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 NSW/ACT Team is responsible for the operational planning and delivery of electoral events and roll management for 49 of the 150 electoral divisions across Australia. Planning and delivery is coordinated from the NSW State Office located in Sydney and implemented by geographically dispersed divisional offices across NSW/ACT.
As part of the NSW/ACT Leadership Team the Director role leads and drives a nationally consistent approach to election delivery using a local lens. The team is collaborative, respectful and inclusive, and works to empower others through building enduring trust and capability.
The Opportunity
The Director, State Office leads, manages and directs critical projects that drive election readiness and deliver human, financial and administrative resources for NSW/ACT, ensuring alignment with the AEC’s established business planning process. During an electoral event the Director, State Office is responsible for planning for and ensuring the effective delivery of State Office election projects, including state-wide logistics, candidate nominations, ballot paper production, staffing and to support the Australian Electoral Officer/State Manager as Returning Officer for the Senate.
The Director role works effectively and collaboratively with the Director Operations, NSW/ACT, to support the State Manager/AEO to contribute to NSW/ACT and agency wide strategic planning and delivery.
The role has oversight of election readiness functions for NSW/ACT, ensuring a state of preparedness in line with the AEC election readiness framework. They are responsible for undertaking work with a high level of complexity and sensitivity, utilising specialist, professional and technical knowledge and significant judgement to ensure the delivery of effective and compliant corporate, compliance, planning and delivery functions for NSW/ACT.
To excel you’ll have:
- Demonstrated ability to lead and manage operational or project staff while developing capabilities and growing a positive culture across a dispersed network.
- Demonstrated strong understanding and experience in successfully applying project management methodologies, and the delivery of large-scale events (or equivalent) within a highly operational, legislated and high reliability environment under significant scrutiny.
- Proven ability to communicate with influence, negotiate strategic outcomes, manage strategic stakeholder relationships and build strong peer relationships across a dispersed network.
- Proven strategic, conceptual and analytical abilities, supported by sound knowledge of change management practices and techniques to enable innovation.
- Proven capability to uphold and lead very high standards of impartiality and integrity.
- Extensive experience in leading and delivering successful results within legislative and budget parameters, leveraging exceptional time management and prioritisation skills.
- Experience working in a highly regulated environment with the ability to quickly gain knowledge of Australian electoral law, processes and practices, parliamentary systems and Commonwealth frameworks.
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.
