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?

Applications are sought from suitably qualified applicants wishing to be considered for the role of Physiotherapist – Shield. Shield provides health and wellbeing services to AFP members. You will be working within a team of experienced and passionate clinicians, health and safety advisors, and case managers, where you can use your expertise to improve the health, fitness, and operational readiness of your colleagues.

The Physiotherapist role in Shield focuses on empowering AFP members to take an active role in their recovery, health, and performance through exercise, load management, and functional movement-based interventions.

The Shield Physiotherapist will act in an advisory and consultancy capacity, assisting members to prevent and recover from injury, manage pain, and improve physical capacity. The role contributes to embedding a culture of prevention, capability, and self-management across the workforce, with a focus on physical exercise, preparation, recovery, healthy eating, and fatigue management in the law enforcement context.

What will you do?

Duties of the role include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborating with exercise physiologists and health & fitness advisors to improve employee health, fitness, and physical capability.
• Conducting functional and musculoskeletal assessments to inform operational readiness, injury prevention, and return-to-duty planning.
• Designing and monitoring evidence-based treatment and rehabilitation plans with an emphasis on exercise and progressive load, based
• Facilitating individual and group-based education and movement sessions to uplift health literacy across the AFP.
• Providing advice and support on physical preparation, recovery strategies, sleep, and fatigue management relevant to law enforcement demands.
• Offering guidance on healthy eating and nutrition practices to complement dietetic services and reinforce sustainable lifestyle behaviours.
• Liaising with multidisciplinary teams, including healthcare professionals, rehab case managers, and WHS advisors, to provide holistic and integrated care.
• Contributing to programs and initiatives that enhance musculoskeletal health, reduce preventable injury, and promote sustainable performance across the AFP population.
• Collecting and interpreting health and performance data to provide evidence-based recommendations that inform AFP policy and human performance strategies.
• Preparing technical reports, briefs, and presentations for key stakeholders.
• Providing scope-specific input to SHIELD’s early intervention, preventative health, and workforce capability-building programs.
• Supporting SHIELD’s broader efforts to embed a culture of health, safety, and performance within the AFP.
• Referring clients appropriately to external medical or allied health practitioners as required.

Essential Requirements

• Must be an Australian citizen at the time of application.
• Must hold, or have the ability to obtain, an NV1 Negative Vetting Level 1 Security Clearance.
• A degree in Physiotherapy and current unrestricted registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Minimum of five years postgraduate contemporary experience as a Physiotherapist.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver safe, effective, and evidence-based physiotherapy interventions, with an emphasis on exercise, load, and movement-based practice.
• Ability to apply manual therapy appropriately within an active, prevention-first treatment philosophy.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development to maintain currency and subject matter expertise.
• Ability to quickly establish effective and authentic rapport with AFP members.
• High-level emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, and a collaborative team approach.
• Strong administration, record-keeping, and digital literacy skills.

Desirable Requirements

• A current valid Australian driver’s licence.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary team within a large organisational setting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and digital health platforms.
• Ability to undertake domestic travel if required.
• Postgraduate qualifications or specialist certifications relevant to human performance, rehabilitation, or occupational health.
• Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) accreditation (Level 1, Level 2, TOPA) or equivalent experience
• Experience in organisational or population-level health and wellbeing programs (e.g., workplace health promotion, tactical performance, injury prevention, or behavioural health literacy initiatives).

Additional Notes

• This role is an AFP Band 7 Level.
• This role is non-ongoing for a period of 12 months with the possibility of a 12 month extension. However, a merit pool will be established for both ongoing and non-ongoing roles.
• This role is located in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, applicants are expected to be based in these areas.

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.

Contact Officer: Brett Sparnon,

Contact Officer Phone: 02 5126 1356,​

Contact Officer Email: [email protected]