Senior Editor

Overview

Senior Editor – Defence Doctrine (NV1 Clearance Required)

Location: Canberra (Russell Offices) or remote within Australia

Contract duration: 10 Sept 2025 – 30 June 2026 (up to 180 working days)

Clearance: NV1

About the Role

Local Peoples, through the Defence Support Services (DSS) Panel, is seeking an experienced Senior Editor (Level 3: Advanced Practitioner) to support the Australian Defence Force's Lessons & Doctrine Directorate. This role will contribute directly to the Doctrine Management Plan (DMP), including Chief of the Defence Force–mandated priority publications.

The successful candidate will bring advanced editorial expertise to ensure clarity, accessibility, and consistency across high-level Defence doctrine publications and strategic documents.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide structural editing, substantive editing, copyediting, and proofreading of Defence publications.
• Collaborate with editors, doctrine authors, publication developers, and multimedia specialists.
• Ensure compliance with Defence writing conventions, WCAG accessibility standards, and formatting requirements.
• Develop diagrams and graphics (in collaboration with multimedia specialists).
• Liaise with Defence print and distribution teams for delivery of high-volume print runs.
• Maintain an auditable trail of editorial changes in Objective.
• Provide advice and training related to doctrine development.
• Support the Australian Defence Glossary through terminology development and certification.
• Attend domestic and international doctrine events as required.

Essential Criteria

• Minimum 3 years' experience as an editor (preferably on book-length or complex publications).
• Proven ability to work with style sheets and editorial guidelines.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage senior Defence leaders.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with senior leaders in Defence or similar complex organisations.
• Strong communication skills across all levels of stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage competing deadlines.
• Experience in collaborative environments, as well as independent work.
• Prior Defence or government experience highly regarded.

Security

An NV1 security clearance is mandatory for this position. Candidates without an active clearance cannot be considered.

Contract Details

• Up to 180 working days
• Contract period: 10 September 2025 – 30 June 2026
• Location: Russell Offices, ACT (with remote work options available)

About Local Peoples

Local Peoples is a strategic research and design studio based in Melbourne and Canberra. Our mission is to design healthy, resilient and resourceful communities. We are proud to be a certified B-Corporation with a strong focus on our social, environmental and economic impact. We work across brand and digital design, place and experience design, content and community engagement. Our key partners include state and local government, social enterprises, universities and large commercial organisations. All are experiencing complex challenges right now and we believe that design research, thinking and delivery can help to solve these challenges and make positive change for people and the planet. We produce , a publication and community of 100K+, which focuses on design-led social innovation and impact.

Why join Local Peoples?

• Representative and inclusive - we are dedicated to building an inclusive and accessible workplace for people from diverse backgrounds
• Impact driven - work towards achieving real impact for people and the environment
• Fantastic culture - driven by a welcoming, supportive and collaborative team environment
• Professional support for design excellence - benefit from being a part of one of Australia's fastest growing design and delivery communities
• Flexible working arrangements - including the ability to work remotely
• Market rate salaries - attractive remuneration packages in line with the market rate
• Flexible employment types - including the preference for permanent, but will consider contracting

Local Peoples proudly supports the LGBTQ+ community, neurodiverse individuals, and First Nations people. We are committed to creating inclusive spaces where everyone, regardless of their identity, feels valued and respected. Together, we strive for equality and a positive future for all.

Local Peoples works, creates, and plays on the lands of the Wurundjeri, Bunurong, and Wathaurong peoples of the Kulin Nation, land which has never been ceded. We thank them for caring for this land for over 40,000 years and recognize and pay our deepest respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

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