Successful application
The preferred applicant for an Australian Public Service (APS) job at Defence will be subject to some engagement/employment conditions, which means they must meet particular requirements to be appointed to the job. These requirements may include some or all of the following:
- Australian citizenship status
- security clearance
- health clearance
- character clearance (including a previous employer check).
The preferred applicant must also provide appropriate identification documents, and will be subject to a period of probation (generally 6 months).
Security clearance
All Defence employees must have a security clearance.
A security clearance involves pre-employment and background checks that allow Defence to determine an applicants suitability to access national security and sensitive information, and their ability to commit to the required protective security responsibilities and obligations.
There are a number of security clearance levels, that will differ based on the requirements of each position.
The security clearance process will commence after an applicant is offered a position. The timeframe for starting a Defence job may be impacted depending on the level of security clearance and the processing duration.
A start date cannot be confirmed until a security clearance has been granted.
Further information on the security clearance process can be found on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency website.
Character check
Defence will seek to verify the prospective employee is of good character and capable of adhering to the Defence and APS Values through a character clearance. The clearance involves checking police records for unspent criminal convictions and findings, confirming details given in the employment application (including employment history, employment references and educational qualifications).
Health check
A health assessment may be required as part of the condition of engagement to the APS in Defence.
A health assessment may also be required for existing APS employees who are commencing employment in certain positions within Defence. The health assessment is designed to ensure the prospective employee is fit to perform the particular duties they will be engaged to perform and to seek medical advice where reasonable adjustment needs to be made for some employees.
Offer of employment
Once the preferred candidate has met all the requirements and conditions, they will be offered the position (usually by phone) and encouraged to make a decision as quickly as possible. If accepting the position, a formal ‘Letter of Offer’ will be sent to the applicant, listing the required commencement pack documents.
The formal offer of employment needs to be accepted within 5 days of receiving the ‘Letter of Offer’.
The successful applicant should not resign or leave their current employment until Defence APS Recruitment have advised that all checks / clearances have been completed.
Once all the paperwork has been processed by Defence APS Recruitment, the applicant will receive a ‘Confirmation Letter’ advising on the date of commencement.
Unsuccessful application
Once the successful applicant has been notified, unsuccessful applicants will be advised in writing as soon as possible.
Current APS employees which are unsuccessful for a position within Defence may request a review of the selection process and outcome. For more information on the APS review process, please refer to the Australian Public Service Commission website.
Unsuccessful applicants which are not current APS employees may contact the chairperson for post assessment feedback.
Merit pool
Upon the conclusion of a recruitment round, suitable applicants may be placed in a merit pool.
A merit pool is a group of applicants who have been assessed as suitable for the advertised vacancy. However, they may not be considered the preferred applicant or immediately appointed to the vacancy.
- A merit pool can be used to fill similar vacancies in the future.
- If a similar vacancy becomes available within 18 months from the date the original vacancy was advertised in the Public Service Gazette, candidates in the merit pool may be contacted to determine their interest in being considered for the vacancy.
- Being in a merit pool does not guarantee that a candidate will be contacted regarding similar vacancies in the future.