PSU team is responsible for several significant election related projects as well as business as usual activities such as state based enabling/corporate services and roll management.
The Opportunity
The Director State Office leads, manages and directs critical projects that drive election readiness and delivers human, financial and administrative resources for the State of Victoria, ensuring alignment with the AEC’s established business planning process and the Corporate Plan. The role has oversight of election readiness functions for Victoria, ensuring a state of preparedness in line with the AEC election readiness framework and the Election Ready Road Map (ERRM).
The role is responsible for undertaking work with a high level of complexity and sensitivity. You will use specialist, professional and technical knowledge and significant judgement to ensure the delivery of effective and compliant corporate, compliance and planning functions for Victoria. In addition, the role works closely with the Australian Electoral Officer to contribute to Victoria and agency wide strategic planning.
We are seeking an accomplished executive with strong judgement and integrity, who possesses leadership and collaborative qualities and can work with a diverse range of stakeholders. Ensuring community confidence is upheld in all aspects of the electoral process is critical. An understanding and ability to work in a highly regulated environment and work effectively within legislative and administrative frameworks and strict adherence to compliance and assurance is required.
This role requires strategic planning and experience in driving program outcomes in complex and challenging operating environments. Experience is required in shaping the delivery of high reliability programs and projects or events through effective procurement, project and contract management in complex operating environments. You are required to have high level communication and stakeholder management skills. Creating a standard of excellence for service delivery, you are a team player with the highest integrity, responsive, calm under pressure and committed to creating an environment where people can be at their best.
To excel you’ll have:

• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage staff across a dispersed network while developing capabilities, embedding professionalism and growing a positive culture.
• Extensive knowledge and experience in successfully leading and delivering results under scrutiny and within time restraints, with competing priorities.
• A strong understanding of and experience in successfully applying project management methodologies, including the delivery of large-scale projects within a highly operational, legislated and high reliability environment.
• Demonstrated capacity to maintain a very high level of impartiality and integrity.
• Knowledge of and experience in the delivery of a range of corporate and governance functions in an operational environment.
• Proven ability to communicate with influence, negotiate strategic outcomes, manage strategic stakeholder relationships and build strong collaborative peer relationships, including across a geographically dispersed network.
• Proven strategic conceptual and analytical abilities with sound knowledge of change management practices and techniques to enable innovation.
• Demonstrated personal drive and ability to achieve results within legislative and budget parameters.

• Relevant qualifications, knowledge of Australian electoral law, processes and practices and knowledge of relevant Commonwealth frameworks will be viewed favourably.

• 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.
• Applicants may be required to undertake psychometric testing as part of this recruitment process.