EL1 - Assistant Director Investigations, Vehicle Safety Operations

EL1 - Assistant Director Investigations, Vehicle Safety Operations

We actively seek to reflect the diversity of the Australian community in our workforce.  We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and/or who are neurodivergent, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including people of all genders and gender identities. We uphold gender equality as a core organisational value. If you’re interested in the role but feel uncertain, we still encourage you to apply if you feel your passions, transferable skills and valuable experience align with this position.

The opportunity we have available

The Vehicle Safety Operations Branch is Australia’s national vehicle standards regulator. The Branch is responsible for administering the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) which sets vehicle standards for all new vehicles entering the Australian market and regulates the provision to the market of used imported vehicles.

This involves assessment of RVSA applications for the provision of compliant road vehicles, supporting stakeholders through a central contact centre, managing the road vehicle and road vehicle component recall process and compliance and enforcement activities under the RVSA legislation.

There are 4 sections in our Branch:

•       Application Assessments and Approvals

•       Technical Assessments and Approvals

•       Compliance and Enforcement

•       Recalls Notification and Monitoring.

What you will do

Key duties of the position include:

•       proactively lead a small team responsible for:

• • undertaking and progressing formal regulatory investigations in accordance with Australian Government Investigation Standards requirements.
  • reviewing and assessing enquires related to alleged non-compliance with relevant legislation; and
  • resolving alleged non-compliance matters in a timely manner.

•       leading compliance and enforcement activities directly related to the current Compliance and Enforcement Strategy and future strategies

•       identifying appropriate and proportionate escalation (i.e. enforcement) pathways to resolve complex non-compliance reports and matters

•       supporting and guiding team members when alleged non-compliance requires an escalation pathway, including the use of various legislated enforcement tools

•       undertaking thorough, accurate and efficient task relevant research

•       leading your team in the analysis of information gathered as a result of investigative activities (i.e. either desk or field) and then making informed and proportionate regulatory enforcement recommendations for senior decision makers

•       regularly demonstrating highly developed legislative interpretation skills

•       identifying, developing and fostering enduring relationships with key stakeholders, both internally and externally

•       consulting, planning and developing work programs for your team and the Section

•       actively monitoring the performance of your team

•       preparing accurate reports, briefings, correspondence, statutory notices, and other written materials that include sensitive compliance and enforcement information, including preferred regulatory enforcement recommendations

•       if required, work directly with other authorities in relation to matters under investigation, inquiry, and /or court or tribunal proceedings

•       develop and lead the preparation of detailed operational policy, procedures, templates and guidance materials to support the Section’s compliance and enforcement functions

•       as required, undertake domestic and international travel.

The role may require the successful candidate to undertake frequent domestic travel, from time to time.

Inherent requirements for the role

The inherent requirements for this role include:

• an ability to demonstrate their capability against the Executive level 1 .
• a highly developed commitment to integrity and accountability
• excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to generate high-quality written materials to support sensitive regulatory decision making
• demonstrated experience in investigations, enforcement and/or regulatory compliance
• demonstrated ability to effectively manage self and lead a team that undertakes investigations, enforcement and/or regulatory activities
• the capacity to work on multiple tasks, while also delivering various work products within deadlines
• demonstrated ability to interpret and apply a wide variety of regulatory legislation
• demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement
• highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to work within a distributed multistate team that fosters a culture of informed decision making, continuous improvement, integrity and respect
• the ability to continuously work to a professional standard in a complex environment while demonstrating resilience
• the ability to apply a high level of attention to detail, while undertaking various tasks.

Mandatory qualifications: Diploma in Government Investigations (or recognised equivalent).

The role requires the successful candidate to hold and maintain a driver licence as travel between the office and third-party workplaces is required. PPE will be provided for use while onsite.

RecruitAbility

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is committed to supporting the employment and career development of people with disability. Our participation in APS RecruitAbility means we will progress an applicant with disability to a further stage in the recruitment process, where they opt into RecruitAbility and meet the minimum requirements for the vacancy.

The RecruitAbility minimum requirements are listed above under ‘inherent requirements for the role’.

You will be asked to indicate if you wish to opt into RecruitAbility in the application form. You must tick the 'opt in' box to participate in RecruitAbility. Simply declaring that you have a disability will not automatically include you.

We provide reasonable adjustments such as access, equipment or other practical support at relevant stages of the recruitment process. Please advise in the application form or get in touch with the contact officer if you need any adjustments made.

More information can be found at RecruitAbility scheme: A guide for applicants | Australian Public Service Commission.

Desirable requirements

• formal qualifications and / or relevant extensive experience in any of the following: investigations, audit, law, regulation, regulatory risk management, compliance
• familiarity with RVS legislation and legislative interpretation
• several years’ experience leading and conducting investigations in regulated environments
• familiarity with and demonstrated history of working with the CDPP.

Cultural capability requirement

The department believes every role contributes to cultural safety and that building staff cultural capability helps us deliver better policies, programs and services for First Nations people and the broader Australian community.  Candidates will be required to demonstrate their willingness to develop their cultural capability as part of the assessment process. In making it a requirement across all roles in our department, we are taking a practical step in delivering our commitments under the Our Stories on Country Agreement and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025–28.

As an EL1 you will be expected to:

• Lead the integration of cultural considerations into work area outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders.
• Champion cultural capability within teams and challenges culturally unsafe practices.

What else can we offer?

We are dedicated to fostering personal and professional development, empowering individuals to set goals, acquire new skills, and cultivate unique qualities that define who they are. We believe that this not only leads to a more fulfilling and happier life but also enhances the overall quality of our work. Some of the benefits we offer include:

• Access to our study Assistance Program that provides paid leave and financial support for you to undertake courses of study that contribute to the improvements of your professional skills and knowledge relevant to our work and broader Australian Public Service.
• Through our investment in learning and development opportunities, and a positive performance culture, we provide diverse career pathways for our people to enable their mobility and adapt in a rapidly changing world.
• Improve your leadership skills, through the department’s Professional Coaching Scheme and tailored leadership opportunities for staff members.
• Flexible working opportunities, including part time hours and home-based work.
• We offer generous leave entitlements of 20 days personal circumstances leave per year, with one month’s accrual of leave credited on commencement and 150 hours of paid annual leave (based on a full-time employee), plus a range of other miscellaneous leave options to support you.
• Join our department and embark on a journey of growth, fulfillment, and well-being. Experience personal and professional development, prioritise your health, and be part of a vibrant and positive culture that empowers individuals and drives exceptional performance.

Eligibility requirements

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

• Citizenship: candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of submitting your application. 
• Health Assessment: The preferred candidate may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
• Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline level.  You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information.  You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances.  More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website.
• Police check: The successful candidate must complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.
• Integrity and Performance check: The successful candidate must satisfy the requirements in an Integrity and Performance check which is completed by your most recent employer.

How to apply

Applications for this opportunity close at 11.59pm AEST, Sunday 6 September 2026

Prior to preparing your application for the department, please read our Artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment at the department principles. The principles aim to help you use AI in a way that supports your application and maintains fairness and transparency while maintaining your integrity as a candidate. They outline what is and isn’t acceptable use of AI in APS recruitment.

In applying for this position, you are not required to address individual selection criteria. Rather, you should provide in a PDF document a statement of no more than 2 pages outlining your background, capabilities and experiences and how these align with the advertised role.

You should also provide a tailored CV in PDF, no more than 3 pages. The capabilities and behaviours required to be successful for this role are identified in the ‘inherent requirements for the role’ section.

Your application should be received through the department’s online recruitment system prior to the closing date and time to be considered.

If you experience any issues with the system please contact the recruitment team on 02 6136 8*** or via email at ***********@infrastructure.gov.au to discuss an alternative way to submit your application.

Please advise the contact officer if you require adjustments during the recruitment process. We recognize and value diversity as our strength and promote a culture of inclusion to enhance our work performance and the wellbeing of our employees. We are committed to systems that are accessible, inclusive and safe for all. If you need any further information about accessibility and inclusion at our department, please contact ***************@infrastructure.gov.au.

Timeline and assessment

A selection panel will be established to assess your suitability against the advertised role.

If a merit pool is established it will be valid for 18 months from date it first appeared in the APS Gazette.

Applications open: 21 August 2026

Applications close: 6 September 2026

Application shortlisting: 14 September 2026

Further assessments: 21 September 2026

Selection report finalised: 30 September 2026

Offers and announcements: 7 October 2026

The above is indicative only, please reach out to the contact person if you have any questions on the recruitment process or timeframes.

Your application will be assessed against the inherent requirements of  the role, the Work level standards and in comparison to other candidates who applied. Once the entire applicant pool has been assessed, the panel will create a shortlist of applicants. If your application is shortlisted, you may be asked to undertake further assessment, this may include work sample testing, interviews and reference checks. 

Work with us. Apply now!