Who can apply:
Please note this opportunity is available to current Australian Public Service employees and all eligible members of the community.
Overview
Established on 1 September 2022, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is Australia’s leading disaster and emergency management agency, and a Commonwealth authority within the Home Affairs portfolio. NEMA delivers a whole-of-nation approach to reducing disaster risk, planning, preparing for, responding to and recovering from a full spectrum of disasters across the National Disaster Management and Recovery Continuum.
NEMA works closely with local communities as well as state and territory Governments to deliver the best outcome for communities across Australia. To help communities respond and recover, while preparing Australia for future emergencies, we:
1. Fund programs and initiatives, big and small, that help communities in times of emergency, as well as to recover and prepare, including through disaster recovery funding and the Disaster Ready Fund to help reduce the risk and impact of disasters;
2. Work with communities, industry and non-government organisations by connecting local Regional Support Officers and other NEMA staff right around Australia, to share lessons learnt, provide awareness on navigating Government services, and gain community and industry-led ideas and concepts to inform strategic policy and planning;
3. Provide national leadership to share knowledge, situational awareness, and trends in disaster efforts to inform, guide and shape the national picture and decision-making at the Commonwealth, state and local Government level – including through policy development and strategy to improve risk reduction, resilience and recovery; and
4. Provide round-the-clock all-hazards monitoring and operational coordination for domestic and international emergencies, including supply chain disruptions, critical infrastructure outages, biosecurity risks and widespread cyber-attacks, and through supporting preparedness and response activities, including through the operationalisation of the Australian Government Crisis Management Framework.
National Resilience Capability Programs Division
The National Resilience Capability Programs Division brings together the work of the NEMA Coordination and Planning Branch, Operational Capability Branch and EMR Training and Strategy.
The NEMA Coordination and Planning Branch provides national coordination across government to support states and territories to respond to disasters.
The Operational Capability Branch is responsible for designing and implementing a range of national emergency management programs, including the Public Safety Mobile Broadband, National Messaging System and the National Emergency Management Stockpile.
The EMR Training and Strategy Section is responsible for emergency management capability strategy and policy development, management of a small number of grants, and vocational operational training across the Emergency Management and Response Group (EMR Group).
Working collaboratively across the Australian state and territory governments the team develops, and contributes to the development of, policy and strategy which supports bolstering national emergency management capability.
About the role
The Senior Policy Officer, within the EMR Training and Strategy Section, is accountable under direction of the Assistant Director for providing professional and timely support to the development and implementation of policies relating to the Australian Government’s role in emergency and disaster management.
Under direction of the Assistant Director, the Senior Policy Officer will be responsible for researching, analysing and leading policy development and program delivery aligned with organisational priorities. Officers in this role will be required to support the design and development of complex policy initiatives, draft briefs and submissions as well as maintain accurate records of policy advice and decisions.
At times, the Senior Policy Officer, may be required to assist in other functions delivered by the Section and may be required to work outside of standard business hours, in support of NEMA operational priorities.
Our ideal candidate
NEMA is looking for people who can demonstrate resilience, agility, responsiveness and curiosity in the course of their work. Our ideal candidate will be passionate about assisting the Australian community and driving long-term preparedness and lasting recovery efforts.
The successful candidates will be self-driven and seek to directly influence the key outcomes of the agency.
We encourage applications from First Nations people, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, mature age people and people from other diverse backgrounds. We are committed to providing a working environment that values diversity and inclusion and supports staff to reach their full potential.
Specific duties/responsibilities
5. Research, draft and develop policy and associated documents as specified in the section work plan
6. Identify, define and document potential policy issues and solutions associated with the policies under development to uplift the emergency management capability
7. Develop written material such as ministerial submissions, briefs, reports and correspondence
8. Work collaboratively with Australian Government, state and territory government officials, and industry representatives
9. Maintain awareness of local and global policy developments within area of expertise to identify emerging issues/risks and their implications for policy direction
10. Conduct research and analysis across a range of sources to inform policy development
11. Develop policy recommendations and proposals and communicate rationale and benefits to a variety of audiences
12. Other duties as directed.
Role requirements/qualifications
13. Strong analytical, organisational and coordination skills
14. Strong written and oral communication, and experience developing a range of products including briefings, minutes, cabinet submissions and proposals
15. Ability to deliver outcomes under tight timeframes and to quality standards
16. High level interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills
17. Knowledge of Australia’s crisis management and national security arrangements or the ability to quickly acquire it.
Applicant response
As part of your application, please prepare a one-page Applicant Response (minimum 11pt font in MSWord or PDF format), in relation to the advertised role which you will upload in the next section, outlining:
18. How your skills, knowledge and experience will be relevant to this role
19. Why you are interested in the role and what you can offer us
20. Any specific examples or achievements that demonstrate your ability to perform the role.
Please ensure you read the instructions carefully, noting failure to address identified requirements may lead to your application being deemed ineligible.
How to apply:
Prior to preparing your response it is recommended you review the Work Level Standards relevant to the classification you are applying to. It may also be useful to refer to the Integrated Leadership System information relevant to the classification. You are required to submit your application in the online recruitment system (ourPeople).
As part of your application, you will need to provide:
21. Your CV
22. Your Applicant Response document
23. Details of two referees
24. Include your full name and the Requisition Number - 130315 in the footer of any documents being uploaded.
Eligibility and Specific Conditions of Employment
To be eligible to work with the NEMA you must:
25. Be an Australian Citizen
26. Fulfil the Agency’s minimum requirements by satisfactorily answering all screening questions during the application process
27. Obtain and maintain the required AGSVA clearance
28. Satisfy a probation period
29. Undergo a health assessment (if applicable).