APS6 - Senior Contract and Grant Program Officer, Connectivity Programs Branch

We actively seek to reflect the diversity of the Australian community in our workforce.  We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and/or who are neurodivergent, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including people of all genders and gender identities. We uphold gender equality as a core organisational value. If you’re interested in the role but feel uncertain, we still encourage you to apply if you feel your passions, transferable skills and valuable experience align with this position.

The opportunity we have available

The Mobile Programs Delivery Section delivers high-profile telco programs that improve mobile coverage and strengthen network resilience for communities across Australia. As an APS6, you will play a key role in delivering nationally significant programs that make a real difference to regional, remote and peri-urban communities. You will work on complex and rewarding issues, contribute to advice for Ministers and senior executives, engage with telecommunications providers and stakeholders, and help manage contracts, program performance and data-driven insights.

What you will do

• Contribute to the strategic delivery of major telecommunications programs, including the Mobile Black Spot Program, Peri-Urban Mobile Program and Mobile Network Hardening Program, while supporting continuous improvement across the section.


• Manage complex telecommunications program and contract activities (Telstra, Optus, TPG, Indara, Amplitel and Waveconn).


• Provide evidence-based advice on grant program delivery, risks and stakeholder issues.


• Assess and recommend milestone payments and project deliverables, exercising sound judgement to ensure compliance with funding agreements and program requirements.


• Analyse data and information to support decision-making and reporting.


• Build productive relationships with industry, government and community stakeholders.


• Prepare high-quality written material for Ministers, senior executives and stakeholders, including ministerial correspondence, briefs, submissions, responses to the Minister's Office, meeting records and public communications.

Inherent requirements for the role

The inherent requirements for this role include:

• The successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the APS level 6 Work level standards.

To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate your ability to:

• Manage complex program delivery, procurement, grant and contract management activities, exercising initiative and sound judgement to achieve outcomes within competing priorities and timeframes.


• Analyse and evaluate information from multiple sources to identify risks, issues and opportunities, and provide evidence-based advice and recommendations to support decision-making.


• Interpret and apply legislation, policies, funding agreements and administrative frameworks to manage complex issues and ensure compliance with program requirements.


• Lead discrete projects and workstreams, taking responsibility for planning, delivery, risk management and the achievement of outcomes.


• Analyse and interpret program, financial and performance data to monitor delivery, evaluate results and inform strategic and operational decisions.


• Contribute to a positive and high-performing team culture by sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.

RecruitAbility

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is committed to supporting the employment and career development of people with disability. Our participation in APS RecruitAbility means we will progress an applicant with disability to a further stage in the recruitment process, where they opt into RecruitAbility and meet the minimum requirements for the vacancy.

The RecruitAbility minimum requirements are listed above under ‘inherent requirements for the role’.

You will be asked to indicate if you wish to opt into RecruitAbility in the application form. You must tick the 'opt in' box to participate in RecruitAbility. Simply declaring that you have a disability will not automatically include you.

We provide reasonable adjustments such as access, equipment or other practical support at relevant stages of the recruitment process. Please advise in the application form or get in touch with the contact officer if you need any adjustments made.

More information can be found at RecruitAbility scheme: A guide for applicants | Australian Public Service Commission.

Desirable requirements

Qualifications or extensive practical experience in contract management, program management, grant management, financial/data analysis, infrastructure delivery is highly desirable but not mandatory.

Cultural capability requirement

The department believes every role contributes to cultural safety and that building staff cultural capability helps us deliver better policies, programs and services for First Nations people and the broader Australian community.  Candidates will be required to demonstrate their willingness to develop their cultural capability as part of the assessment process. In making it a requirement across all roles in our department, we are taking a practical step in delivering our commitments under the Our Stories on Country Agreement and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025–28.

As an APS6 you will be expected to:

• Consider the cultural context and implications of work area outcomes.


• Engage respectfully with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, building trusted relationships.


• Communicate respectfully and seeks appropriate cultural input to inform decisions.

What else can we offer?

You will work in a collaborative and supportive branch with exposure to program delivery, policy advice, contract management, stakeholder engagement and ministerial processes. The role provides practical development opportunities through hands-on delivery work, including analysing issues and risks, preparing recommendations, mentoring from experienced colleagues and taking responsibility for key work priorities as your capability grows. You will get to:

• Work on programs that directly support communities across Australia.


• Engage with telco industry, state and territory government and Australian Government stakeholders, including attending industry meetings to support program delivery and relationship management.


• Build experience preparing advice for the Executive and Government.


• Build confidence using program data, reporting tools and evidence to support advice and delivery decisions.

We are dedicated to fostering personal and professional development, empowering individuals to set goals, acquire new skills, and cultivate unique qualities that define who they are. We believe that this not only leads to a more fulfilling and happier life but also enhances the overall quality of our work. Some of the benefits we offer include:

• Through our investment in learning and development opportunities, and a positive performance culture, we provide diverse career pathways for our people to enable their mobility and adapt in a rapidly changing world.


• Flexible working opportunities.


• We offer generous leave entitlements of 20 days personal circumstances leave per year, with one month’s accrual of leave credited on commencement and 150 hours of paid annual leave (based on a full-time employee), plus a range of other miscellaneous leave options to support you.

Join our department and embark on a journey of growth, fulfillment, and well-being. Experience personal and professional development, prioritise your health, and be part of a vibrant and positive culture that empowers individuals and drives exceptional performance.

Eligibility requirements

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

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  • Citizenship: candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of submitting your application. 
  
  
  • Health Assessment: The preferred candidate may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
  
  
  • Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline Clearance Level.  You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information.  You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances.  More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website.
  
  
  • Police check: The successful candidate must complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.
  
  
  • Integrity and Performance check: The successful candidate must satisfy the requirements in an Integrity and Performance check which is completed by your most recent employer.
  
  
  
  

How to apply

Applications for this opportunity close at 11.59pm AEDT, Sunday 15 November 2026.

Prior to preparing your application for the department, please read our Artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment at the department principles. The principles aim to help you use AI in a way that supports your application and maintains fairness and transparency while maintaining your integrity as a candidate. They outline what is and isn’t acceptable use of AI in APS recruitment.

In applying for this position, you are not required to address individual selection criteria. Rather, you should provide in a PDF document a statement of no more than two pages outlining your background, capabilities and experiences and how these align with the advertised role.

You should also provide a tailored CV in PDF, no more than two pages. The capabilities and behaviours required to be successful for this role are identified in the ‘inherent requirements for the role’ section.

Your application should be received through the department’s online recruitment system prior to the closing date and time to be considered. 

If you experience any issues with the system please contact the recruitment team on 02 6136 8989 or via email at [email protected] to discuss an alternative way to submit your application.

Please advise the contact officer if you require adjustments during the recruitment process. We recognise and value diversity as our strength and promote a culture of inclusion to enhance our work performance and the wellbeing of our employees. We are committed to systems that are accessible, inclusive and safe for all. If you need any further information about accessibility and inclusion at our department, please contact [email protected].

Timeline and assessment

A selection panel will be established to assess your suitability against the advertised role.

If a merit pool is established it will be valid for 18 months from date it first appeared in the APS Gazette.

Applications open: 5 November 2026

Applications close: 15 November 2026

Application shortlisting: 17 November 2026

Further assessments: 27 November 2026

Selection report finalised: 4 December 2026

Offers and announcements: 18 December 2026

The above is indicative only, please reach out to the contact person if you have any questions on the recruitment process or timeframes.

Your application will be assessed against the inherent requirements of  the role, the Work level standards and in comparison to other candidates who applied. Once the entire applicant pool has been assessed, the panel will create a shortlist of applicants. If your application is shortlisted, you may be asked to undertake further assessment, this may include work sample testing, interviews and reference checks.

Work with us. Apply now!