NEMA Assistant Director, Human Resources

Job Req ID

NEMA - 141533

Location

ACT 

 Employment Type

Ongoing, Full-time 

Classification

Executive Level 1 - $125,935.00 and $143,531.00 plus 15.4% super (part time pro-rata)

Contact Officer

Charmaine Malyon at charmaine.malyon@nema.gov.au on 0418 439 363  

Office Arrangements

Flexible  - Flexible working arrangements can be negotiated in accordance with our Enterprise Agreement and the operational requirements of the role.
 

Applications close on 19/05/2026 at 11:59pm AEDT (midnight) - Late applications will not be accepted.

About our opportunity

This process is being used to fill 1 immediate position.

Applicants suitable for the role but not offered the position for the current vacancy may be placed in a merit list or pool to fill similar vacancies for up to 18 months anywhere in ACT; NSW; NT; QLD; SA; TAS; VIC; WA.
 

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.

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was established on 1 September 2022 as a single, accountable Commonwealth authority that delivers 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 states and territories to deliver the best outcome for communities across Australia. To help communities respond and recover, while preparing Australia for future emergencies, we:

• Fund programs and initiatives, big and small, that help communities in times of emergency, as well as to recover and prepare, including through disaster recovery funding and the Disaster Ready Fund to help reduce the risk and impact of disasters
• Have officers located across Australia, working in partnership with states and territories to support disaster-affected communities to collectively build resilience, reduce risk and harm, and effectively respond to and recover from disasters
• 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.
   

For further information on NEMA’s purpose, vision and values, please see the NEMA website.
 
Overview of the branch and section:
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) leads and coordinates national emergency management arrangements, supporting the Australian Government and jurisdictions to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters. NEMA works closely with Commonwealth entities, state and territory governments, and external stakeholders to strengthen Australia’s resilience to complex and evolving emergency risks.
 
The people function plays a critical role in enabling NEMA to deliver on its mission by providing strategic and operational people services across the employee lifecycle. Assistant directors within the people function deliver high quality, professional advice and services across a broad range of human resource (HR) disciplines, which may include employment framework interpretation, HR policy, recruitment and workforce planning, work health and safety (WHS), rehabilitation, performance and behaviours, career and capability development, and Senior Executive Service (SES) employment services.
 
The people function at NEMA is split across three teams:

• Conditions and Wellbeing who provides wellbeing support and initiatives, proactive early intervention support and rehabilitation, guidance and expert advice on payroll and other employment conditions related matters, working conditions and WHS services
• Culture and Capability who provides learning and development services and lead culture and employee engagement and strategic HR project planning and delivery
• Engagement, Strategy and Performance who provides recruitment, onboarding, performance management, workforce planning and reporting, SES Unit and HR services.  
   

About the role:
The assistant director role within the people function contributes to the effective management and development of NEMA’s workforce by providing high-quality advice, operational leadership and stakeholder engagement across the full employee lifecycle. Assistant directors deliver professional people services across a broad range of disciplines, which may include recruitment, employment frameworks and conditions, performance and behaviours, WHS, rehabilitation, learning and capability development, and people policy and governance. Operating with a substantial degree of autonomy and professional judgement, assistant directors support managers and senior leaders to effectively manage their people, while ensuring compliance with legislation, policy and enterprise agreement requirements.
 
The current vacancy is within the Engagement, Strategy and Performance team, and is responsible for the performance, behaviour and Code of Conduct functions. In this role, the assistant director is responsible for providing expert advice and case management support in relation to performance management, behaviour and conduct and related employee matters. This includes working closely with managers, employees, HR colleagues and other specialist areas to ensure matters are managed in a fair, timely and procedurally robust manner, organisational risks are identified and mitigated, and appropriate records and governance requirements are met. The role also contributes to the development and continuous improvement of people policies, procedures and guidance, promotes consistent and best practice approaches across the agency, and may involve supervising staff, allocating work and managing competing priorities in a complex and dynamic operating environment.
 
This recruitment process will be used to establish a merit pool from which future EL1 Assistant Director vacancies across the people function may be filled. Candidates placed in the merit pool may be considered for roles across a range of people disciplines, depending on organisational priorities, capability requirements and workforce needs.
 
At times staff within NEMA may be required to work outside of standard business hours, particularly during the higher risk weather season.
 
Our ideal candidate:
NEMA is seeking experienced and motivated people professionals who thrive in complex, fast paced and values driven environments. As an EL1 Assistant Director in the people function, you will play a pivotal role in supporting leaders and shaping a capable, agile and high performing workforce that enables NEMA to deliver on its national emergency management mission.
 
The ideal candidate will bring strong professional judgement, sound knowledge of the APS legislative and employment framework, and a demonstrated ability to manage complex and sensitive people matters with fairness, integrity and confidence. You will be comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy, providing authoritative and practical advice across the employee lifecycle, including performance and behaviour, Code of Conduct, workforce management, employment conditions and people policy.
 
Success in this role requires well developed stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, an ability to assess risk and competing priorities, and a commitment to high quality governance, documentation and ethical decision-making. You will enjoy mentoring others, contributing to continuous improvement, and working collaboratively across teams to deliver consistent, best practice people outcomes. In return, NEMA offers exposure to meaningful and impactful work, opportunities to contribute to strategic people initiatives, and a professional environment that values capability, inclusion and continuous learning.
 
We encourage applications from First Nations people, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people, 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.
 
Specific duties/responsibilities:

• Provide high-level, authoritative people management advice across the employee lifecycle, including performance, behaviour and Code of Conduct, employment conditions, industrial relations, WHS, rehabilitation, recruitment and SES Unit, workforce planning, learning and development, employee engagement and culture and related HR functions
• Apply independent judgement to interpret and apply legislation, APS policy, enterprise agreements, agency frameworks, and data, ensuring advice is accurate, defensible and practical
• Lead and manage complex, sensitive and high risk people matters, including performance management, behavioural issues and Code of Conduct, dispute resolution, recruitment, SES Unit, WHS and rehabilitation matters, ensuring procedural fairness, appropriate risk management and timely outcomes
• Lead the development, execution and evaluation of people strategies and projects
• Assess competing priorities, risks and stakeholder interests to determine appropriate courses of action and provide clear recommendations to decision-makers
• Take responsibility for the quality, consistency and integrity of advice and decisions, ensuring appropriate documentation, record-keeping and governance standards are met
• Support strong people governance and assurance, ensuring HR practices and case management align with legislative requirements, APS values, agency policies and ethical standards
• Contribute to the development, implementation and review of people policies, procedures and guidance, drawing on operational experience to promote consistency and best practice
• Build and maintain productive, professional relationships with managers, employees, HR colleagues including external stakeholders and specialist areas to deliver client-focused outcomes
• Influence and support managers to build capability in people management by explaining complex requirements clearly and providing practical, risk-aware advice
• Where required, supervise and mentor staff, including allocating work, setting priorities, monitoring performance, providing feedback and supporting capability development
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive and psychologically safe team environment consistent with APS values and agency expectations
• Contribute flexibly to people function initiatives and projects, including responses to emerging workforce issues, organisational priorities and change initiatives
• Support a collaborative, whole of people function approach to delivering consistent, high-quality people outcomes across the agency.
   

Role requirements/qualifications:

• A minimum of Baseline level security clearance, or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
   

Desirable:

• Certification in HR such as Certificate IV in Human Resources or Government Investigations or Australian Human Resource Institute HR Professional and/or relevant experience
• Depending on the position, Certificate IV in Personal Injury Management or Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety may be required at or obtained shortly after commencement.
   

Assessment process:
The recruitment selection process for this round may include one or more of the following:

• Applicant response
• Interview
• Work sample assessment
• Psychometric testing
• Reference checks
   

Applicant response:
As part of your application, you will be required to prepare a one-page response document (minimum 11pt font in Microsoft Word 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 prepare a one-page applicant response in relation to the advertised role, outlining:

• How your skills, knowledge and experience will be relevant to this role
• Why you are interested in the role and what you can offer us
• Any specific examples or achievements that demonstrate your ability to perform the role.

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
• A copy of your qualification
• Include your full name and the Requisition Number - 141533 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 and successfully undergo a National Police Check
• Obtain and maintain a Baseline Vetting (AGSVA) security clearance
• Satisfy a probation period (if applicable)
• Undergo a health assessment (if applicable).
   

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.