EL2 - Director, First Nations Employment and Procurement Team, Affirmative Measures, First Nations

The opportunity we have available

The Infrastructure Investment Reform Branch, situated in the Land Transport Infrastructure Division (LTID), is responsible for implementation of the Australian Government’s land transport infrastructure reforms, including the Federation Funding Agreement Schedule on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects 2024-2029.

This includes strategic advice, policy design and coordination to ensure the Commonwealth is a more informed investor and can leverage its significant investment to achieve broader policy objectives (including First Nations economic empowerment opportunities). The Branch also provides governance and assurance functions for the Infrastructure Investment Program (IIP).

The Branch has an exciting opportunity available as Director of the First Nations Employment and Procurement team. As Director, you will lead a small team responsible for driving improved socio-economic outcomes for First Nations people by leveraging investment in land transport infrastructure.

Currently the team is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Indigenous Employment and Supplier-Use Infrastructure Framework, which seeks to improve First Nations participation (through direct employment and the use of First Nations suppliers) in the delivery of transport infrastructure projects. The team is currently leading the development of a new Framework to establish a more ambitious approach to improving socioeconomic outcomes for First Nations people.

What you will do

As an EL2 Director, you will provide high-level strategic leadership, section oversight, and operational policy execution. Your responsibilities will include:

• Framework development: Lead the strategic design, rollout, and implementation of the new Framework. You will also be responsible for overseeing the existing Indigenous Employment and Supplier-Use Infrastructure Framework until the new Framework takes effect.
• Framework implementation (including assessing Indigenous Participation Plans): Manage the rigorous assessment of incoming Indigenous Participation Plans (IPPs) and lead negotiations to establish required employment and supplier-use targets, collaborating closely with LTID state teams, the department’s First Nations Partnerships Division, and state and territory officials.
• Data coordination: Oversee the national coordination of performance reporting relating to First Nations employment and supplier-use targets under the Framework.
• Executive briefing: Provide authoritative strategic advice and high-quality written briefings to senior executives and Ministers on performance under the Framework.
• People leadership: Shape a supportive, inclusive, and high-performing team culture while ensuring clear performance expectations and strategic capability alignment.

Inherent requirements for the role

To be considered for this position, you must demonstrate the following capabilities evaluated against the Executive Level 2 Work level standards:

• Strategic capability: Experience leading policy reform or program delivery, with the ability to drive the development and implementation of improved socio-economic, procurement, and/or employment outcomes.
• Negotiation and collaboration: Proven high-level negotiation skills with the capability to partner with internal and external stakeholders (including state and territory officials) to ensure strong implementation of the new Framework.
• Reporting and governance: Strong analytical capacity to coordinate reporting across Indigenous Participation Plans and maintain framework integrity.
• Communication and influence: Superior written and oral communication skills, with a track record of producing high-level executive briefings and successfully influencing diverse senior stakeholder groups.
• People and culture leadership: Proven capacity to lead teams with commitment, taking responsibility for shaping team culture, developing staff capability, steering workflows under tight deadlines, and making an active and positive contribution to the culture and leadership of your work area.

Desirable requirements

• Experience in infrastructure policy, employment policy, or procurement policy.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in public policy, business, law, or project management.

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 EL2 you will be expected to:

• Provide strategic leadership to embed cultural capability across programs, policies or functions.
• Influence senior leaders on culturally informed approaches.
• Drive partnerships and co-design with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities where applicable or appropriate.

Eligibility requirements

This is an Affirmative measure vacancy – This vacancy is open only to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

This is an Affirmative Measures – First Nations applicants only position. The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an Affirmative Measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. To be eligible to apply under the Affirmative Measures initiative, applicants must:

• be an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person
• identify as an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person, and
• be accepted by their community as being an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person

For more information please visit - Affirmative measure for recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A guide for applicants

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 Clearance Level. 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.