About us

DHA was established in 1988 following passage of the Defence Housing Australia Act 1987 (DHA Act) to provide adequate and suitable housing for, and housing related services to, members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and their families. We remain committed to our purpose of providing housing, and housing related services, to ADF members and their families to support Defence’s operational needs.

DHA manages an expanding portfolio of housing solutions and provides housing for over 17,200 ADF members and their families and administers rent allowance for more than 16,000 ADF members and their families in private rental accommodation. DHA provides housing related services advising on eligibility, providing posting support, and managing bookings and allocation services for all DHA provisioned housing and on-base accommodation to approximately 60,000 ADF members.

To find out more about DHA, please refer to DHA.gov.au or read our latest Annual Report.

About your team

DHA reports to two shareholder Ministers, the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Finance, and has a Board of Directors appointed by the Government. The Board is responsible for ensuring good corporate governance, determining and approving corporate strategy and providing guidance and oversight to senior management.

DHA’s Managing Director (MD) oversees the operation of DHA and supports strategic direction and governance ensuring we fulfill our role in accordance with the Defence Housing Australia Act.

About the role

The Executive Assistant to the Managing Director has responsibility for providing comprehensive administrative and executive support to the Managing Director Officer and demonstrate leadership and collaborative working across the executive support team.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced executive assistant to provide high-level administrative support to the Managing Director (MD) and broader Defence Housing Australia leadership team. In this role, you will work under limited supervision to anticipate and manage the requirements of the MD, supporting the organisation in meeting its strategic and operational objectives. You will actively assist with managing the MD’s time effectively, including organising complex schedules, calendar items, coordination of travel as well as be responsible for a range of operational tasks.

This position would suit an experienced professional and reliable self-starter who possesses a high level of integrity and a proven track record of working well as a member of an Executive Support team. This position requires a person that is organised, adaptable to change, possesses the ability to prioritise and multi-task, displays a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to liaise with important stakeholders including the Ministers offices, Portfolio Executive, Senior Executive Service (SES) from the wider Australian Public Service (APS), and stakeholder groups.

This is an ongoing engagement.

Benefits for working at DHA include:

• 15.4% superannuation
• Generous leave entitlements, including 18 days personal leave and 20 days annual leave per year
• Work-life balance and flexible working options
• A positive workplace culture where you can bring your whole self to work
• Opportunities to broaden your industry knowledge and experience
• Career progression and opportunities
• ADF partner employment conditions when posting to a new location

For information on DHA’s Employee Value Proposition, visit our website.

How to apply

To apply, click the Apply Now button below with your current resume and a 500-word pitch, addressing the requirements of the role.

For more information about the role, click View Candidate Information Pack through the online careers site.

Applications close: 11:55pm AEST Sunday 13 July 2025. Any questions? Please contact Kaela Kirk, Executive Officer to the Managing Director T: 02 6270 6055 E: [email protected]

Order of Merit
A merit pool will be established from this process which will be valid for 18 months from the date of advertising. This merit pool may be used throughout this period to fill similar positions in the event positions become vacant.

Inclusion and Diversity

DHA is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. We welcome applications from across our community including, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTIQ+, ex-defence members, mature aged employees and carers.

RecruitAbility

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme; declare you have a disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the job. For more information visit: https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability

Eligibility

Employment with DHA is conditional on successful applicants demonstrating that they are an Australian citizen and can obtain and maintain a security clearance at the required level.