Geoscience Australia values the lands, water and sky as we work to deepen a shared understanding of Country and Earth. We respect First Nations peoples and their enduring connection, contribution and obligations to Country. Reflecting on our shared history, we are committed to listen and learn.

About us

Geoscience Australia is Australia's pre-eminent public sector geoscience organisation. We are the nation's trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia. We apply science and technology to describe and understand the Earth for the benefit of Australia. We apply our diverse professional expertise, our deep and trusted knowledge, our national-scale Earth observation infrastructure and our strong partnerships, to the opportunities and challenges that face our nation.

Our culture

Our strength lies in our people, including our diversity in backgrounds, skills and experiences, and the way we work together to respond to the emerging needs of our work. We value diversity in gender, backgrounds, culture, and experiences of our employees and are committed to providing an inclusive workplace culture that ensures everyone has equal chance to contribute, participate and progress. Applications from people who reflect this diversity are encouraged.

Our workplace is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees and offers a variety of flexible working arrangements to enhance flexibility, including remote working arrangements.

What we can offer you

When you work at Geoscience Australia you will have access to a range of benefits and the opportunity to experience a workplace culture that truly values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. To learn more about our competitive salary, free onsite parking, generous flexible working arrangements and the role you can play in growing our culture click here.

Our team

The Digital Atlas of Australia team leads the ongoing delivery and evolution of the Digital Atlas as a national digital capability that has transformed how trusted location-data is shared, accessed and used for better informed place-based decisions. The team works across government and with a wide range of stakeholders to enable secure collaboration, publish and maintain reliable content, and continuously improve user experience.

The Digital Atlas is delivered through a public platform and a secure government environment, supported by service operations, governance, and user enablement to ensure it can be adopted and used confidently at scale.

The role

As Assistant Director, Digital Atlas Strategy & Engagement you will ensure the Digital Atlas is positioned, understood and adopted as a national geospatial capability. You will shape how government, partners and users engage with the platform, by working with Digital Atlas Delivery Teams, subject matter experts, partners and users to translate platform and product updates into clear, accurate and accessible content for a range of audiences, channels and purposes.

You will strengthen relationships across government, industry and the broader user community by developing consistent communication pathways, stakeholder-ready materials, and engagement plans that support the delivery, adoption and continuous improvement of the Digital Atlas platforms. The successful candidate will provide high value advice and specialist expertise to senior leaders and protect the reputation of the Digital Atlas and Geoscience Australia by anticipating and managing risks, issues and misinformation, and maintaining user confidence through clear, consistent communication.

In this role you will:

• Provide leadership across multidisciplinary teams spanning the Digital Atlas of Australia Directorate, building a positive culture and developing people to perform at a high level.

• Lead Digital Atlas communications and engagement activities including managing Digital Atlas channels, brand, messaging and strategy. Translate complex Digital Atlas information into clear,



accurate and accessible content tailored for internal and external audiences across multiple formats.

• Work in partnership with Geoscience Australia Enterprise Communications, including external agency and industry communications teams to leverage channels, coordinate messaging, align approvals and amplify reach, ensuring stakeholders receive timely, consistent and audience-appropriate information.

• Lead the adoption and enablement model by coordinating engagement activities, learning pathways and self-serve resources that help different stakeholder groups understand, contribute to and use Digital Atlas content with confidence.

• Oversee a service support capability that provides timely response and high-quality assistance to users, efficiently triages and routes support needs, and builds trusted long-term relationships with users and partners.

• Lead Digital Atlas engagement activities that build awareness, participation and adoption across internal and external stakeholder groups, including coordinating Digital Atlas representation at conferences and events. This includes briefings, presentations, marketing activities, Digital Atlas branding and supporting materials that help audiences understand and use the Digital Atlas platforms.

• Lead and support governance, reporting and planning activities that demonstrate the value and impact of Digital Atlas communications and engagement activities, including the use of evidence, insights and feedback to improve future approaches.

• Develop and maintain stakeholder-ready materials, including briefs, talking points, presentations, user updates, newsletters, web and channel content, engagement packs and other materials that support consistent messaging and effective engagement.

• Provide strategic advice and specialist communications expertise to senior leaders, including advice on positioning, audience needs, stakeholder sensitivities, reputational risks, issues management and coordinated responses to misinformation or misunderstanding.

• Develop and maintain practical processes, templates and guidance that support consistent, high-quality communication and engagement across the Digital Atlas team.

To be successful in the role you will:

• Demonstrated experience leading communication, engagement, stakeholder or content activities for a complex program, digital service, policy initiative or public-facing capability

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-ready briefs, stakeholder materials, clear public-facing content and concise updates for different channels.

• Experience working with specialist data, science, geospatial product or digital teams to communicate complex concepts accurately and accessibly.

• Effectively work with subject matter experts to translate complex information and concepts into compelling and understandable narratives and insights for stakeholders and users.

• Demonstrate strong strategic thinking and the ability to translate complex problems into clear plans, priorities and deliverables.

• Build trust and influence across diverse stakeholders, including negotiating priorities and aligning expectations.

• Communicate clearly and confidently in writing and verbally, including producing high-quality briefs and stakeholder-ready materials.

• Be outcomes-focused and evidence-informed, using feedback and insights to improve approaches and demonstrate impact.

• Lead effectively in a multidisciplinary-hybrid setting, enabling delivery through clarity, coordination, and practical governance.

Required skills, knowledge, experience and/or qualifications





• A relevant tertiary qualification or at least 7 years demonstrated experience in senior communications, marketing, business development, program management or a related discipline.

• Advanced, user centred writing and content design capability, producing clear, accessible materials for diverse audiences and channels in line with the Australian Government Style Manual and WCAG requirements.

• Strong knowledge of government delivery governance, including planning and reporting, and supporting procurement and contract management activities with appropriate probity.

Are you unsure about applying?

Did you know that a Hewlett Packard internal report found that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60 per cent of the job requirements? Women and other people from diverse backgrounds tend to only apply when they check every box. If you think you have what it takes, but don’t necessarily meet every single point on what we are looking for, please still apply or get in touch with the contact officer to learn more about the role.

To Apply

Please visit the careers page of our website to submit your application via our e-Recruit system. Your application should include:

• Your resume (no more than 3 pages)

• A brief statement (no more than 700 words) outlining your transferable skills, experience and capabilities related to the role and the value you would bring to Geoscience Australia.

If you have any questions regarding the role, please contact Nick Rusk on (02) •••• •158 or email ••••@ga.gov.au

To learn more about applying for roles within the Australian Public Services please review, ‘Applying for an APS job: cracking the code’.

Use of AI in Recruitment

Geoscience Australia may use Microsoft Copilot to support limited administrative and preparatory aspects of the recruitment process. Artificial Intelligence is not used to assess or select candidates, and all decisions are human-led and based on merit.

Candidates must ensure their application reflects their own skills, experience and capabilities. Any use of AI must be responsible, transparent where required, and must not misrepresent their suitability for the role.

Candidates will be asked to disclose their use of AI when submitting an application and may also be asked to do so at various stages throughout the recruitment process.

Applicants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment, as well as the Principles for agency use of AI in recruitment which outline expectations for the responsible, ethical and transparent use of AI when applying for APS roles.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this position you must meet the below eligibility criteria.

• Be an Australian Citizen at the closing date of application.

• The successful applicant must be able to obtain, hold and maintain a security clearance of an appropriate level relevant to this role.

• Commencement of employment is subject to the successful applicant undergoing and satisfying pre- employment screening, which includes a police history check.

Recruitability

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 position. For more information please visit the Australian Public Service Commission website.

Hearing or speech impaired applicants are invited to use the National Relay Service by contacting 13• 677, and requesting to be connected with our Recruitment team on 02 •••• •777 in order to obtain selection documentation.

Technical Assistance

If you require technical assistance, call our Recruitment and Delivery team on (02) •••• •777 or email ••••@ga.gov.au.

A merit list/pool may be created from this process. If you are successful for the merit pool, your details may be shared with other Australian Public Service agencies unless you choose not to have your details disclosed.

📌 Assistant Director, Digital Atlas Strategy & Engagement (Symonston)
🏢 Geoscience Australia
📍 Symonston