Assistant Director/Senior Review Advisor (multiple roles) Information Rights Division

About the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

Working with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) will put you at the forefront of data protection and access to information regulation. As an independent statutory agency, the OAIC’s work is of national significance and plays an important role in shaping Australia’s information handling landscape across the economy - from government, digital platforms and the online environment, to health, finance and telecommunications. Our mission is to uphold and promote Australia’s privacy and freedom of information laws.

We are an agency within the Attorney-General’s Department portfolio with responsibility for numerous statutory functions including:

• privacy functions under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Digital ID Act 2024, the My Health Records Act 2012 and in relation to the Consumer Data Right (CDR) under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, in particular, investigating breaches, handling complaints, conducting audits, developing codes, providing policy guidance and educating the public and industry on privacy;
• freedom of information functions under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, in particular, review of decisions made by agencies and ministers, handling FOI complaints, monitoring and investigating agency compliance, providing policy guidance and educating government and the public on FOI rights; and
• information commissioner functions under the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 including reporting to the Minister regarding government policy and practice with respect to the collection, use, disclosure, management, administration or storage of, or access to, information held by government and the systems used.

Leadership roles in the OAIC

Leadership within the OAIC work as a united team, collaborating and supporting each other and staff in achieving outcomes for the Australian community, and ensuring the agency’s success.

You will demonstrate leadership that aligns with the values of the OAIC, which include:

• modelling and championing the OAIC’s Guiding Principles (‘4 Pillars’): being proactive, proportionate, purpose-driven and people-focused
• acting with integrity at all times and demonstrating alignment with the APS Values: Impartial, Committed to service, Accountable, Respectful, Ethical and Stewardship
• managing limited resources effectively and aligned to the OAIC’s regulatory priorities
• empowering and supporting staff to make lawful administrative decisions in accordance with the applicable statutory framework
• leading your team and directly contributing to communicating (internally and externally) and delivering on the strategic direction of the OAIC.

About the Information Rights Division

The Information Rights Division (IRD) manages and resolves all externally generated FOI and privacy cases, from pre-intake enquiries to resolution. It is also responsible for the OAIC’s interactions with members of the community and for providing guidance, for example the OAIC’s public enquiries function.

The division is led by an Executive General Manager and has three branches which are overseen by an SES 1 General Manager:

• Intake, Eligibility and Guidance Branch, responsible for intake and triage function for all incoming regulatory case management matters, making decisions on extension of time applications under the FOI Act, providing guidance across all jurisdictions and complainant services
• FOI Case Management Branch, responsible for undertaking regulatory functions under the FOI Act, consideration of IC reviews, FOI complaints and vexatious applicant declarations
• Privacy Case Management Branch, responsible for managing privacy complaints through early resolution, consideration for conciliation, and investigation to resolution, including making determinations dismissing or substantiating a complaint.

Key expectations of EL1 Assistant Directors/Senior Review Advisors in IRD

Key expectations of an EL1 Assistant Director / Senior Review Advisers in the Information Rights Division:

• providing leadership, direction and support to staff working in a fast-paced, high workload environment
• overseeing the preparation of data reports, monitoring performance against KPIs and ensuring accuracy in decisions whilst meeting deadlines
• developing and implementing tools to guide effective, timely and lawful decision-making in a high-volume case management environment
• leading teams to prepare and finalise comprehensive, evidence-based and documented reasons for decisions in accordance with the statutory framework, the principles of administrative law, internal procedures and Commissioner priorities
• exercising delegations and judgement in accordance with the applicable statutory framework and the principles of administrative law
• leading teams to communicate with influence and effectively manage interactions with empathy, impartiality and respect
• working collaboratively with colleagues across the OAIC to deliver on the organisation’s priorities, support an integrated end-to-end regulatory model, and position the OAIC as a trusted regulator
• providing expert advice and developing and maintaining effective and productive relationships with APS agencies, industry and the private sector, and representing the OAIC in external forums

Job Specific Capabilities, Skills & Experience

We are looking for highly motivated individuals who enjoy leading a team, working independently, and who possess the following skills:

• Knowledge of the FOI Act and the Privacy Act,or the ability to quickly acquire this knowledge
• Experience in administrative law, decision-making and merits review
• Experience in complaint handling or broad experience managing an externally facing high performing team responsible for managing complaints to resolution
• Ability to provide impartial and forthright advice
• Leadership skills including a demonstrated ability to build capability and empower, guide and mentor a group of professionals
• Experience fostering a positive and collaborative culture
• Demonstrated management skills and experience, including the ability to manage shifting priorities
• Strong ability to interpret and apply legislation
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly with influence and to a range of audiences
• Demonstrated experience in effectively engaging with internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a high level of integrity and act in accordance with the APS Values and Code of Conduct at all times.

The Panel would look favourably on candidates who also have the following:

• Tertiary qualification in law or other relevant fields
• Experience managing a team delivering high volume and/or complex casework in a contested environment
• Experience in developing guidance
• Experience engaging with the community and diverse stakeholders
• Experience operating in a regulatory or casework environment with a legislative basis

For roles which involve investigations, you will need to hold a Certificate IV in Government Investigations (or higher) or be willing to obtain this qualification within 6 months of commencement.

You are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the APS Work Level Standards for your relevant classification.

Security requirements

You must be able to obtain and maintain a minimum Baseline security clearance. For roles within the FOI Case Management Branch, you may need to obtain a Negative Vetting Level 1 Security Clearance.

Position location

The OAIC operates a hybrid work model with a combination of remote working and office attendance. Whilst the main OAIC office is located in the Sydney CBD (and preferred), and there is a small office located in Canberra, we will consider candidate applications from all other locations within Australia.

The OAIC values face-to-face interaction and fostering connection between our people and with our stakeholders. The OAIC’s hybrid work model expects in office attendance when the type of work or task is better suited to being completed from an office, for example, staff inductions and onboarding, planning days, relationship building activities and project or collaborative work.

Remuneration and benefits

Executive Level 1: $126,299 - $135,101 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation

Note: An employee will generally commence on the base increment point of their relevant classification salary range, unless otherwise agreed by a delegate in consideration of salary matching (existing APS staff) or in recognition of exceptional skills, experience, qualifications or expertise.

Terms and conditions of employment are set out in the OAIC’s Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027.

The OAIC is committed to enabling its people to perform at their best and offers the following benefits:

• Opportunity to work at the cutting edge of privacy and data protection, paving the way for future career opportunities
• Access to ongoing professional development, with a capability framework to guide skill enhancement
• Genuine flexibility to help achieve a balance between work and home life
• Additional paid leave over the Christmas to New Year period as well as access to other leave (e.g. for study or moving)
• Contribution to your wellbeing through subsidies for eye health, flu vaccinations and a wellbeing allowance.

The OAIC is committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from people living with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and mature age people.

Eligibility

• Section 22 of the Public Service Act 1999 requires that APS employees must be Australian citizens.
• There are restrictions on employment of people who have, within the previous 12 months, accepted a redundancy benefit from an APS agency or a non-APS Commonwealth employer.
• For the duration of your employment with the OAIC you will be required to obtain and maintain an Australian Government security clearance as outlined above and meet required background, identification and character checks.
• All duties are to be performed in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct and APS Values and OAIC policies, including Workplace Diversity and Work Health and Safety. Under section 25 of the Public Service Act 1999 the OAIC may re-assign the duties of an employee from time to time.

How to Apply

1. Please complete the application form found at the end of this job pack as part of your submission.
2. Please provide a maximum 1 page statement of claim (one A4 page-pitch) addressing your interest, motivation and fit for the role. Your pitch should include the use of practical and professional examples as relevant to the role and the job specific capabilities, skills and experience outlined above.
3. Please email your application form, CV (maximum 3 pages) and one-page-pitch as 3 separate documents attached to one email to: jobs@oaic.gov.au.
   Please format your email subject line and name your application document(s) as follows:
   First name Last Name - OAIC-2026-016 – EL1 Assistant Director/Senior Review Advisor, IRD

Application Tips

Your pitch must be in a font size no smaller than size 10 and using a professional font selection (e.g. Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial).

Your CV should be a maximum of three pages.

You are encouraged to review the APS Work Level Standards which are available on the Australian Public Service Commission website.

AI in recruitment

Candidates applying for APS vacancies should review the Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment.

While we understand that artificial intelligence (AI) can support and help you draft your application and resume, we expect all our candidates to participate in recruitment with integrity and honesty. We expect that you will not use AI to assist you during an interview or assessment. For those activities, you must rely on your own skills - we want to know who you are. We ask that you show us your own ideas, skills, and understanding of the role.

AI can help you prepare, but during interview or other skills assessments, you need to speak about your own experiences and demonstrate your skills without support from AI.

Giving any false statements during the recruitment process may disqualify you from employment or lead to disciplinary action under the APS Code of Conduct if you’re already employed in the APS.

Further Information

If you are shortlisted, you may be contacted to arrange an interview.

If you are not shortlisted, you will be informed by email. Please note that we are not usually able to provide feedback to candidates that are not shortlisted due to the volume of applications received.

A merit list of suitable candidates may be established and may be used to fill future vacancies that arise.

Questions?

For more information, please visit https://www.oaic.gov.au/about-us/join-our-team or reach out to the contact officer listed on the covering page of this job pack.