Census Field Operations

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is looking to recruit a number of staff to fill a variety of temporary Field Operations Team Leader and Field Operations Project Officer roles to support the 2026 Census of Population and Housing. Some roles commence late January 2026, with further intakes planned for February and March. Contracts end September or October 2026, depending on the role.

About the Field Operations Team Leader role

We are seeking to recruit over 130 Field Operations Team Leaders in various locations across Australia.

Field Operations Team Leaders are responsible for the day-to-day management of national field operations for the 2026 Census. This includes recruitment and training of field staff, work allocation and monitoring, issue resolution and provision of support to field staff as they undertake their work.

The responsibilities of a Field Operations Team Leader include:

• lead a team of field staff within a specific region to undertake Census data collection
• support recruitment and training of field staff
• provide workload, procedural, Work Health and Safety and/or technical help to Census field staff
• undertake performance management of field staff when required
• coordinate the creation, allocation and progress monitoring of workloads to field staff within their work areas
• resolve or escalate complex field queries, issues and incidents.

About the Project Officer roles

We are seeking to recruit over 40 Project Officers across several sub-teams that support Census field operations and activities. As a Project Officer you will provide timely and effective support to ensure the success of the 2026 Census field operations.

Specialised roles include:

Field Operations Support Officer – arrange travel bookings and undertake recruitment and training of Census field staff

Operational Management Project Officer – program communication support, meeting administration, recruitment and training coordination, staffing administration activities.

Special Enumeration Project Officer – undertake engagement activities to support enumeration activities of special dwelling types including aged care establishments, motels, hotels, boarding schools, secure apartment buildings, etc.

Operational Insights (OI) Data Analyst - monitor progress of enumeration operations against targets and report emerging issues or trends to management.

Systems Support Officers - assist with systems support team operational documentation and process and provide Level 2 technical support to Census field staff queries regarding the key field systems.

What we are looking for

The successful candidates will be able to demonstrate all or most of the following:

• ability to lead a team in delivering quality outcomes within a dynamic fast paced environment
• ability to exercise good judgement in problem solving and decision making
• good stakeholder engagement skills
• good interpersonal, customer relations and communication skills
• ability and confidence to present face-to-face training and provide performance coaching to individuals and groups
• ability to quickly acquire the skills to use a range of office systems and applications
• ability to understand and communicate technical system-based issues (System Support role).

Skills or experience in the following are also highly desired in most roles:

• operations and/or project management
• recruitment
• training
• travel management.

How to apply

As part of the application process you will need to upload your resume, provide referee details and submit a statement (maximum 300 words) responding to the following:

How do your skills and experiences make you a good fit for these roles? Please give examples.

Applications close at 11.30 p.m. (AEDT) Sunday 5th October 2025.