The Assistant Director within the Partnerships and Engagement Section supports the Australian Government’s suicide prevention priorities by fostering strategic partnerships and engaging with people with lived and living experience of suicide to inform policy, programmes and service delivery. The role builds and maintains productive relationships across Commonwealth, state and territory governments, portfolios and sectors to support a coordinated, evidence-based approach to suicide prevention. It facilitates cross-sector collaboration, provides strategic advice, and contributes to initiatives that address the social determinants of health and wellbeing.

The Assistant

Director supports the delivery of government priorities through inclusive, person-centred approaches that strengthen suicide prevention policy, programmes and outcomes.

Key responsibilities

- Strategic project management and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills that can be applied across a wide variety of channels.
- Ability to work effectively in distributed team arrangements across geographical locations.
- Developing relationships with people with a lived and living experience of suicide, and across governments, portfolios and sectors to promote a social determinants approach to suicide prevention.

Key capabilities

- Demonstrated ability to think strategically and apply this understanding to achieving results.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with demonstrated experience developing and maintaining positive relationships with diverse stakeholders,



including people with lived and living experience of suicide, advisory bodies, government staff, suicide prevention service providers and community members.
- Highly developed verbal, written and listening communication skills, with demonstrated experience working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and tailoring communication to diverse audiences.
- Demonstrated sound experience in project management and strategic communication.
- Exceptional ability in utilising digital channels for communication and engagement including but not limited to managing websites, social media and consultation software platforms.
- Demonstrated secretariat skills and commitment to managing document workflow, maintaining databases, tracking engagements and preparing papers.
- The ability to work flexibly and contribute positively to small team dynamics.
- Sound judgement and organisational skills, including the ability to effectively manage multiple competing priorities and meet tight deadlines.

Desirable qualifications and experience
- Relevant qualifications including community advocacy, public policy, journalism and/or communication would be an advantage.




- At least five years’ experience in achieving results through project management and administration of engagement activities that inform systems change, either at the community or government level.
- Experience in mental health or suicide prevention will be highly regarded.
- People with a lived or living experience of suicide are strongly encouraged to apply.

To be eligible for employment with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, applicants must be an Australian citizen at the time an offer of employment is made.

An applicant’s suitability for employment with Health will also be assessed through a variety of pre-employment check processes, such as:

- Satisfactory completion of a criminal history check, and where relevant, a Working with Children and Vulnerable People Check,
- Completion of a medical declaration and pre-employment medical (where required),
- Providing evidence of qualifications (where required), and
- Obtaining and maintaining a security clearance at the required level.

For this role applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance or hold a current security clearance at an appropriate level.

Applications close 11:30pm AEST.

Applicants are asked to quote reference number 26-NMHCDIV-31964 to assist when making an enquiry.

This recruitment process is being used to fill both ongoing and non-ongoing positions. Non-ongoing positions will be offered on a specified term basis for an initial period of up to 12 months with the possibility of being extended (this will not exceed a total of 24 months in the same or similar role).

📌 Assistant Director, Partnerships and Engagement Section (Australia)
🏢 Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
📍 Australia