EL1 Assistant Directors, Investor Front Door

LOCATION: Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne

TENURE: Ongoing, Non-ongoing (Specified Term)

SYNOPSIS:

About the role

We are looking for Assistant Directors with specialist skills in and knowledge of:

• Commercial investment processes, project financing and investment analysis, and a demonstrated ability to use these skills to determine projects' readiness for Investor Front Door services and whether projects have a reasonable prospect of success.
• The Australian Government's Specialist Investment Vehicles, and the ability to use this knowledge to support project proponents to identify suitable sources of Government finance.
• Regulatory approvals pathways that apply to large projects in Australia (across a range of jurisdictions) with a focus on environmental, First Nations heritage, native title and foreign investment regulations, to support project proponents to identify and navigate these approvals.

Assistant Directors will work as part of a team and:

• Demonstrate sound judgement, initiative and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to build strong relationships.
• Be familiar with supervising and providing direction to junior team members, including supporting staff development and promoting a positive team culture.

The available positions are at the Executive Level 1 classification with negotiation around a starting salary based on demonstration of highly desirable skills and experience.

EL1 Assistant Director, Project Selection

Key responsibilities include:

• Assessing proponent applications and detailed businesses cases to determine the degree to which projects align with the Government's selection criteria for 'nationally significant project' status.
• Analysing markets in which those projects operate to understand the viability of a project within the broader economic context, and identifying and assessing the challenges and risks of the project.
• Undertaking engagement to validate assessments, which involves preparing briefing materials and papers to support engagement with relevant regulators, policy agencies, and Specialist Investment Vehicles, and providing briefings to senior management.
• Making recommendations to the Treasurer and Cabinet, including preparing briefing materials and Cabinet submissions for decisions on projects.

Suitable candidates would ideally have:

• Expertise and experience in commercial investment processes and project financing.
• An ability to analyse a project business case and form a robust view on the viability of a project.
• An ability to apply knowledge of the markets in which significant projects will operate (for example, markets such as renewable energy technologies, energy generation and storage, critical minerals processing, infrastructure, low carbon liquid fuels, data centres).

EL1 Assistant Director, Public Finance

Key responsibilities include:

• Engaging with project proponents to analyse their financing needs, in particular their need for public financing to make projects economically viable.
• Engaging with relevant Specialist Investment Vehicles to determine whether there are suitable public financing Vehicles for a proponent, including through the Investor Council where appropriate.
• Providing advice to proponents on the best Specialist Investment Vehicle to approach to public financing.
• Gathering information, and providing advice to Government on, challenges and impediments faced by investment project proponents when navigating our regulatory and investment system.
• Engaging with external stakeholders to promote and lift the profile of the Investor Front Door.

Suitable candidates will ideally have experience and expertise in the following areas:

• Australia's Specialist Investment Vehicles, including the legislative and operating environments within which they operate.
• Commercial investment processes and project financing.
• Public and private capital markets.
• Knowledge of one or more sectors for potential significant projects in Australia, for example, renewable energy, energy generation and storage, critical minerals processing, infrastructure, low carbon liquid fuels, data centres.

EL1 Assistant Director, Regulatory Facilitation

Key responsibilities include:

• Identifying regulatory requirements for projects by engaging with a range of regulators and policy agencies.
• Providing advice to proponents on the appropriate sequencing of regulatory approvals and steps they can take to accelerate their approvals.
• Providing assistance when proponents encounter issues that require a resolution – including through facilitating engagement among regulators, project proponents and the Investor Front Door.
• Collaborating with other parts of Government that provide regulatory facilitation services.
• Monitoring the progress of approvals by engaging with project proponents and Commonwealth regulators.
• Identifying issues in the approvals process that could be remedied to help accelerate project investment timeframes.

Suitable candidates will ideally have experience in facilitating and/or undertaking work related to Commonwealth regulatory approvals in areas such as environmental protection, First Nations heritage, native title, and foreign investment.

Knowledge of state and territory government(s) regulatory approvals for significant projects would be highly regarded though not essential.