Assistant Director External Affairs

The Opportunity

Are you a highly skilled external affairs professional with extensive leadership experience in a public sector agency? Do communication strategies, stakeholder engagement and media management excite you?

The APVMA’s Office of the Executive General Counsel program is seeking applications for an Assistant Director External Affairs to join our Communications team.  

Located in either Canberra ACT or regional Armidale NSW, you will gain experience in the Australian Public Service, have access to a variety of flexible working arrangements, and drive the APVMA’s strategic external communications, stakeholder engagement and media management function to support the agency to work collaboratively in achieving its purpose.

The Role

The Communications team is responsible for promoting the APVMA through brand management, media, stakeholder engagement, publications and website publishing, to build and reinforce the APVMA’s reputation as a global leader of agricultural and veterinary chemical regulation.

Reporting to the Director Engagement and Communications, the Assistant Director External Affairs will drive the agency’s strategic external communications, stakeholder engagement and media management function to support the APVMA to work collaboratively in achieving its purpose. The focus of this role will be the strategic positioning of external communication, including proactive media, revitalising the voice of the agency and working closely with stakeholders.

The Assistant Director will respond to complex and sensitive media enquiries, handling multiple issues daily, as well as planning for future media interactions and stakeholder engagement on key decisions and agency priorities.

This position requires an understanding of or the capacity to rapidly acquire familiarity with the APVMA’s operating environment, and the ability and passion to share the stories and science behind how we protect the health of people, animals and the environment, and support primary industries, biosecurity, and trade.

Our ideal candidate

To be a strong contender for the role, you will have:

1. Relevant tertiary qualifications in communications, media or a closely related discipline.
2. Extensive experience managing media protocols and highly sensitive issues, preparing Ministerial briefings, and providing advice to senior public sector leaders.
3. Experience developing and implementing stakeholder engagement plans.
4. An understanding of, or the ability to rapidly acquire an understanding of, the agricultural and veterinary sectors and their regulation and maintain an in-depth knowledge of relevant stakeholders and their expectations.
5. Experience communicating complex scientific matters clearly and accurately.
6. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, remain flexible and proactive in a fast-paced environment and deliver strategic outcomes under pressure.
7. Highly developed interpersonal, communication and networking skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships and contribute positively to a team environment.
8. Experience in a regulatory environment (desirable).
9. Familiarity with the agricultural, veterinary or related sectors (desirable).

For more information, go to our careers page.

Want to know more?

At the APVMA, we value your skills and potential. We provide a collaborative and growth-oriented environment where your contributions are recognised and appreciated.

If the prospect of working for a world-class regulator sounds like you and you're ready to take the next step in your career, apply for this position today! Applications close on 27 September 2026.

For further information on the position, please contact Kilifoti Eteuati, Executive General Counsel on 02 •••• •470 or ••••@apvma.gov.au.

We look forward to receiving your application and exploring the possibility of welcoming you to our team!

Please note that this role is being advertised as either ongoing or non-ongoing. If an offer of non-ongoing employment is made, the successful applicant could be employed for an initial period of up to 12 months, which may be extended in accordance with subsection 333E (1) of the Fair Work Act 2009.