Agency Overview

The Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar of the Federal Court, together with officers and staff identified under the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 and the Native Title Act 1993, constitute a single Statutory Agency for the purposes of the Public Service Act 1999. Employees are engaged to work in support of one or more of the following courts or tribunal:

• Federal Court of Australia,
• Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and
• National Native Title Tribunal.

Employees are covered by the Federal Court of Australia Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027.

The Federal Court and the Federal Circuit and Family Court each maintain a distinct statutory identity, with separate functions and judicial independence.

The Federal Court

The Federal Court of Australia was created by the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) as a superior court of record and a court of law and equity. It sits in all capital cities and elsewhere in Australia when necessary. The Court has jurisdiction in relation to almost all civil matters and a range of summary and indictable corporate criminal matters arising under Australian federal law. The Court deals with cases in relation to admiralty, bankruptcy, competition, consumer protection, corporations, defamation, human rights and anti-discrimination, industrial and employment, intellectual property, taxation and native title. It also judicially reviews a wide range of federal Government decisions in areas such as social security and immigration.

Position Overview

The Director Communications plays a key leadership role in developing and delivering strategic communication initiatives that enhance the Agency’s internal culture and external reputation. The role is responsible for overseeing the planning, coordination and implementation of integrated communication strategies that support organisational objectives, effectively engage stakeholders, and promote key messages to both internal and external audiences.

The position requires a senior communications professional with strong leadership capability, a deep understanding of government and media environments, and demonstrated success in influencing and managing complex communications across multiple channels. The role will also manage a high-performing team and work collaboratively across the Agency, with other government agencies, and with external partners.

About the team

The Director Communications leads a multi-disciplinary team responsible for communications, media coordination, social media, speechwriting, websites, intranets, graphic design and publishing activities. The Communications team sits within Corporate Operations and is geographically dispersed to support a national footprint of registries.

Our ideal candidate

We are looking for someone with excellent written and oral communication skills and exceptional attention to detail. Creativity and innovation and demonstrated resilience working in a high-pressure environment is also essential.

You will also have significant experience and proven success in developing and executing corporate communication strategies to support business objectives, including providing relevant strategic advice to executive leadership teams in relation to reputational, media-related and communication matters more broadly.

Key Duties

• Lead the Communications team to develop and deliver communication strategies that engage internal and external audiences and support the entity’s organisational priorities.
• Provide strategic and tactical advice on the management of strategic and communication issues affecting clients, other stakeholders, the community and within the workplace.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies and drive continuous improvement.
• Support change management programs through tailored communication initiatives.
• Foster and maintain positive relationships with internal stakeholders, partner agencies, and external organisations to enhance collaboration.
• Oversee the performance and development of team members, managing resources and budgets effectively.
• Identify and implement innovative communications solutions that improve efficiency and build organisational capacity.
• Produce the Court and Tribunal annual reports and the entity corporate plan.

Selection Criteria

The ideal candidate will have:

• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement innovative communication strategies and campaigns that influence public perception, support organisational objectives, and manage reputational risk in a government context.
• Understanding of modern communication channels, including digital, social media, and web platforms, and experience using these channels to effectively target and engage audiences.
• Proven leadership and team management experience, including the ability to inspire, motivate, and develop a team, manage performance, and foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.
• Strong ability to foster collaboration and influence senior stakeholders to achieve communication objectives.
• A commitment to innovation, with a proactive approach to identifying and implementing effective communications solutions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage, negotiate, and influence diverse internal and external stakeholders, including executive leaders, media, and external partners.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, including a demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.

Mandatory or desirable qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in communications, journalism, media, public relations, or a related field are highly desirable.
• Relevant experience in a similar role within the public or private sector, preferably with exposure to complex policy and program environments.

Eligibility

Employment with the Court is subject to the conditions prescribed in the Public Service Act 1999, and the following:

1. Australian citizenship – the successful applicant must hold Australian citizenship.
2. Security and character clearance – the successful applicant must satisfy a Police Records Check and may also be required to complete security clearances during the course of their employment.
3. Successful applicants engaged into the APS will be subject to a probation period.

Interested candidates who have received a redundancy benefit from an APS agency are welcome to apply but note that they cannot be engaged until their redundancy benefit period has expired.

Diversity and Inclusion

Federal Court Australia is committed to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce and welcomes and encourages applications from People with Disability.

First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, Mature age workers, as well as young workers and supporting an inter-generational workforce and supporting gender equity and families.

Federal Court Australia will provide reasonable adjustments for candidates to participate equitably in the recruitment process and discuss workplace adjustments to fulfil the inherent requirements of the role.

Contact Officer

For more information, please contact Jimmy Mastorakos, Executive Director, People, Culture and Communications via telephone (03) 8638 6409 or email [email protected].

How to apply

To apply, please complete the application form on the Court’s careers portal.

As part of your application, you will be required to submit a one page response outlining your suitability for this position having regards to the selection criteria and duties of the position which are described in the position description (maximum word limit 500). Please ensure this document is attached before submitting your application.

If you have any technical issues with applying, please email [email protected]

Application Close: Thursday 15 May 2025 at 11:30 pm (AEST)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.