NEMA Senior Planning Officer

Job Req ID

NEMA - 138310

Location

ACT 

 Employment Type

Ongoing, Full-time 

Classification

APS Level 6 - $94,775.00 and $106,505.00 plus 15.4% super (part time pro-rata)

Contact Officer

Kristy Bryden on 0461 454 768 at kristy.bryden@nema.gov.au  

Office Arrangements

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

Applications close on 08/07/2025 at 11:59pm AEST (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 About us | NEMA  

Overview of the Branch and Section:
NEMA’s Crisis Planning Section is part of the National Crisis Operations Branch (NCOB), which is in the Emergency Management and Response (EMR) Group. The NCOB is responsible for capability development and intelligence analysis functions, including 24/7 situational awareness (through the National Situation Room) and open source interrogation and reporting. The NCOB provides awareness of unfolding and potential situations, predictions of potential community impacts and consequence assessments to support decisions for current and emerging crises.
 
The Crisis Planning Section conducts planning ahead of and in response to domestic and international all-hazards crises affecting Australia or Australian interests. The section engages broadly across Government, with the states and territories, and with capability owners that provide federal and jurisdictional assistance for domestic and offshore crises. The section also manages the activation of national emergency response plans and responds to requests for Australian Government non-financial assistance, including providing logistics support and managing Crisis Coordination Teams (CCTs).
 
About the role:
NEMA is seeking highly motivated, curious, critical thinkers who enjoy working in a dynamic environment and delivering positive outcomes for communities. You will have an interest in emergency management and a desire to build knowledge, capability and relationships to ensure the success of Australian Government assistance in times of crisis.
 
The Senior Planning Officer, within the Crisis Planning Section, operates under limited direction to contribute to NEMA’s planning ahead of and in response to domestic and international hazards affecting Australia, or Australian interests. In a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment, the Senior Planning Officer delivers high quality planning products and advice, response options and logistics for domestic and international requests for assistance.
 
The Senior Planning Officer works in close collaboration with other Australian Government agencies, jurisdictions’ emergency and response agencies and domestic and international partners to inform and support decision-making and planning. The Senior Planning Officer also drafts high level advice, including ministerial briefings, and leads and supports capability development projects across EMR Group. All staff in the section support the CCTs, which may require work outside of standard business hours, particularly during the higher-risk weather season.
 

Our ideal candidate:
The successful candidate will be a positive leader who is a self-starter. They will have experience in emergency management, planning and/or logistics or have strong evaluation and analysis skills, sound judgement and a willingness to learn. With experience leading teams and/or projects, the successful candidate will also be proficient in drafting high level advice and briefings, including ministerial briefings.
 
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:

• Demonstrate positive leadership in high stress, dynamic and complex environments to contribute to strategic priorities
• Lead and support the Crisis Appreciation and Strategic Planning (CASP) process
• Produce planning products for executive decision-makers
• Participate in and lead or support Crisis Coordination Team activities as required, including deploying domestically or internationally
• Collaborate effectively with key Australian Government, jurisdictional and international stakeholders to develop response options to support requests for Commonwealth assistance during crisis response and recovery efforts
• Lead and support capability development projects across the Emergency Management Response Group
• Lead and support the development and review Australian Government planning products and activities
• Proven ability to produce high quality work within tight deadlines
• Demonstrate highly-developed written and oral communication skills, including the ability to liaise confidently with a variety of stakeholders, and provide high level advice and briefings
• Prepare and contribute to executive, ministerial and parliamentary documents, and meeting papers and records
• Display excellent time management skills and flexibility in response to shifting priorities in an unpredictable working environment
• Maintain relationships with external stakeholders to support NEMA operational outcomes, including state and territory Governments, Australian Government and International partners
• Participate in emergency management forums, exercises, post-event workshops and reviews.

 
Role requirements/qualifications:
The successful candidate will possess:

• Experience in emergency management, planning and/or logistics, or demonstrable relevant transferable skills
• Have completed, or have the ability to complete, relevant training in the Crisis Appreciation and Strategic Planning (CASP) process
• Have completed, or have the ability to complete, relevant Crisis Coordination Team training and be prepared to deploy domestically or internationally, if required
• Prior experience in leading teams and/or projects
• Possess resilience, agility, responsiveness and curiosity, along with a can-do attitude
• Demonstrate sound decision making and judgment
• Be committed to continuous improvement and professional development
• Obtain and maintain an NV1 and the ability to obtain a Certificate of Suitability for AFP building access
• Work sample test may be included as part of the assessment method.

Applicant response:
As part of your application, you will be required to prepare a one page 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 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
• Include your full name and the Requisition Number - 138310 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 Negative Vetting Level 1 (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.