Office Assistant to the Leader of the Australian Greens

Position Overview

The Office Assistant works closely with the Office Manager to keep the Senator's office running smoothly, taking on day-to-day administrative, logistical and finance tasks so the Office Manager can focus on the Senator's diary, priorities and the wider needs of the team.

The role supports diary and travel coordination, processes invoices and entitlement claims, maintains effective office systems and accurate records to support efficient operations , supports the constituent support team with constituent correspondence, and provides backup across the office when demand peaks.

The Office Assistant regularly handles sensitive and confidential information, and liaises regularly with parliamentary and party staff, constituents and external stakeholders. As such, professional integrity and the ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality is essential.

A proactive and organised approach, combined with an interest in the political landscape and the Senator's portfolio responsibilities, will support the successful candidate thrive in a fast-paced parliamentary office environment.

The key duties of the position include but are not limited to: 

Support to the Leader

• Support the Office Manager with the Senator's diary, including logging meeting requests and event invitations, drafting responses, confirming arrangements and collating briefing material ahead of meetings.
• Book flights, accommodation and ComCars as directed by the Office Manager, and prepare clear travel itineraries and run sheets.
• As nominated traveller, accompany the Leader to Parliament House in Canberra during sitting weeks, and ensure the smooth running of the Leader’s Senate schedule. Some additional travel may also be required from time to time to staff the Senator.  
• Provide support outside standard business hours, including evenings and occasional weekends, when required to meet operational demands, particularly during parliamentary sitting weeks.

Forward planning

Act as the logistics lead for events built around the Leader’s travel: plan the trip, hold the run sheet, confirm the moving parts, and chase the inputs needed to lock it in ahead of time.

Ensure there are appropriate levels of staffing for each trip. As needed be the staff member travelling with the Leader.

Office administration

• Assist with managing the office's front desk, phones and general inbox, directing enquiries to the right team member.
• Maintain office supplies, equipment, IT requests, filing systems and shared drives.
• Onboard new staff and volunteers with access, equipment and induction materials.
• Provide administrative support for team meetings, planning days and office events.
• Support inbox triage and response working with the advocacy team 
• Provide minor administrative support to the Chief of Staff, including support with Party Room (PR) meetings.

Party room events management

• Support organisation of the annual LO staff retreat and the Joint Office Meeting (JOM).
• Support the Whips Clerk to organise the Party Room meetings and strategy days

Finance, travel, entitlements and compliance

• Onboard CTM/IPEA/PEMS users; administer Travel Allowance claims; and be the point of contact for travel queries.
• Process vendor invoices and work with the Finance team to manage payments; complete monthly bank reconciliation; and maintain a visible finance tracker so items do not go unactioned.

The ideal applicant should possess the following skills, qualifications, and experience

Essential:

• A commitment to the Greens and to advancing Greens policies and principles.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Outstanding organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple and competing tasks to agreed deadlines.
• Experience with financial administration, reconciliation and entitlements or compliance processes.
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft 365 and Excel.
• An understanding of Australia’s system of government and parliamentary processes.

Desirable:

• Prior experience in diary management at an executive level 
• A drivers license 

Employment conditions

The position is offered under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 and conditions are outlined in the Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024-27 which include:

• A commencing salary between $77,071 and $81,594 will be negotiated depending on experience and relevant skills. 
• An additional allowance of $28,812 may be considered in recognition of, and as compensation for, reasonable additional hours of work and any travel requirements as the Nominated Traveller.  
• Relocation assistance, studies assistance and paid study leave may also be available (subject to eligibility requirements). 
• An employer superannuation contribution of 15.4% will be payable. 

Applicants should note the following

• An initial probationary period of three months will apply and may be subject to extension. 
• The successful applicant may be required to undergo a National Police History Check.  
• Staff may be subject to automatic cessation triggers in accordance with Section 14 of the MOP(S) Act. 
• The successful applicant will be required to comply with their obligations under the Behaviour Codes and Standards.

Application Process

Contact Officer - kym.chapple@aph.gov.au using the subject line: Office Assistant to the Leader of the Australian Greens