Did you know?

The mission of the Australian Federal Police is to provide dynamic and effective law enforcement to the people of Australia. It provides policing throughout Australia in relation to the prevention and detection of crimes against the Commonwealth, its laws and integrity, and community police services to the Community of the ACT.

Working for the AFP provides you with a diverse and rewarding career. Whether you immerse yourself in a position on the frontline, or provide critical operational or professional support, the work you do makes a big impact on the people of Australia.

We recognise your contribution to our workforce and offer generous remuneration and conditions including:

• Six weeks (30 days) of paid annual leave per year + additional paid Christmas stand down
• 4 extra days of mandatory rest leave per year
• 18 days of paid personal leave per year
• Generous superannuation of 15.4%
• 18 weeks paid Parental Leave for Primary Caregiver (and 11 weeks for Secondary Caregiver) + additional unpaid leave entitlements for up until 24 months from the child’s date of birth or placement
• Generous salaries and incremental salary progression governed by the AFP Enterprise Agreement
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangement that provides work/life balance
• Health & wellbeing services – with a focus on early intervention, education and prevention
• Access to ongoing training and professional development opportunities

What is the role?

Are you a highly motivated, qualified and experienced Media Team Leader who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment? If so, this role might be for you.

Do you want to work in a team which manages the reputation of the agency, promotes the outstanding work of our police officers and manages relationships with the domestic and international media?

The AFP is looking for highly motivated people to work within the Media and Communications portfolio as a Media Team Leader. You will work in partnership with the Home Affairs Portfolio and other Commonwealth and jurisdictional stakeholders to develop and deliver tailored high quality media and communications materials.

As a Team Leader in the AFP you play an important role in developing people, managing change and influencing behaviours that lead to a supportive culture that respects the perspectives, talents and value of each individual. You will need to lead a team, manage human and financial resources, possess highly developed prioritisation skills and balance multiple task requirements to influence the team in delivering timely and accurate information via media channels. Interstate and overseas travel may be required to support some media activities.

This role attracts a composite allowance in recognition of expanded working hours, normal patterns of attendance and shift patterns (such as afternoon shifts, weekends and Designated Public Holidays) that are required under the Operations working pattern. In accordance with the AFP Enterprise Agreement, an employee who is required to work in accordance with the Operations working pattern will receive a Core Composite of 22% in addition to their base salary, which will count as salary for superannuation. The Commissioner has the authority to remove a composite from a role.

What will you do?

The role is suited for highly motivated individuals who have worked in fast paced environments, delivering high quality outputs within rigid timeframes. You will help manage and mentor staff to deliver the AFP’s core objectives through strategic and tailored media and communication strategies.

The role of Media Team Leaders offers valuable exposure to the breadth of work across the AFP and its strategic position within the Australian Government and the global law enforcement landscape.

The team operates out of Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. You will work independently with business areas to establish communication priorities in support of the AFP’s strategic and operational needs. Your advice will be timely and accurate, and deliver outcomes within tight deadlines and under pressure. Your skills should include being able to create and manage media strategies which help build the AFP’s brand and align with the corporate vision.

To succeed in this role you will:

• Help manage competing and often urgent priorities; remaining flexible and calm under pressure in a dynamic environment to deliver best-practice media outcomes.
• Manage and mentor staff on complex media matters and responses, develop innovative media plans and broader strategies, which will deliver maximum impact for the organisation and its brand.
• Directly engage with journalists to deliver media interviews and events; oversee the preparation of proactive media opportunities and reactive media responses.
• Foster effective working relationships with Minister’s offices, AFP senior leaders, other Commonwealth partner agencies and state and territory police forces.
• Understand the current media and political landscape and devote time to seeking ways to adapt organisational messaging to be more effective, engaging, influencing and persuasive.
• Possess highly developed written and oral communication skills, tested during external and internal stakeholder meetings, delivering presentations, facilitating discussions with numerous parties and interviews with journalists and providing mentoring to AFP staff to achieve the same.
• Demonstrate good judgement, integrity and discretion in a demanding environment when dealing with confidential and sensitive operational business matters.
• Create a positive team culture based on respect and tolerance, which encourages diversity of ideas and be responsible for building and encouraging individual capabilities of team members within a collaborative environment.
• Set clear expectations of an ethical and professional behaviour.
• Display initiative, courage and resilience in addressing challenging issues.
• Ability to work to a roster and be flexible to work out-of-hours, including weekend work - this role operates under the Operations working pattern.

Essential Requirements

• Negative Vetting 1 (Secret) security clearance or the ability to obtain one
• Tertiary qualifications in journalism, public relations/media or equivalent high-level experience in industry roles.
• Professional written and oral communication skills.
• Australian citizenship at the time of application.

Desirable Requirements

• Formal qualification/s (Bachelor degree minimum) in Journalism, communications, multimedia production or more than 10 years’ experience within these industries.
• Experience in law enforcement, political process and the workings of the media.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

At the AFP we value the different perspectives, approaches and lived experiences of our people, and recognise that our collective intelligence and diversity is what makes us stronger. As such, we encourage applications from people from all walks of life, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, First Nations people, women, the LGBTQIA+ community and people with disability.

Contacts and Closing Information

Contact Officer: Lisa Chant,

Contact Officer Phone: 02 5126 7321,​

Contact Officer Email: [email protected]

Applications Close: 11:59pm (AEST) 26/06/2025