GAZ - APS6 - ACT/QLD - NEMA Disaster Resilience and Recovery Group, Program Officers

Requisition Number: 127956
Position Number/s: Several 
Classification: APS Level 6 
Location: ACT; QLD  
Division: N/A  
Branch: N/A  
Section: Multiple  
Security Classification: Baseline Vetting 
Salary: $87,793.00 to $98,660.00  
Contact: Brian Nooney, brian.nooney@nema.gov.au  
Period of Vacancy: Ongoing
Number of Vacancies: Several 

Applications close: Tuesday 6 June 2023 at 11:59pm (midnight) - AEST. Late applications will not be accepted.

Who can apply:

Please note this opportunity is available to current Australian Public Service employees and all eligible members of the community.

About the National Emergency Management Agency: 

The National Emergency Management Agency's work has a real impact on the lives of Australians, particularly those living in rural and regional areas.

The National Emergency Management Agency's guiding principle is “Locally led, locally understood and locally implemented” and we bring together local communities, government, non-government and key industry representatives to support disaster recovery and resilience across the country.

Your work will help people who are recovering from natural disasters and prepare them for the future.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was established on 1 September 2022 as a single, accountable Commonwealth authority to deliver a whole-of-nation approach to reducing disaster risk, planning, preparing for, responding to and recovering from all hazards across the emergency management continuum. 

NEMA works closely with local communities and State and territory Governments to deliver the best outcome for communities across Australia. NEMA focuses on helping communities respond and recover, while also ensuring Australians are prepared for future emergencies. We:

• Fund programs and initiatives, big and small, that help communities recover and prepare for disasters. This includes through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and the Disaster Ready Fund
• Work with communities, industry and non-government organisations through a network of local Regional Support Officers and other NEMA staff right around Australia, to share lessons learnt, provide awareness on navigating Government services, and gain community and industry-led ideas and concepts to inform strategic policy and planning
• Provide national leadership to share knowledge, situational awareness, and trends in disaster efforts to inform, guide and shape the national picture and decision-making at the Commonwealth, State and local Government level – including through policy development and strategy to improve risk reduction, resilience and recovery
• Provide round-the-clock all-hazards monitoring and operational coordination for domestic and international emergencies, including supply chain disruptions, critical infrastructure outages, biosecurity risks and widespread cyber-attacks, and through supporting preparedness and response activities, including through the operationalisation of the Australian Government Crisis Management Framework.

Overview of the Group: 
The Disaster Resilience and Recovery (DRR) Group designs and develops, oversees and manages disaster recovery. We do this through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), design and delivery of resilience and risk reduction programs, as well as through whole-of-agency functions such as the Enterprise Project Management Office, Capability and Governance and NEMA’s strategic engagement function. The group is made up of two divisions: Policies and Programs and Enterprise Governance.

Overview of the Branches: 
The Recovery Programs Branch plays an integral role in delivering the Australian Government’s recovery efforts during and after a disaster. It manages a significant portfolio of national disaster recovery programs and ensures recovery assistance is consistent with relevant Commonwealth policies. Importantly, the Branch delivers real and tangible support to Australians affected by disasters.

The Branch provides staff with a unique opportunity to experience a blend of ongoing operational disaster matters coupled with an exposure to policy challenges and cost sharing arrangements that go to the heart of the Commonwealth’s role in the aftermath of a disaster. 

The Resilience and Community Programs Branch has responsibility for the delivery of programs that support communities, regional and rural resilience, recovery following natural disasters, and long term strategies to build the sustainability of communities at risk of being affected by a future natural disaster. It manages the effective implementation and delivery of programs at the national, regional and community level across social, economic and environmental domains.
 
The Branch also plays a key role in designing and developing new and emerging programs that contribute to enhancing resilience, risk reduction and preparedness.

The Review Taskforce has been established to deliver on two major review activities for NEMA including an Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding (Independent Review) and the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements Review. As key priorities for the Australian Government, both of these initiatives will set the direction for how Government spending supports communities to be more resilient to natural disasters in the future.

The National Capability and Governance Branch provides the opportunity to deliver on national priorities and programs to meet the needs of people impacted by disasters and better prepare communities for future disasters, in the face of climate change. The National Governance and Programs Coordination Section provides secretariat and organisational functions for high level executive and ministerial committees, sub-committees and meetings. 

About the role:
APS6 roles in the DRR group are for team players who want to help communities not only in the direct aftermath of a disaster but ensuring those communities are better prepared to be more resilient ahead of future disasters.  Successful applicants will be able to contribute to the implementation of project and policy initiatives, have well developed analytical and conceptual skills and excellent communication skills. Applicants should have experience in developing and managing stakeholder relationships both internal and external and an interest in emergency management. You will be expected to work collaboratively across the Agency, promoting trust and respect, and show high levels of integrity, sound judgement, drive and resilience. 

We encourage applications from First Nations people, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, mature age people and people from other diverse backgrounds. We are committed to providing a working environment that values diversity and inclusion and supports staff to reach their full potential.

Our ideal candidate:
The DRR group is looking for people that enjoy working in a high-tempo emergency management environment and who can respond to the now; and look at how it can be done better in the future. You will be required to perform a range of program management activities from design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation with limited direction, and engage with a broad range of Commonwealth, State and private sector stakeholders. You will be supported by great managers and executives, while working in a team to deliver quality work within tight deadlines and with competing priorities.

Specific duties/responsibilities:

• Contribute to the design and implementation of programs and measures to support communities impacted by natural disasters, including designing and delivering grant and other programs;
• Contribute to the establishment and implementation of program governance to support effective risk management, monitoring and reporting frameworks; 
• Lead and develop communications and briefings to support the Agency executives, the Minister and engagement with stakeholders, through such products as ministerial submission, Question Time and Senate Estimate briefs or media enquiries;
• Build and sustain positive relationships with a wide range of both internal and external stakeholders including Federal and State Governments, and as part of a team to deliver the outcomes of the Branch; 
• Make evidence-based decisions for program design and/or implementation through to monitoring and evaluation stage by using strong analytical, research and problem solving skills based on Commonwealth or State legislation;
• Application of the Federal budget reporting cycle and PGPA Act when designing, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the programs delivered by the relevant Branches.  

Role requirements/qualifications:

• A background in one or more of the following: public policy analysis or development; program management or coordination; program monitoring and evaluation; data analysis; finance and accounting; or research.
• Sound analytical and strategic thinking skills to drive evidence based policy solutions in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• An ability to work independently, identify priorities, goals and objectives, and manage risks to deliver consistently high-quality outputs to meet targets and critical deadlines.
• Solid oral and written communication skills including the ability to confidently deliver presentations, chair meetings or brief senior executives at short notice.
• Demonstrated stakeholder engagement skills.

Desirable

• Experience in an emergency management, resilience or disaster management
• Experience in grants management policy at Commonwealth, State or local Government level
• Understanding of Government financial frameworks.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this position you must be an Australian Citizen at the closing date of application. The successful candidate must be able to obtain and maintain a Baseline Vetting (Protected) level security clearance, or hold a current security clearance of an appropriate level. The successful candidate will be required to be assessed through our Pre-employment screening checks, such as an Australian Criminal History Check.

Applicant response:
As part of your application, you will be required to prepare a response document (minimum 11pt font in MSWord or PDF format), which you will upload in the next section. Please ensure you read the instructions carefully, noting failure to address identified requirements may lead to your application being deemed ineligible. Please also nominate the details of two referees.

To apply for the role, please submit a one page (500 word) pitch, together with your CV, outlining:

• How your skills, knowledge and experience will be relevant to this role
• Any you are interested in the role and what you can offer us. 

How to apply:

Prior to preparing your response it is recommended you review the Work Level Standards relevant to the classification you are applying to. It may also be useful to refer to the Integrated Leadership System information relevant to the classification. You are required to submit your application in the online recruitment system (ourPeople).

As part of your application, you will need to provide:

• Your CV
• Your Applicant Response document
• Details of two referees
• Include your full name and the Requisition Number - 127956 in the footer of any documents being uploaded.

Eligibility and Specific Conditions of Employment

To be eligible to work with the NEMA you must:

• Be an Australian Citizen
• Fulfil the Agency’s minimum requirements by satisfactorily answering all screening questions during the application process
• Obtain and maintain the required AGSVA clearance
• Satisfy a probation period
• Undergo a health assessment (if applicable).

To be eligible to work in some roles, you may be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (including any COVID-19 booster dose to maintain an 'up-to-date' status). Candidates should be aware that in roles where vaccination against COVID-19 is required by public health orders/directions or other legislation, if a candidate is not fully vaccinated or is unwilling to be vaccinated within a reasonable period, they may not be offered that role.

Technical Assistance

If you are experiencing problems submitting your application online, please email the nature of the issues you are experiencing to Recruitment (recruitment@homeaffairs.gov.au) including screen captures if necessary. A response will be sent during business hours.

Notes

Remuneration: The Agency offers an attractive remuneration package, including salary, superannuation benefits and flexible working conditions appropriate to the level of the position.

If you have identified as having a disability, please indicate whether you require any support throughout the selection process. For further information please contact Recruitment: recruitment@homeaffairs.gov.au.