Assistant Secretary, Research Branch

**Employment Type**:Ongoing

**Classification**: Senior Executive Service Band 1

**Closing Date**: 11:30pm AEDT, 7 May 2025

**The Opportunity**:
The Parliamentary Services Act establishes the office of the Parliamentary Librarian, whose primary function is ‘to provide high-quality information, analysis and advice to senators and members of the House of Representatives in support of their parliamentary and representational roles’. The Parliamentary Librarian is supported by a staff of 170 professional and technical experts working to support the Parliament through the provision of timely and impartial information, analysis and advice.

These services are provided through two subprograms:

- Research services: these services include responding to requests from individual parliamentary clients, their staff and committees for information and research, and producing print and electronic publications.
- Library collections and systems: these information services are provided to the Library’s clients by acquiring and providing access to information resources, including by selecting and processing material for library and media databases in ParlInfo Search.

This vacancy is for the Senior Executive responsible for research services.

The Parliamentary Library is a division within the Department of Parliamentary Services. DPS comprises over 1,200 staff that support the Parliament of Australia through innovative and client-focused services. The department delivers a broad range of services to support a working parliament including enabling engagement with the public and acting as custodian and stewards of Australian Parliament House. DPS provides innovative, unified and client-focused services to the Australian Parliament and Parliamentarians. As custodians of Australian Parliament House, we deliver a broad range of services, experiences and large-scale construction projects that enable Australian parliamentary democracy and engagement with it. Employees at DPS work across a diverse range of professional, customer service and trade-based roles.

DPS also has responsibility and oversight of functions including retail outlets, commercially licensed operations and own-source revenue streams.

As a member of the DPS Senior Executive cohort, you will be expected to:

- Provide leadership to your Branch while working collaboratively with the other business areas to deliver on the department’s strategic priorities as outlined in DPS Corporate Plan.
- Provide high quality strategic and technical advice to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, members of the DPS SES team and other internal and external stakeholders.
- Contribute to the overall strategic, planning, operational capability and accountability of DPS.
- Develop an environment that ensures sound planning, a culture of innovation, effective risk management, continuous improvement and a strong service delivery focus.
- Model contemporary aspirational leadership behaviours and work collaboratively to drive a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and a strong service delivery focus.
- Appear with the Secretary at Senate Estimates hearings when required.

Please note: This selection process will also be used to establish a merit pool that may be used to fill roles as they become available within the following 18-month period.

**Who we are looking for**:
DPS prides itself on leaders who can support the high-tempo needs of a modern parliament through contemporary leadership practices. Diversity is our strength, and we seek to continue to build high performing teams comprised of industry-best talent. Interested applicants will need to demonstrate experience in leading a large, complex and diverse workforce and driving change within a client-focused service environment. Strong personal accountability, managing complex stakeholder relationships, being agile and adaptable, and the capability to deal with ambiguity and change are crucial to succeeding in this role.

**Selection Criteria**:
Senior Executive Service roles require (essential):

- Established leadership skills that inspire and motivate teams, creating a common purpose and direction and a high-performance culture, to support the work of the Parliament and DPS.
- Excellent stakeholder relationship management skills, including the ability to provide insightful, persuasive, and trusted advice to a diverse range of important stakeholders in a politically complex environment.
- Strong strategic judgement, political acuity, and ability to manage ambiguity to resolve complex issues as they evolve.
- Demonstrated achievement of delivering quality results, within budget, tight time frames and across multiple stakeholders.
- Desirable:

- An understanding of the institution of parliament and the role of the parliamentary library in our parliamentary democracy.
- A university degree, tertiary qualification or relevant professional qualification in a related field.

**Duty Statement**:
**Classification**:Senior Executiv