Applications for this position close 11:30pm AEST, Sunday 7 June 2026
We are recruiting for APS 5 Nuclear Security Officer and APS 6 Senior Nuclear Security Officer roles that that contribute to Australia’s national security, international reputation, and global non-proliferation. You will champion Australia’s international nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation obligations and ensure domestic regulatory oversight is robust, credible and independent in upholding Australia's nuclear non-proliferation treaty obligations.
Nuclear security is concerned with the protection of nuclear facilities, nuclear material and associated items against unauthorised access, removal and sabotage. This includes the application of physical protection measures for the transport of Australian uranium and Australian Obligated Nuclear Material (AONM) overseas.
You will contribute to the development, implementation and oversight of nuclear security arrangements in Australia and support Australia’s nuclear security engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other domestic and international partners.
You will work within specialist teams on a combination of both planned activities (such as inspections and reporting)
and responding to emerging issues or international developments. Inspection activity will require you to travel to
locations across Australia as part of an inspection team, including to remote regional locations. You will undertake detailed reporting work that requires an attention to detail to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Our APS 5 and APS 6 safeguards roles differ in level of responsibility and independence, but both play an important role in ensuring nuclear security decisions and activities are accurate, timely and well-informed. ASNO undertakes comprehensive training to provide you with the skills and knowledge to do your role.
These roles help ensure Australia meets its legal and treaty obligations while adapting to new technologies, facilities and international expectations.
What you might work on:
• Preparing clear written material (such as emails, briefs, submissions and talking points) explain nuclear security, including cyber and threat requirements in clear, practical terms to support decision-makers
• Coordinating or supporting inspections, regulatory actions or compliance activities.
• Drafting or reviewing permit conditions under Australian legislation and in accordance with IAEA requirement
• Recording actions and decisions from meetings
• Supporting Australia’s engagement with the IAEA, international partners and across government
APS 5 and APS 6 roles differ in level of responsibility and independence, but both are critical to ensuring nuclear security decisions are appropriate, timely and defensible. Together, these roles help ensure Australia meets its legal and treaty obligations while adapting to new technologies, facilities and international expectations.
You will be able to:
• Balance routine work with responding to emerging priorities
• Work with colleagues to plan, review and deliver nuclear security activities.
• Engage regularly with permit holders, internal stakeholders, other government agencies and international counterparts.
• Support or represent ASNO at meetings, workshops or technical forums.
• Prepare material for ministerial briefs, Senate Estimates or other parliamentary processes.
The working environment is open-plan. Due to the nature of the work and security requirements, full-time remote working is not available for these positions. In certain circumstances, flexible arrangements may be possible for some roles, subject to operational and security requirements.
Our ideal candidates
At ASNO, we value people who are motivated by purpose, comfortable in a highly specialised environment, and bring curiosity to complex and evolving challenges. ASNO is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and high-performing workplace. We recognise the value of diverse skills, backgrounds and perspectives, and support our staff through targeted training and education to ensure they have the skills and knowledge required to perform their roles effectively.
Nuclear Security Officer – APS 5:
You will be able to demonstrate a combination of the following highly desirable and desirable skills, qualities and experiences. The more highly desirable skills you can address, the more competitive your application will be.
Highly desirable capabilities:
• Demonstrated experience supporting policy, regulatory, inspection or compliance activities, including researching issues, compiling information and contributing to written products under guidance.
• Ability to prepare clear, accurate emails, briefs or records for defined audiences and explain technical or procedural information in plain language.
• Ability to manage allocated tasks, meet set deadlines and follow established procedures in a structured regulatory or government environment.
• Demonstrates care when handling sensitive or classified information and understands when to seek guidance or escalate issues.
• Exposure to nuclear safeguards, nuclear security, cyber security, national security, non-proliferation, verification, inspections or a related regulatory or security field.
• Experience supporting international engagement, compliance activities or program administration.
Nuclear Security Senior Officer – APS 6:
You will be able to demonstrate a combination of the following highly desirable and desirable skills, qualities and experiences. The more highly desirable skills you can address, the more competitive your application will be.
Highly desirable capabilities:
• Demonstrated experience coordinating defined nuclear security and safeguards, regulatory, inspection or policy workstreams, including managing inputs and providing advice with limited supervision.
• Ability to analyse, with attention to detail, complex or technical information, assess risks and implications, and provide clear, defensible advice to senior officers.
• Experience working with internal stakeholders, other government agencies or international partners to progress complex or sensitive issues.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks or workstreams, balance planned work with emerging requirements and deliver quality outcomes within agreed timeframes. Desirable capabilities
• Experience working in or alongside a nuclear security, cyber security, national security organisation or regulator.
• Experience supporting or coordinating inspections, investigations, enforcement actions or international negotiations.
• Experience contributing to technical programs related to safeguards, nuclear security, cyber security, national security, verification or governance.
All employees of the department are expected to abide by the APS Values and Code of Conduct and the DFAT Values Statement.
The key duties of the position include:
Your duties and responsibilities will be aligned to the relevant APS Work Level Standards.
Nuclear Security Officer – APS 5:
Your key duties may include:
• Assist with cyber security or threat‑related regulatory assessments, inspections and compliance activities for nuclear security.
• Assist with supporting investigations into potential non-compliance or incidents and preparing records or preliminary analysis.
• Support the administration of nuclear security regulatory processes under guidance.
• Support the development and implementation of nuclear security training activities under guidance.
• Support the development and administration of permits under Australian legislation, including compiling information and assisting with assessments.
• Undertake analysis to inform regulatory, policy or operational nuclear security work.
• Support stakeholder engagement and outreach, including maintaining records, assisting with meetings and contributing to whole-of-government coordination.
• Support engagement with regulated entities, other government agencies and international partners.
• Prepare technical briefing material and written products (such as briefs, talking points or correspondence) relating to nuclear security policy, inspections, non-compliance or international engagement.
• Prepare clear records, briefing material, correspondence and input to regulatory documentation.
• Handle sensitive and classified information in accordance with policy and security requirements.
Senior Nuclear Security Officer – APS 6:
Your key duties may include:
• Plan and support cyber security or threat‑related regulatory assessments, inspections and compliance activities for nuclear security.
• Plan and support nuclear security training activities
• Coordinate defined nuclear security work relating to cyber security or threats.
• Develop and coordinate technical advice, briefings and negotiation resources on nuclear security measures and verification arrangements.
• Analyse complex technical or security information and provide specialist advice to executive level officers.
• Manage stakeholder relationships and contribute to international engagement activities.
• Contribute to improving regulatory frameworks, procedures and capability.
• Undertake regulatory assessments and actions in response to non-compliance, including managing investigations into incidents, breaches or violations under ASNO legislation.
• Plan and conduct domestic inspections and facilitate IAEA inspections, providing technical input, coordinating stakeholders and preparing inspection outcomes.
• Apply nuclear security, cyber security or national security / threats expertise and technical analysis to inform regulatory decisions, policy development and whole-of-government advice.
• Engage with international partners and intergovernmental organisations to support nuclear security cooperation and implementation.
• Contribute to capability building and knowledge sharing, maintaining awareness of international nuclear security, cyber security and threats technologies, verification methods and emerging practice
Eligibility
Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS) unless the Agency Head has agreed otherwise, in writing