Assistant Director

EL 1 - $115,663 - $124,403
- Portfolio Strategy
- Adelaide - SA, Darwin - NT, Brisbane - QLD, Canberra - ACT, Hobart - TAS, Melbourne - VIC, Perth - WA, Sydney - NSW

Are you a strategic thinker? Do you enjoy solving problems? Are you passionate about helping solve some of Australia’s biggest policy challenges? If so, read on The Portfolio Strategy and Integration Branch is a high-performing team with diverse experience and skills. We work closely with the department’s senior executives and ministerial offices to deliver on the Government’s priorities. While our branch is new, our culture is strong. You’ll be welcomed by a supportive team that values diversity and inclusion, has a sense of humour, works hard and helps each other out. We are passionate about our work and always looking for better ways of doing things. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements and new ways of working. This is an exciting opportunity to join a team committed to delivering on some of Australia’s most important policy challenges.

**Who we are**
Portfolio Strategy Division is the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s central policy area. The Division supports our ministers and the broader department to engage with the complex cross-cutting policy challenges in Australian climate, energy, environment and water policy. We lead on the Cabinet and Budget processes, strategic policy, whole-of-portfolio projects, and work to build the department's policy capability.

The Portfolio Strategy and Integration Branch builds the strategic policy capability of the department through policy development and creative problem solving. We develop strategic products with a long-term focus and a portfolio-wide lens for the Secretary, Senior Executive, and our Ministers. We work across the portfolio to shape key policies and narratives in climate change, energy, water and the environment.

The Branch has four sections:

- Environment and Water Strategy
- Climate Change and Energy Strategy
- Portfolio Priorities and Integration
- Whole-of-Government engagement

The Environment and Water Strategy and the Climate Change and Energy Strategy sections ensure a cohesive approach to their respective policy areas, providing advice to ministers, the Executive and policy divisions. We work closely with ministerial offices and central agencies to shape and deliver key policy through Cabinet and portfolio Budget submissions.

The Portfolio Priorities and Integration team leads on whole-of-portfolio policy and narratives. This work cuts across all of climate, energy, environment and water to promote collaboration and policy integration within the department, as well as to ensure broader Government priorities are captured across the Portfolio’s work (such as regional policy, youth and gender).

The Whole-of-Government Engagement team fosters collaboration and strategic relationships between the department and other government agencies, industry groups and NGOs. We engage on whole-of-government issues including disaster management, Northern Australia and the net-zero APS target. Our behavioural insight’s function uses multidisciplinary and behavioural approaches to inform the design and implementation of effective policies and programs.

**The Job**
Your responsibilities will include:

- producing briefs, correspondence, research and reporting for our ministers and Senior Executive on climate, energy, environment, water and whole-of-government issues
- for our two strategy teams: engaging with and advising policy areas, ministerial offices and the Executive on Cabinet submissions and new policy proposals as part of the Budget process
- coordinating input to key processes taking place across the department, including central narratives such as the Regional Ministerial Budget Statement
- supporting constructive and collaborative relationships with ministers’ offices, other areas of the department, Commonwealth agencies and other key stakeholders
- working as part of a team, including as a supervisor for the EL1 positions, and contributing to a respectful, inclusive, high-performing team and branch culture.

**What we are looking for**

**Knowledge and experience**
Knowledge and experience We are looking for people with a strong interest in policy who are innovative, collaborative, flexible, and able to deliver. Experience working in a policy role including undertaking research and preparing policy advice, briefing material and analytical reporting would be an advantage. An understanding of the Budget process is desirable for roles in the two portfolio strategy sections. Hold a Negative Vetting 1 security clearance or be able to obtain one.

**Skills and capabilities**
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information in a clear and succinct way.
- Ability to work flexibly, independently and use sound judgement to meet objectives and deadlines and produce