Senior Investigator/Senior Compliance/Project Officer, APS6, Consumer Fair Trading

About this role

• Do you want to work at an agency where each day reveals new opportunities to work on some of the biggest issues facing consumers and businesses and have opportunities to pursue new and exciting pathways?
• Do you want to work at a place where smart and dedicated people from all walks of life collaborate to work on meaningful matters?
• Do you want to use your investigation, analysis and communication skills to protect consumers, support fair trading and help shape meaningful compliance and enforcement outcomes across Australia?

Then this is the place for you! At the ACCC, we’re proud of the impact we can make together. We understand the responsibilities and challenges that come with a fast moving and ever-changing environment. Our high performing culture is built on a foundation of care, support and inclusion. It’s why we’re driven by connection and collaboration, sharing our skills, knowledge and support with each other freely and frequently. It’s why we prioritise the wellbeing of our people and empower them to work autonomously, flexibly and courageously. At the ACCC, we believe the best version of you is the one that’s true to who you are – and that’s the you we want working alongside us.

We value flexibility, and all roles can be performed from any capital city in a state or territory or Townsville and are available on a full-time, part-time or job-share basis.

Applicants from diverse backgrounds including First Nations peoples, people with disability and those from different cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

What you will do as the Senior Investigator, Senior Compliance or Project Officer:

The Consumer and Fair Trading Division aims to protect the interests of consumers and support fair trading in markets affecting consumers and small business. It does so by delivering compliance and enforcement outcomes under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), which forms part of the CCA. Consistent with this aim the Division also has responsibility for the ACCC’s specialist agriculture, small business and industry codes functions.

The Division has primary responsibility for consumer and fair trading investigation, compliance and enforcement activities carried out by the ACCC under the CCA. This includes delivering a range of broader compliance initiatives to address or prevent misconduct in the market and enhance consumer and business welfare. The Division also contributes to the stewardship of the wider consumer protection system in Australia through advocacy and law reform initiatives, and engagement with domestic and international agencies. The Division also contributes to the development of broader consumer protection and fair trading through advocacy and law reform initiatives.

The Division has three enforcement Branches - the Consumer and Compliance Strategies Branch, the Retail and Supermarkets Branch and the Small Business and Agriculture Branch - which are responsible for investigating and resolving potential breaches of the fair trading and consumer protection provisions of the CCA, including through litigation.

The enforcement branches support the broader work of the ACCC through internal and external stakeholder engagement, shaping policy and providing advice towards law reform, enforcement capability development for the ACCC and other regulators (national and international), and contributing to competition and consumer law outreach.

For further information about the branches, please see the candidate kit.

As a Senior Compliance or Project Officer in the Small Business and Agriculture, Consumer and Compliance Strategies, and Retail and Supermarkets branches, you will:

• Be responsible for managing inputs and contributions to the delivery of compliance or engagement projects and activities, including planning, monitoring, reporting, research and analysis.
• Provide advice to senior management on trends and patterns to support policy and legislative reform.
• Prepare (and review as appropriate) internal and external documents including submissions, staff papers, notices, undertakings, correspondence, reports, minutes, briefs, and external-facing materials, including consumer and industry guidance.
• Contribute to the delivery of strategic engagement activities with key industry, stakeholder and consumer organisations, including participation in formal discussion and decision-making forums.
• Ensure all your contributions are delivered in line with the Compliance and Enforcement Policy, plans and directions.
• Work collaboratively within a geographically dispersed team to manage joint projects and tasks, including tracking progress and workflow, meeting milestones and deadlines and develop and maintain effective working relationships and professional networks with internal and external stakeholders.

As a Senior Investigator in the Enforcement branches, you will:

• Be responsible for investigating potential breaches of the consumer and fair trading provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA). This may include assessing evidence, interviewing witnesses, briefing legal advisers as well as preparing and presenting updates and recommendations to the Enforcement Committee and Commission.
• Be responsible for engaging with various external stakeholders, including consumers, businesses, and government agencies, so clear written and verbal communication skills are important.
• Possess a good, working understanding of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), including the Australian Consumer Law, or the ability to quickly attain this understanding.
• Be able to objectively and strategically assess information and potential evidence in a timely and efficient manner.
• Be able to identify logical next steps and the most suitable resolution for investigations, including by administrative means or by court action and persuasively communicate the reasons for decisions and recommendations.
• Have, or have the ability to obtain, the Certificate IV in Government Investigations qualification as set out in the Public Services Package (PSP) for persons/officers working in operational roles undertaking government entity investigations.

About you

All candidates are expected to meet the APS Integrated Leadership Profile (ILS) for the classification advertised. Follow the link for more information on the ILS. These roles in particular requires:

• A demonstrated understanding, or an ability to quickly acquire an understanding, of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.

A demonstrated ability to

• Research, investigate and analyse complex issues, develop solutions, and make recommendations in line with strategic objectives.
• Communicate clearly and persuasively in writing and orally to internal and external audiences.
• Effectively engage and work with both internal and external stakeholders to deliver outcomes.
• Plan, organise and prioritise competing workloads to ensure activities are delivered in a timely and efficient manner.
• Guide and develop staff where required.

The following job specific criteria are also highly desirable:

• Tertiary qualifications in law, economics, public policy or similar fields.

How to apply

You will be asked to respond to the statement of claims of no more than 800 words and submit your resume with key outcomes or what you are most proud of in each role you have held (2 pages maximum).

Contact Officer: Michael Gee, 07 3811 9219

Applications Close: 11:00pm (AEST), Monday 17 August 2026

Important: The recruitment platform will be unavailable due to scheduled system upgrades from 9:00 PM (AEST) Friday, 14 August 2026 until 9:00 AM (AEST) Sunday, 16 August 2026. Applicants will be unable to access the system or submit applications during this period and are encouraged to lodge their application outside of these times.

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