Assistant Commissioner, Inquiries and Legal

Location: Canberra, ACT

Application Closing Date**:Monday**24-Nov-2025** **at 11:30pm AEDT**

**Classification**

SES Band 1

**Employment Type**

Ongoing & Non-ongoing (for a period up to 24 months)

Where a non-ongoing specified term is offered, this would be for a maximum period of two (2) years. If the initial contract is for less than 2 years, it may be extended or renewed once, up to the 2 year limit.

A non-ongoing offer may result in conversion to an ongoing offer of employment, however this must occur within 18 months from the opening date of this advertisement.

**About the Defence and Veteran's Service Commission**: The Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission (DVSC) provides independent oversight and evidence-based advice to government on reforms to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members.

The Australian Government established the DVSC as a new non-corporate Commonwealth Entity (NCE) on 29 September 2025 in response to the key recommendation of the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Key functions of the DVSC include:

- monitoring, inquiring and reporting on issues relevant to suicide and suicidality for serving and ex-serving ADF members
- monitoring, inquiring and reporting on the implementation of the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Defence and Veteran Suicide Royal Commission
- improving supports for serving and ex-serving ADF members
- working with coroners to understand issues contributing to Defence and veteran deaths by suicide, and
- promoting an understanding of suicide risks and wellbeing for Defence members and veterans, including through engaging with people with lived experience.

The DVSC has a wide range of powers akin to those of a Royal Commission to undertake special inquiries - including conducting hearings, summonsing people to give evidence under oath or affirmation, search warrants and notices to produce information.

**Working at the DVSC**: As a new agency, the DVSC is recruiting staff and capabilities and will continue to do so over the coming year. You have an opportunity to join us now where your expertise can help influence and shape our strategy in support of the Commissioner’s independent oversight of wide-ranging reforms across the Defence and veteran ecosystem.

Under the current organisational structure of the Commission there are two SES Band 1 officers who will report to the Deputy Commissioner:

- Assistant Commissioner, Inquiries and Legal
- Assistant Commissioner, Oversight and Engagement.

The Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and two Assistant Commissioners will form the senior executive group of the Commission.

We are looking to recruit high performing and dedicated staff from a range of capabilities, who demonstrate integrity, independence and compassion.

SES employment conditions are outlined in individual s24(1) determinations.

**About the Role**:
As Assistant Commissioner, Inquiries and Legal you will oversee inquiries into the Defence and veteran ecosystem in relation to suicidality, suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving ADF members. You will be part of a small senior executive responsible for the strategic leadership of DVSC and have day-to-day management of two functional areas: Inquiries and Legal.

The Assistant Commissioner, Inquiries and Legal will be required to provide strategic advice and leadership of the DVSC’s inquiries function. Specifically, they will support the Commissioner exercising their functions in relation to monitoring, inquiring into and reporting on matters including:

- data and trends regarding suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members
- systemic factors relating to the Australian Government's administration of policies, programs, systems and practices that contribute to suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members, and
- the state of the Defence and veteran ecosystem, as it relates to the prevention of suicide and suicidality.

The DVSC has powers to conduct public and private hearings when undertaking a special inquiry.

The Assistant Commissioner, Inquiries and Legal will also be required to provide strategic advice and leadership of the DVSC’s legal function, with the DVSC General Counsel reporting to them. The key areas of responsibility for the legal function are:

- Legal advice to Commission and Commissioner, including general Corporate legal advice or engaging external legal providers to assist
- Legislative reform and statutory interpretation
- Legal and inquiry policy and procedure
- Managing litigation arising out of the work of the Commission
- Referral of briefs of evidence for prosecution
- Freedom of Information
- Privacy, and
- Public Interest Disclosure.

The Assistant Commissioner, Inquiries and Legal will have demonstrated capacity to develop and maintain strong and effective working relationsh