Census Field Operations Manager

Salary: $95,714 - $108, % employer super

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is looking to recruit a number of staff to fill a variety of temporary Field Operations Manager roles from October 2025 to November 2026 to support the 2026 Census of Population and Housing.

About the roles

Field Operations Managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of national field operations for the 2026 Census. This includes recruitment and training of field staff, work allocation and monitoring, issue resolution and provision of support to field staff as they undertake their work.

Depending on the role, you may be required to do some or all of the following:

• lead and manage a team of staff, communicating clearly with the team about work progress, issues, team directions and key decisions
• provide workload, procedural, Work Health and Safety and/or technical help to Census field and office staff
• relay important information between field staff and the Field Operations Management team
• resolve or escalate complex field queries, issues and incidents
• undertake performance management of office-based and field staff when required
• coordinate the creation, allocation and progress monitoring of workloads to field staff within their work areas
• monitor a range of operational intelligence to ensure Census targets and objectives are met
• provide regular feedback regarding status updates and emerging issues to your team and management
• support the recruitment of office-based and field staff when required, including shortlisting interviewing and participating in selection panels
• coordinate the booking, payment and management of travel for field staff
• coordinate the identification, payment and booking of suitable venues for field staff training sessions
• coordinate development of training packages for office-based and field staff
• review and deliver face to face training for office-based and field staff
• manage responses to incidents and crises, including the submission of relevant work health and safety incident reports

What we are looking for

The successful candidates will be able to demonstrate all or most of the following:

• a high degree of motivation to lead a team in delivering quality outcomes within a dynamic and complex environment
• strong conceptual and analytical thinking skills to ensure timely, evidence-based decision making that is aligned to agreed outcomes
• good judgement in problem solving and decision making, effectively managing risks
• strong project management skills, including risk and issues management, taking a collaborative approach to tackling team tasks and to working with stakeholders to deliver the best possible results
• strong interpersonal, customer relations and communication skills
• ability and confidence to present face-to-face training and provide performance coaching to individuals and groups
• ability to quickly acquire the skills to use a range of office systems
• ability to work autonomously.

Skills or experience in the following are also highly desired:

• operations and/or project management
• recruitment
• training
• logistics (management of the movement of material and equipment).
• competitive salary package up to $108K
• 15.4% employer contribution to superannuation
• opportunity to work from home
• flexible start and finish times.

About the Australian Bureau of Statistics

We are Australia's national statistical agency and an official source of independent, reliable information. We tell the real story of Australia, its economy and its people by bringing life and meaning to numbers.

We are at the forefront of data innovation - responding to today's challenges and partnering to deliver rich, new information solutions and technologies for the future.

A role with us offers you the opportunity to:

• undertake work with real purpose in a dynamic, innovative and flexible work environment
• apply and develop your expertise through a wide variety of challenging roles and learning and development opportunities
• be part of a supportive team of trusted experts who are empowered and accountable
• join a workplace culture that fosters inclusiveness, builds respect and capitalises on diversity.

How to apply

You will need to upload your resume, provide referee details and submit a statement (maximum 500 words) outlining how you meet the qualities and skills being sought for the role of Field Operations Manager.

You must be an Australian citizen to be eligible to apply.

Applications close at 11.30 p.m. Wednesday 3rd September 2025.

Salary match Number of applicants Skills match

The ABS is Australia's national statistical agency, providing trusted official statistics on a wide range of economic, social, population and environmental matters of importance to Australia.

The ABS also has an important leadership role, coordinating statistical activities and collaborating with official bodies in the collection, compilation, analysis and distribution of statistics. This assists in maximising the value of government investment on these activities, and ensures outputs are fit-for-purpose.

The ABS statistical programs are supported by service areas which deliver assistance and advice on statistical methods, data and metadata management, information technology, client management, dissemination, human resources and other corporate services. The ABS also has an important coordination function with respect to the statistical activities of other official bodies, both in Australia and overseas.

The ABS is Australia's national statistical agency, providing trusted official statistics on a wide range of economic, social, population and environmental matters of importance to Australia.

The ABS also has an important leadership role, coordinating statistical activities and collaborating with official bodies in the collection, compilation, analysis and distribution of statistics. This assists in maximising the value of government investment on these activities, and ensures outputs are fit-for-purpose.

The ABS statistical programs are supported by service areas which deliver assistance and advice on statistical methods, data and metadata management, information technology, client management, dissemination, human resources and other corporate services. The ABS also has an important coordination function with respect to the statistical activities of other official bodies, both in Australia and overseas.

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