Regulatory Intelligence and Strategy (multiple roles) APS5, APS6, EL1

About the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

Working with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) will put you at the forefront of data protection and access to information regulation. As an independent statutory agency, the OAIC’s work is of national significance and plays an important role in shaping Australia’s information handling landscape across the economy - from government, digital platforms and the online environment, to health, finance and telecommunications. Our mission is to uphold and promote Australia’s privacy and freedom of information laws.

We are an agency within the Attorney-General’s Department portfolio with responsibility for:

1. privacy functions under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Digital ID Act 2024
2. freedom of information functions, in particular review of decisions made by agencies and ministers under the Freedom of Information Act 1982

About the Branch

The Regulatory Intelligence and Strategy Branch informs the OAIC’s regulatory decision making and strategy, influences policy and legislative processes, and guides the regulated community to meet its privacy and FOI obligations. The Branch:

• provides intelligence and data to inform regulatory decision making by the OAIC’s Commissioners
• develops guidance and publications to educate businesses, agencies, and the community on information rights
• communicates the OAIC’s work and its impact on people and their lives, including by working with the media, business and government stakeholders
• engages with legislative and policy processes to ensure an information rights and regulatory perspective is considered
• delivers various specialist regulatory roles conferred on the OAIC (e.g., Digital ID, Consumer Data Right, My Health Record, and credit reporting regulation).

About the opportunity

The RIS Branch was established in December 2024, and various roles are available across the branch on both an ongoing and non-ongoing basis. An indicative list of roles is included below and applications will be considered against these and other roles within the branch at the level they apply for.

Applicants do not need to make a separate application for each available role if they would like to be considered for multiple roles. Applicants will be assessed against all available roles at the level they have applied and are encouraged to indicate which role or roles they would like to be considered for, and at what level.

This recruitment process will be used to form a pool of suitable candidates at the APS5, APS6, and EL1 levels, and applicants will be placed into available roles from that pool. The process will consider applicants’ relative merit as well as how they will contribute to the overall composition of skills and experience across the branch.

We are looking to create a high performing team with a wide range of skills – in your application and interview please tell us what you will bring to this newly formed branch.

What we are looking for

We are looking for applicants with the following key attributes:

• a proven record of delivery
• confident and clear communication
• intelligence and initiative
• experience working with complex legislation in a regulatory context
• good project, task, and time management practices
• relevant technical skills or qualifications
• excellent digital administrative skills (e.g., Microsoft Office)
• an ability to contribute to and build a positive team culture – including when working remotely
• motivation to protect the information rights of Australians

Indicative roles

As noted above, applications will be considered against all available roles at the level the applicant applies for. If you believe you are well suited to one or more of these roles, please indicate this in your application.

• EL1 Policy and Program Manager (Privacy Reform Implementation Taskforce)
• APS 5-6 Policy and Program Officer (Privacy Reform Implementation Taskforce)
• APS 5-6 Guidance and Publications Officer (Guidance and Publications)
• APS5-6 Policy and Program Officer (Policy and Statutory Functions)
• EL1 Assistant Director, Policy and Statutory Functions

Job Specific Capabilities, Skills & Experience

See ‘What we are looking for’ above. Applications will be assessed with reference to the APS Work Level Standards for the relevant classification.

Security requirements

You must be able to obtain and maintain at least a Baseline security clearance for these roles. Some roles may require a higher security clearance.

Position location

The OAIC operates a hybrid work model with a combination of remote working and office attendance.  Whilst the OAIC office is located in the Sydney CBD (and preferred), we will consider candidate applications from all other locations within Australia.

The OAIC values face-to-face interaction and fostering connection between our people and with our stakeholders. The OAIC’s hybrid work model expects in office attendance when the type of work or task is better suited to being completed from an office, for example, staff inductions and onboarding, planning days, relationship building activities and project or collaborative work.

Remuneration and benefits

APS5 salary: $84,677 - $89,520 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation

APS6 salary: $93,372 - $102,821 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation

EL1 salary: $117,674 - $125,876 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation.

The OAIC is committed to enabling its people to perform at their best and offers the following benefits:

• Opportunity to work at the cutting edge of privacy and data protection, paving the way for future career opportunities.
• Access to ongoing professional development, with a capability framework to guide skill enhancement.
• Genuine flexibility to help achieve a balance between work and home life.
• Additional paid leave over the Christmas to New Year period as well as access to other leave (e.g. for study or moving).
• Contribution to your wellbeing through subsidies for eye health, flu vaccinations and a wellbeing allowance.

The OAIC is committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from people living with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and mature age people.

Eligibility

• Section 22 of the Public Service Act 1999 requires that APS employees must be Australian citizens.
• There are restrictions on employment of people who have, within the previous 12 months, accepted a redundancy benefit from an APS agency or a non-APS Commonwealth employer.
• For the duration of your employment with the OAIC you will be required to obtain and maintain an Australian Government security clearance at the Baseline level and meet required background, identification and character checks.
• Note: All duties are to be performed in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct and APS Values and OAIC policies, including Workplace Diversity and Work Health and Safety. Under section 25 of the Public Service Act 1999 the OAIC may re-assign the duties of an employee from time to time.

How to Apply

The RIS Branch was established in December 2024, and various roles are available across the branch, on both an ongoing and non-ongoing basis. An indicative list of roles is included below which applications will be considered against.

Applicants do not need to make a specific application for each available role. Applicants will be assessed against all available roles at the level they have applied and are encouraged to indicate which role or roles they would like to be considered for, and at what level.

This recruitment process will be used to form merit pools at the APS5, APS6, and EL1 level, and applicants will be placed into available roles from those pools, having regard to how they will contribute to the overall composition of skills and experience across the branch.

We are looking to create a high performing team with a wide range of skills – in your application and interview please tell us what you will bring to this newly formed branch.

To apply, submit an application form, CV and pitch by email to jobs@oaic.gov.au:

1. The application form is found at the end of this job pack.
2. Your ‘pitch’ should be at most two pages and explain your interest in joining the branch and what you will bring. It should refer to relevant capabilities, skills and experience, and use examples of your past work.
3. Your CV should be at most three pages. It should set out your employment history, as well as relevant education, skills, and qualifications. It should contain specific examples of deliverables and achievements in each of your roles.
4. Your application form, CV and statement of claim should be collated as one document (where possible) and sent in a single email to: jobs@oaic.gov.au.  Please ensure your email includes your full name in the email subject field, along with the job reference number found on the front page of this pack.