The opportunity we have available The Office of Northern Australia is a multi-disciplinary branch driving the economic and social advancement of Northern Australia. We oversee the Government’s $7 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) special investment vehicle, coordinate cross-jurisdictional frameworks, and deliver the Northern Australia Action Plan. We are seeking motivated, highly organised APS5 Program and Policy Officers to join our division.

These roles provide essential programmatic support across our governance, economic policy, social policy, and strategic engagement streams. Working with us offers a explicit pathway to develop your professional public service skills within a supportive team that values growth and collaboration.

What you will do

As an APS5 Officer, you will perform varied tasks under general direction to support the delivery of key branch activities. Typical duties include:

- Program and financial support: Assisting with the processing of documentation, tracking financial administration tasks for the NAIF special appropriation, and maintaining risk registers.
- Research and analysis assistance: Gathering data and conducting initial research and analysis to support broader economic, social policy, and IRG initiatives.
- Secretariat and event assistance: Helping coordinate logistics, collate agenda papers, and distribute materials for the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum (NAMF) or external engagement events.
- Workflow coordination: Managing central intake mailboxes, tracking ministerial and parliamentary workflows, and ensuring accurate corporate records management.

Inherent requirements for the role The inherent requirements for this role include:





- The successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the APS5 Work level standards.
- Support the department’s commitments to the National Closing the Gap Agreement and the Our Stories on Country Agreement by embedding First Nations perspectives into infrastructure policy, program delivery, and stakeholder engagement.
- Ability to prioritise everyday workflows, work effectively within a small team, and meet scheduled deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills to draft correspondence and interact professionally with a wide network of stakeholders.
- A proactive mindset with a willingness to learn new systems quickly and look for process improvements.

Cultural capability requirement The department believes every role contributes to cultural safety and that building staff cultural capability helps us deliver better policies, programs and services for First Nations people and the broader Australian community. Candidates will be required to demonstrate their willingness to develop their cultural capability as part of the assessment process. In making it a requirement across all roles in our department, we are taking a practical step in delivering our commitments under the Our Stories on Country Agreement and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025–28.

As an APS5 you will be expected to:





- Consider the cultural context and implications of work area outcomes.
- Engage respectfully with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, building trusted relationships.
- Communicate respectfully and seeks appropriate cultural input to inform decisions.

Eligibility requirements

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

- Citizenship: candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of submitting your application.
- Health Assessment: The preferred candidate may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
- Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline. You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information. You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances. More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website.
- Police check: The successful candidate must complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.
- Integrity and Performance check: The successful candidate must satisfy the requirements in an Integrity and Performance check which is completed by your most recent employer.

For more information about this role, including the type of person we are looking for and how to apply, please refer to the position description available by clicking the 'Apply Now' button.

📌 Program & Policy Officers, Regional Development, Northern Australia and Local Government (Cairns)
🏢 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
📍 Cairns