Assistant Director Planning and Performance

EL 1 - $120,290 - $129,379 per annum plus superannuation Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) Division Adelaide SA, Brisbane QLD, Canberra ACT, Hobart TAS, Melbourne VIC, Sydney NSW Work in an impactful and evolving environment Play a crucial role in shaping the agency's strategic direction and operational effectiveness Drive continuous improvement and prioritisation Who we are The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is a Corporate Commonwealth entity. ARENA’s main objective is to improve the competitiveness of renewable energy technologies and increase the supply of renewable energy in Australia. ARENA was established on 1 July 2012 under the Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act 2011 (the ARENA Act). ARENA has received significant additional funding over the past 3 budget cycles and is trusted by the Government to deliver many of its most impactful emissions reduction programs. ARENA supports the Government's emissions reduction goals of 43% reduction in net emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050, through its focus on technology innovation and commercialisation to the benefit of Australia. ARENA complements other funding bodies and provides financial assistance to renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification technologies for research, development, demonstration and deployment projects. The provision of knowledge sharing forms an important part of ARENA’s functions. ARENA operates under its own Act of Parliament, and the ARENA Board and CEO are responsible to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon. Chris Bowen MP. The Chief Operating Officer Group supports our Chief Operating Officer (COO) in overseeing ARENA's operations to ensure that we meet our business objectives and deliver value for our stakeholders. The team is committed to excellence in all that we do, and we strive to maintain a high level of performance across the organisation. We work to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and drive innovation. We believe that open communication and collaboration are key to our success, and we encourage all workers to share their ideas and suggestions for improving our operations. We are committed to creating a positive work environment where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered. In the COO Group, we are responsible for: ensuring responsive, efficient and effective management of ARENA’s operations. overseeing the risk and assurance function, including the internal audit program and ARENA’s Risk and Audit Committee. managing property services and security, including facilities management to maintain operational integrity. leading the strategic operational planning and performance activities that drive ARENA’s success. support the delivery of cross-organisation key projects by providing guidance on project initiation, planning and reporting. cultivating strong and effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including our portfolio Department and other Commonwealth Departments and Agencies, and fulfilling coordination responsibilities. coordinating briefings and managing government relations, including Senate Estimates preparation, other ministerial or departmental requests, incoming Government or Minister Briefings and ministerial submissions and correspondence. overseeing the management of core IT systems and infrastructure, ensuring they support both day-to-day operations and strategic projects while also driving innovation in technology solutions across ARENA. providing comprehensive legal, governance, and secretariat support, ensuring that all activities comply with legal and regulatory requirements and maintaining robust governance practices. ARENA’s Planning, and Performance Team is a newly formed team that helps shape the high-level direction of the organisation, leading the process to define key objectives and priorities for the organisation and delivery of our corporate plans - both in the 12 month and 36 month horizons. The team is responsible for: Supporting development of organisation-wide strategic priorities Developing and maintaining key operational strategies and plans Developing and implementing performance oversight of our operations to ensure delivery and improve organisation performance Ensuring robust and relevant reporting In collaboration with other teams across ARENA This team is a central team that leads development of ARENA’s internal operational strategy and priorities and business plans, aligning them with ARENA's strategic priorities. Additionally, they coordinate monitoring of performance against plans, drive continuous improvement and prioritisation, preparing relevant reports for the Senior Leadership Team and the Board. The Job As the Assistant Director of Planning and Performance, you will play a crucial role in shaping the agency's strategic direction and operational effectiveness. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to the development and maintenance of key business plans, driving performance, and ensuring robust and relevant reporting. In this newly established function, you will have the unique opportunity to contribute to developing key operational processes across the organisation ensuring that the agency's planning, performance, and reporting mechanisms are robust, responsive, and aligned with strategic goals. You will play a vital role in assisting the Director Planning and Performance to develop and build ARENA’s capability to strategically manage whole of organisation planning and performance. The Assistant Director, Planning and Performance will: maintain key business plans, including the Corporate Plan and Operational strategic plan, to support long-term organisational goals. manage an organisation performance framework, tracking and analysing performance to drive continuous improvement. provide (or support the provision of) relevant performance reports to the SLT and the Board deliver key organisational reports, including the Annual Report, Corporate Plan and Statutory Reports in accordance with ARENA Act and PGPA Act requirements. ensure all reporting and compliance requirements are met and sufficiently tested with ARENA’s Risk and Audit Committee, as related to the suite of corporate documents including performance information. contribute to developing and refining metrics for corporate, impact, operational and business reporting, and assist with establishing KPIs for teams to measure and enhance performance. Proactively manage interdependencies among the above processes, minimising delays and uncoordinated outcomes, and ensuring the right extent of internal stakeholder alignment. identify and implement improvements to the existing process. assist with the development of metrics and KPIs for corporate, impact, and operational areas, and you will engage with internal and external experts to enhance dashboard tools. lead the drafting and development of performance reports to the SLT and the Board and key reports, including the Annual Report, Corporate Plan, and Statutory Reports, as required by the ARENA Act and PGPA Act. analyse data and trends to guide decision- making and support the alignment of plans and budgets with the agency’s priorities. develop and implement a performance framework that tracks and analyses the organisation's performance. in partnership with the Director Planning and Performance, contribute to driving prioritisation and improvement across ARENA and supporting teams to meet their goals through tracking and analysis, supporting reprioritisation where required, and fostering a culture of improvement and innovation. contribute to internal and external reporting processes, developing and maintaining a reporting dashboard, and building a trimester reporting framework. The role of the Assistant Director Planning and Performance is to coordinate the above effort across the agency, working with the various leads for the above activities, and with the relevant functions. To succeed in this role, you must work collaboratively with teams across the organisation, exercise a significant degree of operational leadership, providing advice and accountability for complex work programs. Your ability to influence strategies, policies, and operational practices will be essential in achieving the agency’s objectives. What we are looking for Key skills and experience Demonstrated experience of overseeing strategic business planning processes and reporting requirements. Demonstrated ability to deliver high quality results by setting clear directions, monitoring progress, responding flexibly to change and creating a shared sense of purpose. Ability to operate as an effective member of a team and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders. Strong analytical skills, and ability to work with organisation metrics to understand underlying trends and insights Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to influence senior stakeholders. Ability to prioritise in the context of the management of multiple competing tasks and deliverables, including an ability to remain flexible. Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively in written form. Excellent process management and coordination skills. Desirable qualifications Qualifications or equivalent relevant experience in business improvement, operations, strategic planning. Eligibility and other requirements Citizenship - To be eligible for employment with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water you must be an Australian citizen. Security Clearance - This position does not require a security clearance. For additional information, please read the Job Description below. Candidate Information Pack (PDF) Opens in new window Candidate Information Pack (Docx) Opens in new window Job Description Opens in new window

Location: The Rocks, AU

Posted Date: 2/1/2025