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 Chief Technology and Data Officer will join a team of highly motivated and collaborative professionals that work in the Enterprise Transformation Group (ETG). The ETG is made up of two divisions – the Chief Information Officer Division (CIOD) and the Indigo Division.
The Chief Technology and Data Officer operates within the Chief Information Officer Division (CIOD), which is responsible for delivering and sustaining the AEC’s technology and digital environment. This includes planning and funding technology initiatives, developing and supporting enterprise systems, operating and securing ICT infrastructure, overseeing our information management and data governance functions, and managing relationships with external vendors.
CIOD plays a critical role in supporting both day-to-day operations and major electoral events, requiring technology and data services that are reliable, secure, responsive, and able to operate at scale in time-critical environments.
CIOD delivers its work through a combination of branches, delivery groups and specialised functions, each with a distinct focus:
- The Chief Technology and Data Officer Branch (CTDO), responsible for the AEC’s core technology foundations and data capabilities, including infrastructure, cloud services, service operations, and enterprise data management.
- The Platforms and Application Development Branch (P&AD), responsible for developing, enhancing and supporting the applications and platforms used across the AEC.
- The Portfolio Transformation Management Governance section (PTMG), responsible for portfolio planning, prioritisation, performance tracking, and oversight of ICT investment and delivery.
- The ICT Vendor Management Office (ICT VMO), responsible for managing vendor relationships, contracts, performance and supplier risk.
- The Website Modernisation Project, delivering targeted uplift of the AEC’s web presence and digital engagement capabilities.
Within CIOD, the Chief Technology and Data Officer leads the delivery and operation of the AEC’s core technology foundations and data capabilities. The role oversees the following functions:
- Enterprise Technical Enablement, including enterprise architecture, network and endpoint management, and technology uplift initiatives.
- IT Service Operations, including IT service management, service desk operations and end-user computing services.
- Cloud and Infrastructure Operations, including hosting platforms, cloud services, identity and access management, and core infrastructure support.
- Information and Data Governance, including data management, data engineering, analytics and visualisation, and information governance practices.
These functions collectively underpin reliable, secure and contemporary ICT and data services across the organisation.
CIOD is committed to establishing and maintaining a high-performing and positive workplace culture. You will operate in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, working closely with the First Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Assistant Commissioners, and senior leaders across the AEC to support the delivery of strategic and operational outcomes.
The Opportunity
The Chief Technology and Data Officer plays a critical role in ensuring the service experiences for internal staff and external stakeholders are of a high standard with a particular focus on identifying AEC’s strategic ICT needs, along with developing and implementing strategies to meet those needs and ensuring that ongoing ICT service delivery facilitates the achievement of the AEC’s business objectives. This role operates as a combined Chief Technology and Data Officer, accountable for enterprise technology, data and analytics capability, and alignment to organisational strategy. This role operates as a combined Chief Technology Data Officer, accountable for enterprise technology, data and analytics capability, and alignment to organisational strategy.
This role is accountable for establishing and delivering the AEC’s enterprise technology, information management practices, and data, analytics and artificial intelligence strategy. This role supports the Artificial Intelligence Accountable Officer and the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer to ensure that technology and data are managed as strategic assets to drive enterprise performance and uphold electoral integrity.
The Chief Technology and Data Officer provides strategic advice to the AEC Executive Leadership Team on approaches to ensuring the delivery of critical technology and data services that support the AEC’s operational and electoral priorities. The role sets the direction for enterprise technology and digital capability, including establishing structured innovation practices such as horizon scanning and evaluation of emerging technologies, and ensuring that initiatives are aligned with organisational strategy.
As a senior leader, the Chief Technology and Data Officer leads a high-performing, multidisciplinary workforce and fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement. The role provides authoritative advice on complex technology and enterprise architecture matters, leading the development and ongoing evolution of the AEC Enterprise Architecture. This includes coordinating architecture activities across information, applications and infrastructure environments to ensure consistency, scalability and alignment with strategic objectives.
The position drives technology-enabled innovation while maintaining strong governance and risk management practices. This includes ensuring compliance with legislative and policy frameworks, strengthening enterprise data capability through improved data strategy, governance and analytics, supporting the ethical use of artificial intelligence, and uplifting and implementing enterprise information management practices in line with policy and legislative requirements. The Chief Technology and Data Officer works closely with senior executives, business areas and external stakeholders to understand organisational needs and deliver integrated solutions that enable business outcomes and supports enhanced service delivery and investment prioritisation.
Operational oversight remains a core responsibility, with accountability for IT service management, infrastructure functions, and first-line support services. The role identifies opportunities for process optimisation to improve efficiency and service quality, supports investment prioritisation, and promotes a culture of data literacy and evidence-based decision making. The Chief Technology and Data Officer also represents the AEC externally and contributes to whole-of-government initiatives, while supporting election readiness and broader agency strategic objectives.
The Chief Technology and Data Officer may also undertake additional duties or assume responsibility for additional functions as directed by the Electoral Commissioner or the Executive Leadership Team.
Additional responsibilities during an Electoral Event:
- Manage staffing and additional resourcing requirements during the flex up phase of electoral event readiness, ensuring all additional resources are obtained within contractual arrangements and budget.
- The volume of requests for advice and matters, along with the urgency to resolve matters, will increase significantly prior to and during both electoral and referendum events. As a result, the staffing profile of the Chief Technology Officer Branch may expand. The Chief Technology and Data Officer may be required to manage a larger cohort of staff and be available extended hours.
- Contribute to the provision of support by the Chief Information Officer Division by providing technical advice on projects within the Chief Technology and Data Officer’s area of responsibility.
What you will bring
We are looking for an accomplished senior leader with the qualifications, judgement and experience to lead in a complex, visible and evolving regulatory environment. You will demonstrate leadership behaviours consistent with the APS Secretaries Charter of Leadership Behaviours and work with the SES cohort across the agency to deliver shared priorities, with a strong focus on stewardship, collaboration, integrity and accountability.
You will also have:
- Proven experience in strategic leadership and management at a senior level in a critical and complex ICT operating environment.
- Demonstrated sound judgement, strategic and creative thinking, and business intelligence, with the capacity to provide sound and appropriate advice, and to explore innovative ICT solutions in delivering services in a governmental context.
- Demonstrated representation, stakeholder management and client service skills, and evidence of highly effective written and oral communication skills to communicate with and influence people at all levels.
- Demonstrated resilience and capacity to handle uncertainty, change and ambiguity in the formulation, integration and implementation of ICT strategies and services.
- Demonstrated awareness and understanding of contemporary Commonwealth public sector and ICT industry policies and practice.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain high performing teams, ensuring effective delivery and quality assurance in alignment the AEC Corporate Plan, policies and frameworks.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of, or ability to quickly gain knowledge of, Australian electoral law and public sector governance requirements.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this position, you must be an Australian citizen. Exemptions may apply in certain circumstances, such as if you are expecting to gain citizenship.
In addition, there may be an exclusion period if you have received a redundancy benefit from a previous APS employer.
This position is a position of trust. The occupants must have the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance to the level of Negative Vetting Level 1 or hold a current security clearance of appropriate level. You will be required to undertake a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History check (police check) prior to engagement.
How to apply
Your application must be submitted online prior to the closing date.
Your application should contain the following documents:
- Based on the duties and responsibilities of the role, and the qualities of an ideal candidate, a one-page pitch outlining why you are the best person for this role, and
- Your resume, including the names and contact details of at least two referees, of no more than three pages.
Please note – exceeding the page limits outlined above may result in not all evidence provided being reviewed by the recruitment panel.
