APS 5 and APS 6 (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:

• privacy functions under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) and other legislation, such as the My Health Records Act 2012 (Cth);
• freedom of information (FOI) functions, in particular review of decisions made by agencies and ministers under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act); and
• Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 (Cth).

About The Roles

The Information Rights Division oversees the case management of all privacy and FOI cases from enquiries through to resolution. It is also responsible for the OAIC’s interactions with members of the public and comprises three branches:

• Intake and Eligibility Branch
• FOI Case Management Branch
• Privacy Case Management Branch

Multiple opportunities exist for APS 5 and APS 6 officers across the Division.

Intake and Eligibility Branch

APS 5 and APS 6 Intake & Triage Officer

The Intake and Eligibility Branch is seeking APS 5 and APS 6 intake and triage officers in both privacy and FOI. This role is critical in upholding privacy and access to information rights for the Australian community.

The officer is responsible for the initial assessment and triage of privacy complaints, FOI IC review applications, FOI complaints, and assessment of data breach notifications determining their eligibility and directing cases towards appropriate resolution and escalation pathways. This role requires a strong ability to assess complexity and risk associated with applications, complaints and data breaches ensuring that matters are prioritised for case management. Working in a fast-paced environment, the officer is expected to manage a high volume of matters, apply sound judgment and contribute to the continuous improvement of intake processes. Collaboration with internal teams and clear communication with stakeholders is key to ensuring effective outcomes.

The main responsibilities include:

• Managing intake and triage of privacy complaints, FOI IC review applications, FOI complaints, and notifications under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme in a high volume fast paced environment including through obtaining relevant information from parties.
• Assessing matters and demonstrating judgment to escalate matters and manage risk appropriately.
• Providing advice in writing, by phone or face to face on the application of the Privacy Act, FOI Act and associated legislation.
• Actively participating in regular case management meetings.
• Contributing to continuous improvement activities such as the development of innovative systems and processes.
• Contributing to team and section performance objectives.
• Other duties as required.

Staff at the APS 6 level undertake work on more complex applications and complaints than staff at the APS 5 level. APS 6 officers also provide advice, training and guidance to more junior staff and colleagues across the office. They may also carry a higher caseload and have greater autonomy in the management of their cases. APS 6 officers may also be involved in stakeholder engagements, and other tasks factoring in the classification and Work level standards.

We are seeking applications from candidates with the following skills and attributes:

• Experience in complaints handling and interacting with members of the public.
• Prior knowledge of the principles of administrative decision-making.
• The ability to quickly acquire knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Freedom of Information Case Management Branch

APS 5 Assistant Review Advisor

The FOI Case Management Branch is looking for talented people to fill APS 5 Assistant Review Adviser roles to deliver our strategic priorities.

The work of our Assistant Review Advisers is primarily focused on assisting the Australian Information Commissioner and FOI Commissioner to conduct external review of agencies and ministers’ decisions under the FOI Act and investigating agency actions under the FOI Act.

The work you may undertake could include:

• Managing a caseload of Information Commissioner reviews and/or FOI complaints, including through obtaining relevant information from parties and preparing case plans to assist with drafting IC review decisions.
• Working with parties to resolve Information Commissioner reviews or FOI complaints, including through facilitating revised decisions or agreements between the parties.
• Assessing and deciding extension of time requests received from agencies and Ministers under the FOI Act.
• Preparing administrative decisions, correspondence and formal notices in relation to IC review applications or complaints under the FOI Act.
• Providing written and oral advice on the application of the FOI Act and associated legislation.

We are seeking motivated individuals who can apply technical knowledge, legal analysis, and strategic regulatory skills in a high-volume, dynamic environment with the following attributes and experience:

• Excellent attention to detail, strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply legislation in complex matters and undertake research including legal research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the principles of administrative decision-making and administrative law.
• Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of, the Freedom of Information Act and other relevant legislation.
• Demonstrated experience preparing correspondence, making administrative decisions or drafting briefs.
• Ability to cultivate productive working relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Ability to work with independence, subject to limited direction against established priorities, practices, and methodologies to deliver quality outcomes.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in law or experience in one or more relevant areas such as information law or merit review.

Privacy Case Management Branch

APS 6 Early Resolution Officer, Investigations Officer, Determinations Officer

Staff at the APS 6 level in the Privacy Case Management Branch work closely with Assistant Directors in the team. We are seeking motivated individuals who can apply technical knowledge, legal analysis, and strategic regulatory skills in a dynamic environment. We are seeking individuals across roles in the Early Resolution, Investigations and Conciliations, and Determinations teams with the following attributes:

• Excellent attention to detail, strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply legislation in complex matters and undertake research including legal research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the principles of administrative decision-making and administrative law.
• Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of, the Privacy Act and other relevant legislation.
• Demonstrated experience preparing correspondence, making administrative decisions and drafting briefs, preferably in a case management setting.
• Ability to cultivate productive working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to work with independence, subject to limited direction against established priorities, practices, and methodologies to deliver quality outcomes.

In addition to the above, specific duties for early resolution team includes:

• Managing a range of preliminary inquiries for individual privacy complaints which may lead to a resolution of the complaint or the commencement of an investigation.

In addition to the above, specific duties for the conciliations and investigations team include:

• Preparing matters and parties for conciliation and managing an active caseload of privacy investigations, including the development of investigation plans and critical analysis of information and documents obtained during investigation.

In addition to the above, specific duties for the determinations team include:

• Assist in drafting determinations under s 52 of the Privacy Act and other decisions for publications such as preliminary view decisions, as well as other instruments in furtherance of the OAIC’s legislative functions and regulatory priorities.
• Manage complaint files, respond to enquiries and prepare correspondence in matters referred for determination.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and updating of policies, procedures and guidelines which support the OAIC’s privacy case management function.
• Record keeping, coordinate meetings and other tasks as required.

Highly desirable:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or experience in one or more relevant areas such as law, regulation, public policy, cyber security, investigations or similar.
• APS 5: 1-2 years professional experience whether gained in government, private practice or in-house.
• APS 6: 2-3 years professional experience whether gained in government, private practice or in-house

All roles will be required to be undertaken in line with the appropriate Work Level Standard. The duties are to be performed in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct and APS Values and Office policies, including Workplace Diversity and Work Health and Safety. Under section 25 of the Public Service Act 1999 the Office may re-assign the duties of an employee from time to time.

Security requirements

You must be able to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance for roles in the Intake and Eligibility Branch, and Privacy Case Management Branch. For roles in the FOI Case Management Branch, you must be able to obtain and maintain a Negative Vetting 1 security clearance.

Position location

The OAIC operates a hybrid work model with a combination of remote working and office attendance. Whilst the OAIC office is located in the Sydney CBD, 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

APS 5 Salary: $87,895 - $92,922 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation

APS 6 Salary: $96,920 - $106,728 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.
• Note: 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. You are asked to provide a single page application response (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. Please also clearly indicate your preferred role in your pitch.
3. Your application form, CV (maximum 3 pages) and one-page-pitch should be collated as one document (where possible) and sent in a single email to: jobs@oaic.gov.au. Please ensure your email includes your full name in the email subject field, along with the job reference number found on the front page of this pack.