The Role

Are you looking for an environmental management role where you can play a key part in supporting the delivery of Australia’s national Defence priorities?

The Department of Defence is currently looking for highly capable senior environmental management professionals to lead Environment & Sustainability Teams across the country and provide effective advice and support to local Defence outcomes and activities.

This is a leadership role with a strong focus on stakeholder engagement and partnering whilst having a level of technical expertise in broad environmental management. In this role you will undertake and contribute to complex environmental management work that helps ensure Defence activities are managed, sustainable and compliant. You will collaborate with a variety of teams and stakeholders including military and industry partners.

The role operates within a dynamic and fast-paced workplace on a wide variety of issues and outcomes, and is key in leading the local implementation of Defence policies, plans and initiatives. The role covers diverse issues including contamination, heritage, biodiversity, biosecurity, sustainability, and environmental assessments and approvals.

In this role you will have access to unique work, sites and experiences that are not commonly found within other environmental roles or industry sectors. This role will also provide the ability to diversify, develop and expand your professional environmental management knowledge, skill set and experience. Whilst primarily office-based, this role includes occasional on-site work and travel to non-metropolitan regional and remote Defence operational sites. Roles are located in all states and territories and work from a major Defence base to support multiple sites. Current vacancies exist in Darwin and Brisbane. A merit list for future vacancies in other locations across the Defence Estate will be created.

If you are someone who enjoys working within a dynamic and fast-paced workplace on a wide variety of issues and outcomes, has proven experience in team leadership, and wants to contribute to environmental management outcomes at an operational level we would love to hear from you.

About our Team

As the largest Commonwealth landowner, the Department of Defence operates across many sites with nationally significant environment and heritage values. To support Defence with its environmental and heritage management obligations a network of local environment and sustainability teams are located across Australia.

The teams provide environmental management outcomes to internal and external stakeholders in support of Defence outcomes, activities and sites. Their work directly contributes to Australian Government initiatives and commitments including action on climate change and biodiversity.

The teams work across all aspects of environmental management including environmental assessments and approvals, pollution prevention, heritage, biodiversity and sustainability. The teams are made up of a diverse and skilled workforce who work together to achieve Defence outcomes.

The team works within a broader environment and sustainability group responsible for Defence environment and engineering policies. You will have exposure to the development of policy and the opportunity to contribute to improvements.

Our Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a dynamic and fast-paced workplace on a wide variety of issues with the following characteristics:

• Experience in complex and operational environmental management, providing advice and making decision. Knowledge across environment, heritage and sustainability related disciplines.
• Experience in interpreting legislation and policy to provide advice and make decisions.
• Experience in working and collaborating as part of a leadership team and managing team work priorities and outcomes.
• An ability to manage multiple issues with effective time management and prioritisation.
• An excellent communicator focused on positive and effective relationships across diverse stakeholders to generate results.
• An excellent collaborator, who can work across a geographically dispersed team to deliver Defence environmental management outcomes and build team knowledge.
• A motivated and collaborative leader who contributes to a positive organisational and team culture, who shares their knowledge and innovative ideas with others to help problem solve and generate results.

Application Closing Date: 11:30pm Thursday 18 June 2026

For further information please review the job information pack, reference SEG/02109/26 on https://defencecareers.nga.net.au/?jati=8EE8712C-6753-9223-45B5-ECF14C5289B7