Freedom of Information Officer, Integrity Group

Australian Government • Full-time • Australian Capital Territory, Australia • 2d ago

The Opportunity:

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the NIAA and contribute to the Agency’s work, which is conducted in genuine partnership to enable First Nations communities. The NIAA Legal Services Branch provides the full suite of government legal services to the NIAA.

Working under the direction of senior staff, the successful candidate will be responsible for:

monitoring the day-to-day operation of the FOI function to ensure strict statutory timeframes are met in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act), and timely and accurate advice is provided to key stakeholders and senior management
coordinating document searches with internal stakeholders to retrieve documents within FOI case management time limits
consulting with internal and external stakeholders (including other Commonwealth agencies and State and Territory Governments) on requests for documents
preparing draft administrative decisions, document schedules and redactions within FOI time limits for consideration by Agency decision makers
assisting with internal and external FOI reporting to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on quarterly and annual FOI statistical returns
contributing to projects and activities which support FOI capability and business outcomes, including maintaining internal governance documents
monitoring the NIAA’s compliance with the Information Publication Scheme (IPS) and Disclosure Log requirements under the FOI Act.

Our Ideal Candidate

Our Ideal Candidate possesses a background in Freedom of Information and is eligible to hold a restricted Australian legal practising certificate. You must be able to demonstrate some or all of the following:
continued cultural competency, including the ability to understand issues affecting, and to communicate effectively with, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
strong technical legal and analytical skills, excellent communication and collaboration skills, and experience in providing high quality legal services on government legal issues
able to assist with the supervision and development of less experienced team members to cultivate and promote the legal practice, and to maintain professional skills
strong communication skills, collaboration skills and a solution focused approach to legal services
able to undertake legal research and provide accurate, clear and concise plain English advice
build and maintain professional relationships, and consulting with internal and external stakeholders
able to respond quickly and flexibly while managing competing priorities
able to work under the general direction of senior staff while exercising a degree of independent judgement
proficient in managing workloads and statutory time frames.

What We Offer:

We have exciting work with real purpose. We support the aspirations of First Nations Peoples—it’s our driving force. Our work is transformational, you can follow your passion, shape your career and make a difference.
We value our employees —they’re the heart of our Agency. Employees are supported and empowered to build their career. We are a diverse, inclusive and passionate workforce with an emphasis on continuous cultural learning and tailored professional development.
Our work relies on strong and trusted relationships — we build partnerships by being authentic, sharing information and giving honest feedback. We collaborate with communities across Australia, all levels of government and many other invested stakeholders.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for this position you must be an Australian Citizen.
The occupant must be able to obtain and maintain a Baseline Vetting (Protected) level security clearance, or hold a current security clearance of an appropriate level.
The successful candidate will be required to be assessed through our pre-employment screening checks, such as an Australian Criminal History Check

How to apply:

If this sounds like the opportunity you are looking for, we want to hear from you! Submit an online application through the NIAA Careers Page by 11:30pm 15 September 2025 AEST