Director, Research and Analysis, Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission

Location: Canberra, ACT

Application Closing Date**:Wednesday 5 November** **at 11:30pm AEDT**

**Classification**

Executive Level 2 ($147,052 - $175,016)

**Employment Type**

Ongoing & Non-ongoing (for a period of 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.

**Flexible Work**

At the DVSC we recognise the broad benefits of offering flexibility in how, when and where work is performed. We consider flexibility first from a starting position of ‘how can we make this work?’ and consider individual circumstances and operational requirements in making genuine attempts to establish mutually beneficial arrangements. Please reach out to the contact officer if you would like to explore what flexibility might look like for you, such as part time work, variable start and finish times or working from home.

**About the Defence and Veterans’ 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.

**Working at the DVSC**

As a new agency, the DVSC is now 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.

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

Employment with the DVSC is offered under the Public Service (Terms and Conditions of Employment) (Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission) Determination 2025.

**About the Role**

The Director of Research and Analysis will be the research, data and information lynchpin of the DVSC, with the opportunity to lead a small team and work with senior leadership to develop the agency’s strategic research and analysis capability. The Director will help to shape and retain stewardship over this centralised capability to ensure accurate, well-researched, evidence-based information is provided to the Commissioner and to other line areas in the DVSC for the DVSC’s inquiry, oversight, evaluation, reporting, corporate, and promotion of suicide prevention functions.

Located in the Chief Operating Officer functional line of the DVSC, which comprises the functions of Research and Analysis, Corporate and Governance, and People, Wellbeing and Integrity, the Director and their team will work collegiately with senior leadership and staff across the DVSC as a central enabling capability. The Director, Research and Analysis will also engage with a broad range of Commonwealth agencies and external stakeholders to gather information and data.

The Director and their team will collate, analyse and manage relevant research, insights and data on Defence and veteran suicide and suicidality to inform the DVSC’s work. This will be drawn from a range of sources including qualitative and quantitative information from academic research, international research, statistical data sources, the DVSC’s contact and engagement activities, lived experience, official reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, government agencies and jurisdictions, and other data holdings in the Defence and veteran ecosystem. The Director will also support and lead research where required.

We are looking for an innovative and motivated Director with:

- Strong strategic leadership, and the ability to build and lead a small research and analysis team that will support the statutory functions of the Defence and Ve