Recruitment

Thank you for considering a career with the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) – where your work can make a difference to Australian families. Before you apply for a role, we recommend you view our application guidelines and check the eligibility criteria of the role you are interested in.

If you have any questions or have trouble submitting your application, please email us for assistance.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a role with us, you must:

• be an Australian citizen
• hold, or be willing to obtain and maintain, the relevant Australian Government Security clearance required for the role (this is specified in the position description).

If a security clearance is required, we’ll support you through the process. Additional conditions may be required depending on the role you are applying for. If you are new to the Australian Public Service (APS), you’ll need to complete a 6-month probationary period. During this time, we’ll help you understand what's required of you in your new role and assess your suitability.

Our application process

Applying for a role with us involves several steps. We use a range of assessment activities to determine the most suitable applicant for a position.

A typical application process includes:

1. Submitting your online application: Including your resume and written response addressing the requirements of the role.
2. An interview: An opportunity to discuss your skills, experience and for you to learn more about the role.
3. Referee checks: Completed by contacting your nominated referees.
4. Making an offer: A phone call or an email advising you of the outcome of the application process.

On average, it takes approximately 8 weeks from the opening of applications to the job offer, with some exceptions such as large-scale bulk recruitment (which can take longer). We’ll keep you updated throughout the recruitment process.

All applications need to be submitted before the job closing date and time. We recommend starting your application as early as possible.

Before you apply

To complete your application, you’ll need to have the following:

• current resume
• personal details
• employment history
• education details
• written response addressing the selection criteria
• referee contact information

Diversity details can also be provided on a voluntary basis and are used for statistical and reporting purposes, and to accommodate specific needs during the recruitment process. Any information provided is not a consideration when assessing suitability for a role.

Tips for your application

When applying for a job with us, please follow the instructions in the job advertisement and the application information pack.

You can also read this guide from the Australian Public Service Commission for tips on how to address selection criteria for APS roles and to help you with your application.

Some helpful tips to keep in mind for your application include:

• check your contact details are correct and monitor your junk mail throughout the process in case our emails have gone to your spam folder
• prepare your response initially in Microsoft Word so you can manage the word count and not lose any progress if you’re logged out
• tailor your resume to the skills and experience required in the position description
• when addressing the criteria of the role, be specific and provide specific examples where you have performed a particular task
• check your spelling, punctuation and grammar and be succinct in your application statement (our system won’t accept applications that exceed the word limit)
• if you don’t receive a confirmation email, check to make sure your application was submitted successfully (it requires you to hit the submit button twice!)

Reasonable adjustments

We’ll consider reasonable adjustments to the assessment process to provide equal opportunity for applicants with disabilities. These could include:

• allowing applicants to complete interviews or work sample assessments using different formats or by providing extra time
• making additional support available, such as an Auslan interpreter, employment support officer, or carer
• providing short breaks as needed
• ensuring accessible hardware or software is provided

Should you require reasonable adjustments during any stage of the process, please email [email protected].

Unsuccessful applicants

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, we’ll notify you by email. Due to the number of applications received for each vacancy, we regrettably are not able to contact all applicants verbally. You may request feedback on your performance in the selection process, however there may be occasions where feedback cannot be provided due to large numbers of applicants.

APS programs

The Australian Government offers programs for university students and graduates to working in the Australian Government across different departments and agencies, including AIFS.

AIFS’ Graduate Program is a 12-month program where graduates will work across a variety of AIFS' key research teams. We provide on-the-job learning to support our graduates to contribute to the design and implementation of high-quality research and evaluation projects. 

Find out more about graduate opportunities at AIFS on the APS jobs site.

We also proudly support Indigenous employment pathways that foster career development and leadership, including the Indigenous Apprenticeships Program and Indigenous Graduate Pathway program.