• Job Reference Number: 044_05/26
• Location: Parramatta, NSW, Penrith, NSW, Adelaide, SA, Brisbane, QLD, Melbourne, VIC
• Hybrid work arrangements considered
• Classification: EL2
• Status: Ongoing
• Salary Range: $146,622 - $172,868
• Contact Person: Christina Hey-Nguyen via DOIT
• Contact Job Title: Assistant Commissioner, Intake Assessment and Safeguards
• Contact Number: 03 9475 8607
• Contact Email: [email protected] using the subject line: Director, Complaints Intake and Assessment - Flexible Location enquiry via EthicalJobs.
• Number of Vacancies: 1
• Division: Intake, Assessment and Practice Quality
• Branch: Intake, Assessment and Safeguards

About the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the NDIS Commission) is an independent statutory agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services.

The NDIS Commission is the national regulator of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) market. The NDIS market is diverse with over 280,000 providers supporting approximately 750,000 participants.

The NDIS Commission works in an ecosystem to deliver the NDIA. The three key bodies include the administrator the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the policy lead Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and the national regulator the NDIS Commission. The NDIS Commission also works closely with the sector, in particular with people with disability, providers, workers and other stakeholders.

The NDIS Commission is committed to ensuring people with disability receive safe, high- quality services. We prioritise dignity, inclusion and removing barriers to full participating in society by embedding human rights principles in all our regulatory activities and through setting clear standards for delivering high-quality outcomes for participants.

In 2026, there is substantial reform planned across the NDIS sector including mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) and platform providers commencing in July. The NDIS Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill recently introduced to Parliament also proposes significant new powers for the NDIS Commission, such as a stronger penalty framework, expanded banning order powers, and anti-promotion orders to address misleading and unethical advertising of NDIS products and services.

We are committed to fostering and building a workforce of talented people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including people with disability, First Nations peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and LGBTIQA+. We know a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace drives our success.

The NDIS Commission’s core legislative functions are to:

• Uphold the rights of, and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of, people with disability receiving supports or services, including those received under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
• Develop a nationally consistent approach to managing quality and safeguards for people with disability receiving supports or services, including those received under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
• Promote the provision of advice, information, education and training to NDIS providers and people with disability.
• Secure compliance with relevant legislation through effective compliance and enforcement arrangements, including through the monitoring and investigation functions conferred on the Commissioner by legislation.
• Promote continuous improvement amongst NDIS providers and the delivery of progressively higher standards of supports and services to people with disability.
• Develop and oversee the broad policy design for a nationally consistent framework relating to the screening of workers involved in the provision of supports and services to people with disability.
• Provide advice or recommendations to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and its Board in relation to the performance of the Agency’s functions.
• Engage in, promote and coordinate the sharing of information to achieve the objects of the relevant legislation, and provide NDIS market oversight, including:
  • by monitoring changes in the NDIS market which may indicate emerging risk; and
  • by monitoring and mitigating the risks of unplanned service withdrawal.

About the Role

A talent pool may be created to fill future ongoing and temporary opportunities for a period of up to 18 months.

• Opportunity to lead a critical public-facing function to help protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of people with disability
• Be part of the NDIS Commission EL2 leadership team and contribute to the NDIS Commission’s mission to become a formidable regulator

The NDIS Commissioner is seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to manage and implement its dynamic and busy Complaints function, alongside other teams in the Intake, Assessment and Safeguards Branch.

This role is broadly responsible for ensuring high-quality, timely and fair handling of complaints and regulatory matters, effective complaint resolution, continuous improvement, workforce capability uplift as well as meeting statutory obligations and service standards.

About the Division

The Intake, Assessment and Practice Quality Division ensures complaints and reportable incidents relating to quality and safety of NDIS supports and services are assessed and prioritised to address significant and systemic risks and regulatory and safeguards actions are taken as required. The Division also leads the Commission’s behaviour support function by establishing and upholding quality standards, improving the quality of behaviour support plan development and implementation. Practitioner suitability is assessed, along with resources to inform and educate practitioners and service providers. The Division is focused on best practice across incidents and complaints and to effect reduction and elimination of restrictive practices and enliven the human rights for NDIS Participants.

The division consist of 3 branches – the IAPQ Executive (including the Divisional Operations and Improvement Team), Practice Quality Branch and Intake, Assessment and Safeguards Branch.

The Intake, Assessment and Safeguards Branch is responsible for the NDIS Commission’s complaints function broadly encompassing:

• the assessment, management and resolution of complaints
• educating and developing resources relating to best practice in the handling of complaints including building the capability of people with disability to pursue complaints in relation to the provision of supports or services by NDIS providers
• building NDIS provider capability to develop a culture of learning and innovation to deliver high quality supports and services, prevent incidents and respond to complaints
• analysing and disseminating information relating to complaints.

The NDIS Commission operates independently of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) which administers the NDIS.

Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Manage and oversee a nationally dispersed team of Regulatory Officers and team leaders to deliver consistent, risk responsive and timely triage, assessment and verification of a high volume of complaints in accordance with established complaints frameworks, policies, and procedures
• Ensure the delivery of frontline support and advice to the community on best practice in the handling of complaints.
• Manage service levels, turnaround times, and demand fluctuations to meet performance benchmarks and aligned with the Commission’s regulatory priorities
• Build a high performing team culture which drives and encourages high performance, agility, accountability and collaboration.
• Inform the development of, and ensure compliance, with legislation, policies and procedures.
• Deliver role responsibilities in a fast-paced, busy environment with competing priorities and drive long term projects in support of the NDIS Commission’s priorities.
• Implement service delivery, resource and technological improvements to ensure efficiency, quality and customer experience of the complaints function.
• Provide high quality briefs, analysis and correspondence as well as expert advice and recommendations to senior executives and assess and report on risks, trends, systemic issues to inform regulatory intelligence, regulatory strategy and operational effectiveness.
•  Ensure productive working relationships across the Commission and with external stakeholders

Capability requirements

The occupant of the position:

• must have a positive and contemporary attitude to people with disability.
• will lead and inspire a team to achieve objectives with a focus on safety, staff wellbeing and high performance, including through complex organisational change and regulatory reform
• have exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and communicate effectively at both a strategic and operational level, in plain English.
• must be able build and nurture productive working relationships in a complex and fast-paced environment.
• will need to think creatively and take an innovative approach to resolving complex issues and identify opportunities for continuous improvement to achieve quality outcomes.
• will exercise sound decision-making, provide clear direction to ensure consistent, strategic and timely outcomes, and identify, evaluate and manage risks.
• promotes the agency’s business objectives through key strategic relationships with a range of stakeholders

Other requirements

Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and experience implementing an external complaints function or contact/call centre function is highly desirable.

• Tertiary qualifications and/or relevant professional or industry experience.
• Ability to apply knowledge and legislation, policy, procedures and guidance to situations involving complexity and sensitivity which require interpretation and analysis.
• Strong leadership and people management skills including managing resources effectively and capability uplift and performance including through times of organisational change and regulatory reform
• Ability to leverage technology and data systems to improve workflow efficiency and regulatory performance.
• Resilience and adaptability in a high-volume, dynamic environment.

Due to the nature of the NDIS Commission’s scope occupants in this role may be exposed to content or hear stories about other people’s experiences of harm or work on highly distressing and sensitive topics. Staff have access to support through our Employee Assistance Program. As a leader, Occupants must be able to:

• demonstrate  professional resilience, emotional intelligence and active self-management
• have a strong understanding of vicarious trauma and apply a trauma informed approach in decision making and communication with internal and external stakeholders
• proactively support and manage staff in managing exposure to distressing or sensitive material, fostering a psychologically safe and healthy work environment.

Mandatory Requirements

Pre-employment

To be considered in this role, candidates will need to:

• be an Australian Citizen, and
• have a favourable National Police Check, and
• have or be willing to obtain and maintain a Baseline Vetting security clearance. Should business need arise, be willing to obtain and maintain a Baseline/Negative Vetting Level 1/Negative Vetting Level 2 security clearance. See AGSVA website for more details
  Security | Sectors | Defence, and
• complete a NDIS Commission external influences and associations declaration form.

Ongoing suitability

NDIS Commission employees are required to comply with the APS Code of Conduct, including to at all times behave in a way that upholds the APS Values and Employment Principles, and the integrity and good reputation of the NDIS Commission and the APS. The NDIS Commission completes regular internal screening, monitoring and assessments to ensure all employees meet employment suitability requirements.

Reasonable adjustments

The NDIS Commission is committed to upholding the rights of people with disability to employment and offers interesting and challenging roles. People with disability are encouraged to apply for jobs in the NDIS Commission.

Please contact us for any reasonable adjustments required to ensure you can fully participate in the recruitment process.

How to Apply

Applications are to be submitted via the "Apply Now" button.

RecruitAbility

We participate in the Australian Public Service RecruitAbility Scheme to attract applicants with disability by removing some of the barriers in recruitment and employment processes.

The scheme provides an opportunity for applicants with disability to progress to the next stage in the selection process if they are assessed as meeting the minimum requirements of the job. Disability is defined as ‘current limitation, restrictions or impairment, which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months and restricts everyday activities. More information about RecruitAbility can be found at: More information can be found at RecruitAbility scheme: A guide for applicants.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

We recognise the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and the unique knowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees bring to our workplace, policy development and service delivery. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Merit Pool

A merit pool may be created and utilised within 18 months from the date this vacancy was advertised in APSJobs.

A position description is attached.