Assistant Directors, Affirmative Measures

The Team

As a member of the AEC's Indigenous Electoral Participation Program, you will have a unique opportunity to lead and support work with community-level partners who help identify and address barriers to First Nations electoral participation.

Working collaboratively across the program, you will contribute your knowledge, expertise and leadership to help make Australian elections more accessible and inclusive for First Nations Australians.

You will apply evidence-based approaches and best practice to develop and maintain key resources, support legislative and policy initiatives, and uphold the AEC's commitment to continuous improvement. As a member of the Branch Leadership Team, you will help shape strategic priorities, foster a proactive and curious culture, and champion service design principles and human-centred outcomes across the Branch.

The Opportunities

This role is an Affirmative Measures position, specifically designated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, therefore this vacancy is only open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In this role, you will be responsible for delivering key business outcomes, including leading business planning activities and driving engagement with partners to maximise outcomes for First Nations Australians.

You will lead and manage a geographically dispersed team, build and maintain productive internal and external relationships, and provide strategic insights that inform decisions relating to electoral services for First Nations Australians.

You will also represent the AEC in a variety of forums, communicating agency perspectives and building stakeholder relationships. The role will involve travel, including to regional and remote locations.

To excel you’ll have:

• Demonstrated experience building and sustaining effective relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, ensuring First Nations perspectives inform the design, delivery and evaluation of programs and services.
• Ability to communicate genuinely and intently with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and to build trust and rapport through consistent leadership behaviours, authenticity and openness in communication.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of agency policy.
• Ability to progress with activities where some ambiguity exists, proactively collaborating with relevant stakeholders to forge strategic outcomes.
• Proven ability to successfully manage and deliver results within tight timeframes while balancing competing priorities.
• Proven ability to communicate with influence, negotiate outcomes and manage complex stakeholder relationships, including across a geographically dispersed network.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage staff when change is a constant, while proactively supporting a positive team culture and developing capabilities, encouraging career development, and embedding professionalism.

Desirable

• You have relevant qualifications in Indigenous Studies or Community Engagement/Education.
• You know about or can quickly learn about legislation and programs and policies.

Contact: Kaye Bartlett, kaye.bartlett@aec.gov.au (02 5137 2055)

Due Date: Thursday 20 August 2026, 11:59pm AEST