Policy Officer

Policy Officer

APS5

Townsville, QLD

Ongoing/Non-ongoing; Full-time

Applications close Wednesday 26 November 2025, 11:59PM AEST

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (the Reef Authority) is a Commonwealth non-corporate entity, and a statutory agency established by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Marine Park Act), reporting to the Minister for the Environment and Water. Our objective is the long-term protection, ecologically sustainable use, understanding and enjoyment of the Great Barrier Reef for all Australians and the international community through the care and development of the Marine Park.

Managing a reef roughly the size of Italy demands many skills and talents, so you don't have to be a marine biologist to contribute to our mission. From finance to marketing roles, we have a team almost as diverse as the ecosystem we protect. Our commitment and dedication to the Great Barrier Reef and the Australian public have a long-lasting impact, and we are looking for individuals who can bring their unique skills, experience, and knowledge to our high-performing and inclusive organisation.

The Position

We are seeking a natural resource management or government policy professional to join our team.

You will help develop and implement Marine Park / marine protected area management strategies and policies. You will need the ability to understand current uses of the Marine Park and their management; identify issues, partner with Traditional Owners and work with stakeholders and other government agencies to develop practical solutions to address the issues to protect marine park values and allow for ecologically sustainable use.

About You

• You have experience in developing and applying policies and spatial management plans, ideally in an environmental / marine protected area context.
• You have experience in relationship and stakeholder management and working with Traditional Owners
• You enjoy being part of a cohesive team.
• You understand the need for exploring innovative policy and regulatory solutions while appreciating the reasons for existing policy, plans and legislation.
• You have an eye for detail and are able to analyse data sources to inform management decisions.
• You are able to positively and constructively work under pressure and manage competing priorities, seeking help when needed.
• You seek to work collaboratively and are committed to seeing things through.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaboratively develop and implement policies and/or spatial plans that provide for the long-term protection and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef as well as its ecologically sustainable use.
• Manage complex projects and help develop initiatives to effectively manage Marine Park threats and uses. This includes working collaboratively and effectively with internal and external stakeholders on strategic issues, including with the Queensland Government, to ensure alignment with joint permitting and joint field management arrangements.
• Coordinate and/or prepare high-quality written material, reports and spatial maps to provide expert, timely, practical, transparent and risk-based advice on policy and/or spatial planning-related issues for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area.
• Actively participate, as a committed team member, to the work of the Marine Park Policy Planning and section and to the work of the broader Reef Authority.
• Represent the Reef Authority on policy and/or spatial planning matters relevant to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This includes contributing to committees/working groups to foster cooperation on strategic issues.
• Be responsible for managing work projects to achieve results demonstrating the ability to be agile and responsive to changing requirements, including achieving quality outcomes and adhering to documentation procedures.

For more information about this opportunity, please contactJana Hazelman, Assistant Director Marine Park Planning Ph

Qualifications and Experience

It's desirable that the successful candidate will have:

• Experience or relevant tertiary qualifications in marine natural resource management, especially in policy and legislation interpretation.

• Experience with synthesising scientific information and publicly available data to inform policy and management plans, including the ability to utilise data visualisation tools (e.g. dashboards, Power Bi, GIS).

• Have the ability to travel – sometimes overnight or for multiple days.

Eligibility

To be eligible for employment, candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of application.

The position requires a Baseline security clearance. Successful candidates will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.

The successful candidate will be willing to provide identity documents and undergo an identity pre-employment check through a Document Verification Service.

How to apply

Please ensure you read the instructions below and on the Position Description carefully, noting failure to address identified requirements may lead to your application being deemed ineligible.

You will be required to prepare a response document ("pitch") in MSWord or PDF format using standard margins and size 11 Arial font.

Please prepare a 'pitch', as outlined in the Position Description, in relation to the advertised role, outlining:

• how your experience, abilities, knowledge and personal qualities would enable you to perform the duties and meet the technical and behavioural capabilities of the role.

• any specific examples or achievements that demonstrate your ability to perform the role.

• how you meet the eligibility requirements and qualifications for the position.

When crafting your response, we encourage you to review 'Cracking the Code' and the relevant Australian Public Service Work Level Standards which can be found on the Australian Public Service Commission website:

Please complete your application online and provide:

• your 'pitch' (as described above and in the position description).
• proof of Australian citizenship (an Australian Passport or Australian Birth Certificate)
• a current curriculum vitae (resume)

Applicants are advised to read further information provided on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Careers website.

PLEASE NOTE: - The panel may not consider additional information such as a cover letter or content exceeding the page limit.

Notes

The current position is ongoing however through this process may create a merit pool to fill similar ongoing and non-ongoing positions that become available within the next 18 months.

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme, you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme; declare you have a disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the job. For more information visit:

Eligibility

Employment with the Reef Authority is subject to:

• Conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999.
• Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) granting a security clearance at the required level.
• Evidence of citizenship status.
• Evidence of qualifications required of the role.
• Evidence of a completed national police-check with no risks identified by the Reef Authority.
• The CEO of the Reef Authority, or their Delegate, approving a Notice of Engagement.
• The Australian Government Security Clearance Application Guide Book provides information on minimum eligibility requirements for holding a security clearance at the required level. Please ensure that you are able to provide the necessary documents if you apply for the position. More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the AGSVA website.