The Australian Senate is inviting applications for the position of Clerk of the Senate, to commence on 9 March 2027.

The Clerk of the Senate is the principal adviser to the Senate and the departmental head of the Department of the Senate, which provides secretariat support to the Senate and its committees.

The Clerk of the Senate is the principal adviser in relation to the proceedings of the Senate to the President of the Senate, the Deputy President and Chair of Committees, and to senators generally. The Clerk’s advice is given both in the Senate chamber when the Senate is sitting and at other times, and may be in oral or written form. Each senator has access to the advice on an equal and confidential basis.

Advice principally goes to the operations of the Senate and its committees; the powers, privileges and immunities of the Senate, and parliamentary administration. The Clerk is secretary and adviser to the Senate Procedure Committee.

As the Accountable Authority and departmental head of the Department of the Senate, the Clerk is responsible for the leadership and setting the strategic direction of the department. The Clerk performs the functions of a secretary of a department under the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 and other laws governing the Commonwealth public sector,



such as the Public Performance, Governance and Accountability Act 2013.

The Clerk works with the heads of the other parliamentary departments (Department of the House of Representatives, Department of Parliamentary Services and Parliamentary Budget Office) and the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service to identify opportunities for collaboration and cooperative decision-making, strengthening the effectiveness of the parliamentary administration to advance its common purpose of supporting Australia’s Parliament and parliamentarians.

Mandatory statutory requirement

Extensive knowledge of, and experience in, relevant parliamentary law, procedure and practice.

The position The Clerk is appointed by the President of the Senate after consultation with senators for a non-renewable term of 10 years. The position is located in Canberra, Australia. The total remuneration package is currently $502,180 (Australian Dollars), with other terms and conditions determined by the President of the Senate.

How to apply

Applications close at 11:59pm (AEDST) on Sunday, 1 November 2026. Further information about how to apply is set out in the Applicant Package.

📌 Clerk of the Senate (Australia)
🏢 Department of the Senate
📍 Australia