Template: Australian Government (APS)
Citizenship: Australian Citizen
Target Level: APS 6
Security Clearance: Negative Vetting Level 1 (NV1)
Reference #: 2024/3456
Professional Summary
Experienced policy professional with 6+ years in the Australian Public Service, specialising in immigration policy development, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory reform. Proven ability to lead cross-agency policy initiatives, prepare ministerial briefings, and deliver evidence-based recommendations under tight deadlines. Strong track record of collaborating with diverse stakeholders including state and territory governments, industry bodies, and community organisations.
Key Selection Criteria
1. Demonstrated experience in policy development and analysis within a government context
In my current role as Policy Officer at the Department of Home Affairs, I lead the development of policy proposals for the skilled migration programme, managing the end-to-end policy lifecycle from research and consultation through to ministerial approval. I authored the discussion paper for the 2024 Skilled Occupation List review, conducting quantitative analysis of labour market data from the ABS and Department of Employment to identify occupations experiencing genuine shortages. This work directly informed the Minister's decision to add 12 occupations to the list, addressing critical workforce gaps in healthcare and technology sectors.
Previously at the Department of Education, I developed the policy framework for the Regional University Study Hubs initiative, coordinating with 8 state and territory education departments and 23 regional universities. The framework I designed was adopted nationally and has supported over 4,500 regional students in accessing higher education since its launch.
2. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare ministerial correspondence and briefings
I prepare an average of 15 ministerial briefings per quarter, including Question Time Briefs (QTBs), Senate Estimates briefing packs, and submissions to Cabinet committees. My briefings consistently receive positive feedback from the Minister's office for their clarity, evidence base, and actionable recommendations.
I drafted the departmental submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration's inquiry into skilled migration, which was cited 6 times in the Committee's final report. I also represent the branch at inter-departmental committee meetings, presenting complex policy positions to SES-level officers from Treasury, PM&C, and the Department of Employment.
3. Ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
I chair the quarterly Skilled Migration Stakeholder Roundtable, bringing together representatives from peak industry bodies (ACCI, Ai Group, BCA), professional associations (Engineers Australia, AMA), and state government migration offices. Through this forum, I established a streamlined consultation process that reduced policy consultation timelines from 12 weeks to 8 weeks while improving the quality of stakeholder submissions.
Internally, I work closely with the visa processing, compliance, and legal teams to ensure policy proposals are operationally feasible. I established a regular cross-branch working group that has resolved 23 implementation issues before they reached production, saving an estimated 450 staff hours in rework.
4. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and deliver outcomes under pressure
During the 2023 migration programme planning cycle, I simultaneously managed three high-priority deliverables: the annual Migration Programme report (ministerial deadline), policy costings for MYEFO submissions (Treasury deadline), and a rapid policy response to the High Court's NZYQ decision. I developed a structured project plan, delegated research tasks to two APS 4 team members, and maintained daily progress updates to my Director.
All three deliverables were completed on time — the Migration Programme report was delivered 2 days ahead of the ministerial deadline, and the NZYQ policy response was developed and approved within 72 hours, contributing to the government's legislative response package.
Employment History
Policy Officer (APS 6)February 2022 – Present
Department of Home Affairs | Canberra, ACT
- • Lead policy development for skilled migration programme settings, managing the annual review of the Skilled Occupation List and developing recommendations adopted by the Minister affecting 45,000+ visa applications annually.
- • Prepare ministerial briefings, Question Time Briefs, and Senate Estimates materials for the Immigration portfolio, averaging 15 briefings per quarter with consistent positive feedback from the Minister's office.
- • Chair quarterly Skilled Migration Stakeholder Roundtable with 20+ external stakeholders from peak industry bodies, professional associations, and state government migration offices.
- • Coordinate cross-branch policy working groups resolving implementation issues, reducing rework by an estimated 450 staff hours annually through early identification of operational constraints.
- • Drafted departmental submission to Joint Standing Committee on Migration inquiry, cited 6 times in the Committee's final report and contributing to 3 of 12 recommendations adopted by government.
Policy Officer (APS 5)March 2019 – January 2022
Department of Education | Canberra, ACT
- • Developed the policy framework for the Regional University Study Hubs initiative, coordinating with 8 state and territory education departments and 23 regional universities, resulting in a nationally adopted framework supporting 4,500+ regional students.
- • Conducted quantitative analysis of higher education enrolment data to identify equity gaps in regional access, producing evidence briefs that informed $50M in targeted funding allocations.
- • Managed stakeholder consultations for the Higher Education Support Act review, synthesising 180+ submissions into a comprehensive analysis paper for the Deputy Secretary.
- • Represented the branch at inter-departmental committee meetings with PM&C, Treasury, and the Department of Social Services on education funding policy.
Research Officer (APS 4)January 2018 – February 2019
Australian Bureau of Statistics | Canberra, ACT
- • Conducted statistical analysis of labour force survey data, producing monthly reports on employment trends for internal and external stakeholders.
- • Contributed to the development of new survey methodologies for measuring underemployment in regional areas, improving data accuracy by 15%.
- • Prepared data visualisations and briefing materials for senior executives on key labour market indicators.
Education & Qualifications
Australian National University — Master of Public Policy
2017University of Melbourne — Bachelor of Arts (Honours) — Political Science
2015Skills & Competencies
Policy & Analysis: Policy Development, Regulatory Impact Analysis, Evidence-Based Policy, Stakeholder Consultation, Ministerial Briefings, Senate Estimates Preparation
Technical: Microsoft 365, SharePoint, TRIM/Content Manager, Power BI, SAS, ABS TableBuilder
Communication: Plain English Writing, Ministerial Correspondence, Committee Submissions, Public Consultation, Cross-Agency Coordination
Certifications & Training
- • Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management — UNSW Canberra
- • APS Data Analytics Foundation Certificate
- • Machinery of Government — APSC
- • Writing for Government — Department of Finance
Referees
Available upon request.
