Assistant Director Regulatory Best Practice

EL 1 - $115,663 - $124,403
- Inspector-General of Water Compliance
- Brisbane - QLD, Canberra - ACT
- The role offers a unique opportunity to work in an independent integrity agency and regulator that is dedicated to leading best practice with a service culture and an employer that embraces diversity and inclusion.

**Who we are**

**Inspector-General of Water Compliance**
The statutory position of the Inspector-General of Water Compliance (the Inspector-General) was established on 5 August 2021 via an amendment to the Water Act 2007 (the Act). The Inspector-General is an independent basin-wide integrity agency and regulator designed to hold governments, including the Australian Government and state governments, to account in meeting their obligations under the Basin Plan.

**Functions and powers of the Inspector-General**
The Inspector-General of Water Compliance has both oversight powers and specific compliance powers relating to areas of water management. The Inspector-General’s oversight powers include the ability to undertake inquiries into how Commonwealth or Basin state agencies are performing their functions under the Water Act and the Basin Plan. The Inspector-General also oversights eleven intergovernmental agreements which implement various elements of the Basin Plan and may conduct audits to assess compliance with the Basin Plan and Water Resource Plans.

Our Regulatory Best Practice team supports robust, defensible and lawful practices, processes and decision-making by the Inspector-General of Water Compliance and relevant staff and undertaking activities on behalf of the Inspector-General. The small, agile team supports the Inspector-General in the achievement of regulatory objectives and may also support broader priorities such as conducting inquiries, investigations and audits.

Our work is focused on embedding integrity through the following areas:

- establishing governance and reporting frameworks in accordance with the legislative and administrative responsibilities under the Water Act 2007 and Basin Plan 2012
- establishing best practice regulatory policies, frameworks, and procedures, and associated tools to support the implementation of the Inspector-General’s powers and functions
- minimising risks to the Inspector-General
- managing regulatory process and coordinating legal advice through the Department at the highest levels
- coordination and management of enforcement activities.

This is an exciting opportunity for those with a regulatory or legal background looking to build the next phase of their career in one or more of the practice areas above in the Commonwealth context. The role offers a unique opportunity to work in an independent integrity agency and regulator that is dedicated to leading best practice with a service culture and an employer that embraces diversity and inclusion.

**The Job**
The role supports and assists the Deputy Inspector-General Regulatory and broader Regulatory Best Practice team to establish frameworks in accordance with the legislative and administrative responsibilities of the office that supports the Inspector-General to achieve regulatory objectives. Specifically, you will be responsible for:

- coordinating, leading, and managing a Regulatory Best Practice team to deliver compliance improvement programs, projects and initiatives that address regulatory obligations.
- embedding a regulatory best practice culture across the staff that support the Inspector-General
- establishing governance, risk, and reporting frameworks in accordance with the legislative and administrative responsibilities of the staff that support the Inspector-General and in order to promote the highest levels of integrity
- act as a conduit between the staff that support the Inspector-General and the Department’s legal services in the drafting, coordination and review of legal advice
- providing direction and coordination of matters that fall within the regulatory remit of the Inspector-General in ensuring activities meet legislative obligations and Government’s objectives
- assisting staff of the Inspector-General in problem descriptions and risk identification based on regulatory design
- advising decision-makers or, where relevant, the Executive on the above matters
- identify and progress opportunities for practice and/or process improvements and develop tools to aid continuous improvement.

You will:

- exercise a considerable degree of independence and perform a leadership role.
- undertake sound decision making and judgement to produce high level policy advice
- engage in complex problem solving and issues management and may coordinate and undertake detailed or sensitive projects that impact on strategic, political, or operational outcomes for the agency.

**What we are looking for**

**Knowledge and experience**
- knowledge of, or the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of, the Water Act 2007 and Basin Plan 2012
- experience supporting the implementation of re