The role

Responsibilities of the CLO at the APS 5 level may include:

• Coordinating stakeholder engagement to task, monitor and track the status of upcoming Cabinet business, ensuring timely updates and proactive issue management.
• Preparing accurate and timely daily reports on Cabinet activity for the department’s Executive, supporting informed decision-making at senior levels.
• Managing the secure circulation of Cabinet material through the CabNet+ system, applying the need-to-know principle and maintaining strict confidentiality standards.
• Producing hard copy Cabinet material as needed and in line with security requirements, and supporting regular stocktaking of active material. 
• Providing initial support and troubleshooting of the CabNet+ system for departmental users.
• Actioning periodic reporting on portfolio appointments to meet parliamentary and other obligations. 
• Mailbox management, triaging and escalation.
• Working flexibly across section functions; contributing to broader priorities and ensuring critical tasks and objectives are delivered.

Note: The position involves periodic after-hours responsibilities, shared across the team via an on-call roster. These duties are compensated through a combination of restriction allowance, flex credits, and overtime pay, as applicable.

Job description

Reporting to the Assistant Director, the Cabinet Liaison Officer (CLO) operates with initiative and judgement to facilitate DEWR’s engagement with policy development and feedback processes leading to consideration by Australia’s chief decision-making body – the federal Cabinet. 

This is a dynamic role with an emphasis on developing and maintaining strong relationships with essential internal and external stakeholders, including staff from across the department, our ministers’ offices and counterpart CLOs across the APS.

Eligibility requirements

Please note, under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the APS unless the Agency delegate has agreed, in writing.

This is a designated security assessed position. The successful candidate will have the ability to obtain and maintain a Negative Vetting 1 security clearance. 

This selection process may be used to establish a merit pool. The pool might be accessed to fill ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies for similar roles in the Department over the next 18 months.

About the agency

We are the department that helps job seeking Australians find safe, secure, and well-paid work while we ourselves strive to be a model employer. We provide the framework for fair and productive relationships between employers and employees. We also oversee skills development and training initiatives to support those entering the workforce or retraining to take advantage of emerging employment opportunities. Secure jobs are vital—driving future economic growth and providing people with the certainty. We focus on connecting Australians who are starting, advancing or changing their career with the relevant skills, knowledge and experience to gain or regain employment. Our work directly contributes to shaping the employment landscape. It is our unique purpose to help people realise their potential and we want you to be part of it. Underpinning our important work is our focus on culture. We recognise that how we do things is equally important as what we achieve. Our workplace is one where different perspective are encouraged, people feel a sense of belonging and draw on the expertise of their peers. Our people demonstrate the APS Values, which includes being open, thoughtful, curious and candid. We also value employee wellbeing and developing leadership through investment in capability.