About the branch
The Learning and Communications Branch is responsible for providing a broad range of learning and development advice and services to the clients of the PWSS, Parliamentarians and Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MoPS Act) Employees. It also supports the important work of the PWSS by providing communications, media and data services. It directly supports the strategic functions of PWSS and is the conduit between external stakeholders, the PWSS Advisory Board and PWSS staff to inform organisational goals and strategic achievements.
About the team
The Strategic Unit is a small section responsible for delivering a broad range of strategic advice to the Senior Executive, overseeing enterprise risk, and providing secretariat support to the agency’s committees and boards. The section also coordinates performance and accountability documentation and reporting for the agency including the corporate plan and annual report.
The team is flexible to meet the needs of the Executive and Chairs. We have attention to detail and ensure quality and consistency. We communicate in simple and clear language and use visual methods to make complex concepts understandable. We think big—across the agency, across our clients, across other parliamentary service departments—considering risks, opportunities and challenges.
About the role
The role is multifaceted, providing strategic and secretariat support for the agency. You will be responsible for supporting the agency’s legislated Advisory Board and Consultative Committee, as well as other governance bodies. You will collaborate closely with other teams to stay abreast of agency priorities, and track progress in meeting goals and implementing external review recommendations accepted by government. You will draft content for the Corporate Plan and Annual Report and facilitate publication of these documents. You will assist with the management of whole-of-agency projects as required. The position requires strong collaboration skills, the ability to conceptualise the bigger picture of the agency and how to help it meet its goals, and the capacity to multi-task.
The key duties of the position include:
* Providing technical and administrative support for the PWSS Advisory Board, PWSS Consultative Committee, Work Health and Safety Committee and Audit and Risk Committee.
* Assisting with the annual coordination of the agency’s Corporate Plan and Annual Report.
* Preparing and maintaining agency business planning.
* Providing quarterly performance reporting to the Senior Executive on meeting business plan objectives, agency progress on implementation of recommendations made by external reviews (e.g. Set the Standard Report, Louder than Words, Independent Review of Resourcing in Parliamentarian Offices).
* Assisting with managing agency risk including regular reviews of strategic risk, and biennial operational risk reviews.
* Assisting with the coordination of whole-of-agency projects as required (e.g. election planning in the lead up to federal elections).
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.
* Candidates must be independent, impartial, and apolitical, and must be seen as such. A private interest disclosure form must be completed prior to an offer being made to disclose any material personal interests that may or may appear to influence a candidate’s ability to discharge their responsibilities as an APS employee.
* Successful applicants will be required to undergo the process to obtain and maintain or continue to hold the required security clearance level for the role as indicated. All PWSS staff are required to have a minimum baseline security clearance prior to commencement.
* Successful applicants will be required to undergo a mandatory National Co-ordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC).
* The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service is committed to building an inclusive and culturally diverse workforce. We welcome applications from across our community including, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTIQ+, mature aged employees and carers.
* Candidates with experience managing boards, committees, and coordinating corporate planning and annual report activities will be highly regarded.
Getting to know the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS)
The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) is a team of trusted advisors helping to build and maintain a safe, respectful, and inclusive parliamentary workplace through human resources advice, training and professional development, work, health and safety advice and trauma-informed complaint resolution and counselling. In addition, the PWSS provides 24 hour independent and confidential support services, for all Commonwealth parliamentary workplace participants.