We have multiple positions available (ongoing, full-time and part-time, based anywhere in Australia). 

We seek environmental scientists (or equivalent) with strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills to work as Airport Environment Officers (AEOs), who are regulatory officers that exercise regulatory functions under the Airports Act 1996 and the Airports (Environment Protection) Regulations 1997, monitor the implementation of Airport Environment Strategies and liaise with airport officials and their tenants on environmental issues. 

The AEO plays a central role in the environment regulatory regime at federally leased airports. AEOs are the first point of contact for environment matters at airports on behalf of the Commonwealth, and are instrumental in ensuring the effective monitoring, reduction and prevention of pollution at airport sites. They oversee the day-to-day management of environmental issues at airports to ensure the airports’ operations and developments accord with the applicable environmental regulations.

AEOs are authorised to make decisions regarding compliance with regulations and standards, undertake environmental investigations and reporting and take compliance action when there is a breach of the regulatory framework.  

The role is varied and dynamic, but key duties of the positions include: 

• Liaising with the Airport Lessee Company on environmental issues; 
• Assessing potential environmental impacts of airport development proposals; 
• Conducting site inspections and investigations; 
• Reporting and making recommendations and decisions relating to environmental management and protection of airports; 
• Monitoring compliance under the relevant legislation; and 
• Taking regulatory action when required.

Who are we looking for?  
A role in the Airports Environment Branch offers the opportunity to work on a diverse range of challenges facing the airports sector in a collegiate and collaborative workplace. Direct engagement with industry representatives is a core component of the role and offers excellent experience in collaborating with stakeholders outside government. Alongside capability development opportunities focused on your individual career goals, you will also have access to mentoring and the department’s Professional Coaching Scheme.

Flexible working arrangements are available where appropriate, including part time hours, home based work and job sharing.

To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate your ability to: 

• Under general direction, deliver high quality regulatory outcomes on environmental matters at specified leased federal airports, including undertaking investigations and analysis to provide timely and detailed written and oral advice on regulatory issues; 
• Interpret and apply legislation to take quality and timely decisions on complex issues, including exercising your regulatory powers and making regulatory decisions;
• Contribute to strong levels of regulatory compliance enforcement and reporting while engaging consistently and appropriately with risk;
• Apply critical and strategic thinking to the review of the regulations, new and existing guidelines and procedures, reports, data and stakeholder correspondence to inform ongoing policy development and decision making;
• Foster and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the sector and be a point of contact on Airport environment matters in the airport community; and 
• Undertake regular airport site visits and inspections.

Qualifications, Training, Technical and Work Experience

• Qualifications in Environmental Science or a similar environmental discipline.
• An awareness of, and familiarity with, relevant environmental management practices in relation to air, water and soil pollution and excessive noise, including sound knowledge of environmental management matters, standards and guidelines, including sediment control, stockpiling, vegetation management, dust management, noise and contamination.
• Ability to assess and monitor environmentally technical operations, reports and correspondence.
• An understanding of, or experience in, the aviation industry, environmental assessment or state and local government planning and development frameworks, is desirable but not essential. 
• Previous experience in a face to face regulatory role and an ability to develop expertise and subject-matter knowledge quickly will be highly valued.

We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.

Eligibility requirements

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

• Citizenship: To be eligible for employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts applicants must be an Australian citizen. 
• Health Assessment: The preferred applicant may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
• Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline Level.  You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information.  You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances.  More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website.

How to apply

Applications for this opportunity close at 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 14 April 2024. 

In applying for this position, you are not required to address individual selection criteria. Rather, you should provide a statement of no more than two pages outlining your background, capabilities and experiences, and how these align with the advertised role. You should also provide a CV, no more than 3 pages. The capabilities and behaviours required to be successful for this role are identified in the ‘Who are we looking for’ section.

Your application should be received through the department’s online recruitment system. Applications via Indeed will not be accepted. 

If you experience any issues with the system please contact the recruitment team on 02 6274 6161 or via email at recruitment@infrastructure.gov.au to discuss an alternative way to submit your application. 

Please advise the contact officer if you require reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. The department is committed to the accessibility of our systems. If you find accessibility limitations in our systems, please contact recruitment@infrastructure.gov.au and an alternative application format will be provided to you.

Work with us. Apply now! 

• AEO job description.pdf