Working at AIFS

At AIFS our people are valued, respected and do meaningful work that has real-work impact. We offer a supportive and flexible work environment that fosters connection and a shared purpose. The work we do influences legislative and policy reform and helps service providers make a difference in the lives of Australian families.

As an Australian Public Service (APS) agency our salaries and conditions of employment are set out in our Enterprise Agreement. 

Our values

As an Australian Government agency, AIFS adheres to the Australian Public Service (APS) values that guide the conduct and performance of public servants across Australia – and we have also developed our own set of AIFS values. The APS and AIFS values hold us collectively accountable to behavioural standards to ensure we fulfil our purpose in serving the Australian community and supporting families to thrive.

Our Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

At AIFS, we believe that meaningful work starts with a meaningful experience. Our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) reflects what you can expect when you join our team – make a real impact, opportunities to grow your career, connect with passionate colleagues and enjoy a healthy work-life balance. Whether you're contributing to groundbreaking research or supporting our operations, you'll be part of a purpose-driven organisation that values your voice, your wellbeing and your future.

Our facilities

Our office is based in at Southbank, in Melbourne’s CBD. We are near extensive public transport options (tram, train, and bus) as well as paid parking. Accessible by separated kerbside bike lanes, our building also offers end of trip facilities including bike lockers and showers. We have well-appointed staff lunch and tea/coffee facilities on site, as well as an extensive array of food and cafe options nearby, and our building offers complementary yoga, discounts to local stories and regularly hosts markets and other events.

Prayer room

In line with our commitment to inclusivity and wellbeing, we have a designated quiet space for individual reflection, mindfulness, meditation or prayer.

Breastfeeding

We acknowledge the importance of breastfeeding for both carers and baby and aim to provide a family-friendly workplace that enables employees to balance breastfeeding and their work responsibilities.

We want to support employees in their choice to maintain breastfeeding for as long as they and their baby desire. As the individual needs of the employee, carer and baby will vary, we are committed to offer flexible work arrangements that will meet the needs of the employee as well as operational requirements.

Benefits and conditions

Salaries and super

Pay is actioned fortnightly which includes salary, superannuation (at 15.4%) and any eligible allowances. Our base salaries are subject to increases when our Enterprise Agreement is negotiated. 

See our Enterprise Agreement for more information on:

• remuneration
• superannuation
• higher duties and other allowances.

Leave

We offer a range of generous leave entitlements to our employees, including but not limited to:

• annual leave – 4 weeks (20 days) paid leave per year of service
• personal or carers leave – 4 weeks (20 days) paid leave per annum (pro rata for part-time employees)
• parental leave – primary caregiver is entitled to a maximum of 26 weeks paid leave plus unpaid leave of a further 6 to 18 months, and secondary caregiver a maximum 8 weeks (increasing to a total of 18 weeks by February 2027)
• cultural, ceremonial and NAIDOC leave
• sabbatical leave – available for ongoing employees
• 3 days of additional leave to cover AIFS’ Christmas shut down period between Christmas and New Year (not impacting annual leave balance).

Allowances

At AIFS we offer an allowance for:

• Good health allowance: reimbursement of up to $299 each calendar year to promote good health
• Workplace responsibility allowance: when we appoint or elect an employee for a role such as First Aid Officer or Emergency Warden

Flexible working

We offer a range of flexible working conditions and provide generous benefits so you can achieve your professional and personal goals. Some of the flexible work options at AIFS include:

• working from home
• flexible working hours between 7am and 7pm
• part-time work arrangements
• job sharing
• compressed work weeks
• purchased leave

Family and domestic violence support

We provide support for employees affected by family and domestic violence. We take a holistic approach when supporting impacted employees, ensuring that support is flexible and responsive to individual needs and circumstances.

Diversity and inclusion

We embrace and prioritise inclusivity and cultural safety in our workplace. We encourage people to be themselves, and work to ensure that everyone feels heard, welcome and valued. We also offer many employee networks and working groups that promote diversity and inclusion.

For more information you can read our:

• Diversity and Inclusion Strategy [PDF, 632KB]
• Reconciliation Action Plan
• Gender Pay Gap Employer Statement [PDF, 172KB].

We are certified as compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.

Training and development

We support every one of our employees to pursue unique and exciting opportunities for training and development for their careers, whether they work in the corporate or research space. We have a strong culture for succession planning, giving employees the opportunity to undertake roles at a higher classification or higher complexity before recruiting someone new.

We also encourage our employees to undertake formal study in fields that link to the achievement of our corporate goals, or that meet their career development needs. Study assistance can be through approved study leave and/or financial assistance to complete an approved course of study.

Our employees are also supported to develop professionally through conference attendance.

Mobility

As an APS agency, our staff can apply for opportunities to work across government to collaborate and share their talent. The APS Mobility Framework encourages public servants to take temporary moves across the APS network to address surges or peaks in demand, to solve complex problems, and to develop their skills and experience.

Mentoring

We are committed to attracting, developing and retaining our highest quality workforce. This commitment increases our capability growth organically and employee productivity, leading to a high performing culture.

Our in-house mentors provide insight that is outside the mentee’s normal life and educational experience. Mentoring provides work-based feedback to participants and demonstrates an individual’s value in the workplace.

APS Census

We participate in the APS Employee Census (the Census), which is an annual survey used to collect confidential information from APS employees on the workplace. The Census is the main channel that we survey staff on important issues such as health and wellbeing, employee engagement, performance and capability, leadership, workplace conditions, innovation, communication and change, and more. The results help us identify areas of strong performance, opportunities for improvement and track how the agency is progressing on key organisational strategies, initiatives and workplace culture.

See our latest census results:

• Staff census results – Highlights_report [PDF, 1.4 MB]
• Accessible staff census results [XLSX, 51 KB]
• Census Action Plan [PDF, 106 KB]