The acquisition of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines is an historic and transformative endeavour for Australia. The whole-of-nation effort to safely and securely deliver the cutting edge nuclear-powered submarine program will transform Australia’s economic and national security landscape for decades to come.

The EL 1 Assistant Director Quality Management plays a critical role in supporting ASA’s quality, governance and continuous improvement functions. Operating under broad direction, the role is responsible for working with stakeholders to establish a cross-organisational quality assurance and performance excellence framework befitting a 21st century sovereign nuclear enterprise.

The position requires strong technical and analytical capabilities, sound judgement and the ability to provide specialist advice across a range of quality, assurance and continuous improvement functions. Working in a dynamic environment, the EL1 Assistant Director Quality Manager will oversee and lead assurance reviews, support reform initiatives, manage change arising from policy and process updates, and help uplift capability across the team through coaching and guidance. The role requires autonomy, accountability and the ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders to support the delivery of ASA’s priorities and contribute to high quality organisational outcomes.

An EL 1 Assistant Director Quality Management will have a considerable level of stakeholder engagement and will liaise with stakeholders in relation to complex issues. They will be required to identify, anticipate and respond to stakeholders’ needs and expectations to achieve work-unit and the Australian Submarine Agency outcomes.





The duties of an APS EL 1 Quality Manager include but are not limited to:

- Establish and implement the ASA Quality Management Framework, ensuring it captures standards that align with Defence best practice, Australia’s regulatory requirements within the Nuclear context, and recognizable to our trilateral partners.
- Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to provide specialist quality management advice, guidance and training, ensuring activities align with the quality framework. This includes developing productive working relationships, influencing outcomes, and supporting stakeholder capability development through clear and timely communication.
- Develop relevant policy and procedures to operationalise the quality function across the organisations quality workforce and manage the ongoing conformance to the quality requirements.
- Lead and contribute to ASA’s lesson’s learned program, ensuring quality and reform initiatives, such as planning, delivery and documentation of assurance reviews, to validate compliance, enhance governance and identify continuous-improvement opportunities. Apply analytical reasoning to interpret findings, develop evidence-based insights and support decision-making.
- Facilitate ASA’s change-management activities that arise from policy, system or business-process updates, ensuring effective integration into the Quality Management System (QMS).



Provide guidance to stakeholders, monitor implementation progress, and support sustainable adoption of improved processes.
- Lead the Document Control team who manage the ASA master document control register, provide document templates, and conduct document review and quality checks.
- Liaise closely with the document library team and collaborate to improve document library and processes according to ASA document control requirements.
- Support team capability by providing coaching, feedback and quality review of work undertaken by others, contributing to a positive, high-performing team culture. Encourage knowledge sharing, professional development and continuous improvement consistent with APS EL1 leadership expectations.Live and work as a visible example of the Nuclear Mindset.
- Exercise sound judgement, initiative and professional integrity in interpreting policy and applying established quality-management practices and procedures, including resolving complex issues, assessing risks, and formulating practical, compliant and informed recommendations consistent with APS values and organisational requirements.
- Work independently with a high degree of autonomy and accountability, managing competing priorities, meeting deadlines and delivering consistent, high-quality outputs with minimal supervision while demonstrating reliability and qualified self-management.
- Collaborate with management and team members to achieve ASA and organisational priorities, contributing to planning, sharing insights, supporting continuous-improvement initiatives and modelling constructive, cooperative and service-oriented behaviours.

About our Team

The

📌 Assistant Director – Quality Management (Canberra)
🏢 Australian Submarine Agency
📍 Canberra