About the Australian Energy Regulator The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) works to make energy consumers better off, now and in the future. We focus on ensuring a secure, reliable and affordable energy future for Australia as it transitions to net zero emissions.

We regulate electricity networks and covered gas pipelines, in all jurisdictions except Western Australia. We set the amount of revenue that network businesses can recover from customers for using these networks.

We enforce the laws for the National Electricity Market and spot gas markets in southern and eastern Australia. We monitor and report on the conduct of market participants and the effectiveness of competition.

We protect the interests of households and small business consumers by enforcing the Retail Law. Our retail energy market functions cover New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Queensland.

We work with Energy Ministers, Energy Senior Officials, the Energy Security Board, other market bodies (the Australian Energy Market Operator and the Australian Energy Market Commission), the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), state-based regulators, Energy Consumers Australia and energy ombudsmen schemes on energy policy, emerging issues and regulatory strategies.

The AER is committed to building a positive culture and has articulated its own culture plan, developed by staff for staff. We strive to have a supported and engaged workforce that values diversity, is accountable, collaborative, innovative and dedicated to our consumer centric work.

With us you will contribute to our workplace culture, as well as outcomes that have far-reaching economic, industrial, and legal implications. You will also have access to a range of activities and initiatives that support wellbeing and flexible work practices and will receive an attractive remuneration package including excellent leave benefits.

Working with us

We are a high-performing agency committed to making energy consumers better off, now and in the future. To achieve this we must invest in, trust and care about our most important resource, our people.

We recognise that diversity and inclusion leverage a range of experiences and perspectives that drive belonging, engagement, performance, innovation and productivity. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people with cultural and linguistic diversity, LGBTIQ people and are committed to achieving gender equality.

With us you will contribute to our workplace culture, as well as outcomes that have far-reaching economic, industrial, and legal implications. You will also have access to a range of activities and initiatives that support wellbeing and flexible work practices and will receive an attractive remuneration package including excellent leave benefits.

Benefits all employees receive include:

- flexible working arrangements such as part-time work, flexible hours of work, and the option to work from home up to 3 days a week




- access to paid study leave for tertiary education where it aligns with a course of study directly relevant to your employment
- access to extensive learning and development opportunities to support you in your career with the AER
- access to salary sacrificing
- annual incremental pay advancement based on performance
- annual flu vaccination program
- one off $600 gross payment upon commencement with the agency to help in the setup of a home workstation
- healthy lifestyle allowance - we reimburse you up to $299.99 for items related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle in March annually
- flex leave and time off in lieu arrangements
- 4 weeks annual leave each year (pro-rata for part-time employees) with the option to purchase additional annual leave
- 20 days personal leave per annum (pro-rata for part-time employees)
- end of year closedown between the December and January public holiday period
- 18 weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers (pro-rata for part-time employees)
- 8 weeks of paid parental leave for secondary caregivers, building to 18 weeks over the life of the agreement (pro-rata for part-time employees)
- 3 days cultural leave per year for essential religious or cultural obligations
- paid time for lactation breaks and blood donation leave
- 6 days leave for First Nations employees that can be used over 2 years for cultural and ceremonial purposes, and 1 day NAIDOC leave
- paid family and domestic violence leave
- access to sabbatical leave after 3 years of continuous service with the AER.

To find out more about what it’s like to work with us, you are also encouraged to chat with the contact officer listed above about the role or process before submitting your application. Further information is also available on our website. More insights about the AER’s culture can be seen in our 2025 Employee Census Highlights Report.

About the division The AER Legal, Corporate and Information Services Division partners with AER to advise on and enable corporate outcomes. We ensure that the agency and our stakeholders have the information and services they require now, and in the future, to make robust decisions and take timely, effective action. The division’s remit includes Legal Services, People and Culture, Finance, Strategy and Performance, Risk Management, Procurement, IT and Data Governance, and Governance functions.

The AER legally separated from the ACCC on 1 July 2026. Foundational human resource functions have been established. Our priority next is to evolve the foundational services, systems, practices and procedures to a high performing human resources operation.

About the role





As the Assistant Director - Recruitment and Planning you will develop and deliver the functions to identify, acquire and onboard the capabilities the AER requires. You will provide strategic and operational leadership across recruitment, capability and workforce planning functions. This role is a career-defining opportunity to apply your deep recruitment and/or workforce planning expertise to evolve and operate a critical HR function in a recent organisation.

Working under limited guidance and exercising considerable discretion, the Assistant Director - Recruitment and Planning will:

- Develop and deliver the functions that identify, acquire and onboard the capabilities the AER requires.
- Lead the development and implementation of recruitment and workforce planning strategies and activities
- Review and enhance standard configuration for recruitment and organisation management modules in the AER’s enterprise resource planning system (TechOne)
- Provide strategic and operational advice about workforce matters.
- Lead and support end-to-end SES recruitment activities, including planning, stakeholder engagement, assessment design, panel coordination, candidate management, governance, risk management and preparation of high-quality selection documentation to support timely and merit-based outcomes.
- Collaborate with key AER stakeholders to develop, deliver, evaluate and improve regular plans to recruit and develop the capabilities the AER requires to deliver its strategic plan.
- Develop and implement work plans for people in the Recruitment and Planning team that directs the work area, defines expected outcomes, articulates the purpose and importance of the work;
- Develop and lead the team, fostering an inclusive culture, high performance, and build capability through coaching, providing performance feedback and opportunities for career development.

Selection criteria In addition to meeting the Integrated Leadership Profile for the EL1 classification, the Assistant Director - Recruitment and Planning will also have:

1. Technical knowledge:

- Demonstrated expert understanding and application of relevant HR frameworks and related legislation (Acts, strategies, policies, guidance, systems and practices)
- Relevant tertiary qualifications, AHRI accreditation and/or equivalent relevant experience is desirable.

1. A demonstrated ability to effectively:

- Engage with stakeholders and manage complex projects with organisation wide implications.
- Deliver large scale change initiatives.

How to apply

You’ll be asked to upload your resume (maximum 2 pages), and respond to the following two behavioural questions, with a maximum response of 300 words per question.

- Why are you interested in this role with the AER and what professional attributes would you bring to the role?
- Please describe a framework that you have designed and implemented that facilitated a significant capacity and/or capability increase.

When preparing your responses, please consider the role and duties, and highlight experience that demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria.

📌 Assistant Director - Recruitment and Planning (Canberra)
🏢 Australian Energy Regulator
📍 Canberra