How to apply for a job with the Department of the House of Representatives

Find out more information on how to apply for a job with the Department of the House of Representatives.

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Who can work for us

To be eligible to work at the department, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Citizenship—applicants must be Australian citizens (unless there are exceptional circumstances).
  • Security assessment—applicants must be willing to undertake a security assessment to the required standard, where applicable.
  • Medical examination—applicants must be willing to undergo a medical examination, where applicable.
  • Redundancy—applicants who have received a redundancy benefit from a Parliamentary Service department, an Australian Public Service (APS) agency or a non-APS Commonwealth employer, cannot generally be employed as ongoing employees until the end of their redundancy exclusion period.

Applying for a job

All applications must be submitted through our online recruitment portal. Please note, if you are a first-time user, you will need to register for an account.

The following information may help you when preparing your application and in understanding the selection process.

Responding to selection criteria

The selection criteria identify the specific requirements for the position. You should describe your knowledge, skills, abilities and experience in relation to each of the criteria.

This is your opportunity to tell us why you are the right fit for the position.

The key to successfully preparing your responses is to:

  • demonstrate your capability by providing evidence of how you meet the selection criteria
  • provide specific examples
  • where possible, include indicators of successful outcomes.

Please prepare your responses in a Word or PDF document to upload to your application. 

Curriculum vitae

Ensure your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is up to date and relevant to the position you are applying for. List your recent experiences and qualifications that support your claims against the selection criteria. Try to keep your resume to a maximum of 3 pages.

Please prepare your CV in a Word or PDF document to upload to your application. 

Submitting your application

Your full application, including your response to the selection criteria and your CV must be submitted through the online recruitment portal by the specified closing date.

If you have any issues submitting your application, please email recruitment.reps@aph.gov.au or call 02 6277 4745.

Late applications

The department does not generally accept late applications, unless an extension has been granted by the contact officer. If you would like to request an extension, you will need to arrange this with the contact officer before the closing date.

Notes on finishing your application

Upon submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. If you did not receive a confirmation email, please check your junk/span folder or contact the Recruitment Team to confirm that your application has been received. 

Communication from the department

Please make sure the contact information you provide is up to date. The department will use your email address for future communication. If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted by phone or email.

Emails from the online recruitment system will appear from noreply@aurion.cloud

If at any stage you will be unavailable to contact, for example you are travelling, please notify the Recruitment Team.

If you do not have internet access or are experiencing any difficulties lodging your application, please contact the Recruitment Team through 02 6277 4745 or recruitment.reps@aph.gov.au.

The assessment process

The department uses a range of assessment options and processes to help select suitably qualified and experienced applicants. We uphold the merit principles and our processes are designed to select the right people for our roles. Only the most competitive applicants—for example those who have demonstrated strong claims to the position—will be assessed beyond shortlisting.

A typical assessment process will involve the steps below. Additional assessment processes may be used from time to time, such as a work sample test.

  1. Apply: Submit your application online, uploading a copy of your resume/CV and responses to the selection criteria.
  2. Shortlist: Applicants will be assessed on their written application against the requirements of the role.
  3. Interview: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview.
  4. Referees: Referees may be contacted for further assessment of suitability.
  5. Selection results: After the delegate has approved the process offers of employment are generally made and a merit pool may be established. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the process. Unsuccessful applicants are advised via email. If unsuccessful, you can ask for feedback from the contact officer, once the process is finalised.

Interviews

Selection panels usually consist of three people. They will prepare a written report containing an individual assessment of each interviewed candidate.

Interviews will include questions that are behaviourally based. Applicants should therefore be prepared at interview to discuss examples of past and present behaviour detailing specific achievements and challenges faced.

Interviews will generally take place at Parliament House in Canberra. Phone or video interviews may be arranged when appropriate.

The selection panel may decide that interviews are not necessary and can make a decision to fill the vacancy based on written applications and referee reports only.

Referees

Reference checks will only be undertaken for applicants under consideration for the position or the order of merit. It is important that the nominated referese are in a position to comment on and rate your recent work performance. The selection panel can request a written report or seek verbal comments at any stage of the selection process.

Providing contact details for your current supervisor and one other referee will expedite the recruitment process.

Applicants should advise the Recruitment Team and the panel of any sensitivity around contacting referees.

Selection results

Once the selection process is complete, a verbal offer will be made to the successful applicant, followed by a written offer. All other applicants will be advised of the outcome in writing. Names and details of successful applicants will be notified in APS Jobs (where required) once the selection process has been finalised.

Feedback

On completion of the selection process, and on request, you will be provided with any additional feedback regarding your application and/or your interview performance. Details on how to obtain additional feedback will be included on the outcome notification.

Privacy and how we protect your personal information

Privacy statement

IMPORTANT: Do not submit your personal information if you do not want your information to be dealt with in the ways described in this statement.

The information you provide, and other information the department collects, will be treated with care. Whilst recognising that the department is not an agency to which the Privacy Act 1988 applies, the department is committed to abiding by the principles of that legislation in its dealings with applicants, including handling applicants’ personal information.

Collection and use of your personal information

The department will use your information for the purpose of selecting a person to fill the advertised position. In some cases, an order of merit may be developed to fill subsequent positions similar to the advertised position.

In addition to the information you provide when you complete your online application, the department may also collect information from:

  • you directly at other stages of the selection process
  • any competency or medical test you sit during the selection process
  • your referees.

Disclosure of your personal information

The department may disclose your information to:

  • staff within the department responsible for assessing your application and approving selection decisions
  • staff in the People Strategies Office—the team responsible for recruitment and payroll processes
  • staff of an external provider if they have been engaged to manage the recruitment process
  • any other person with a lawful entitlement to view your application.

If your application is successful, the personal information collected from you or your referees will be placed on your personnel file and may be used by the department in relation to your employment.

You should be aware that the names of successful applicants may be notified in the APS Employment Gazette (APS Jobs), and some of your information, on which we based our recruitment decision, may be disclosed to unsuccessful applicants.

Get in touch

If you have a question about a specific job advertisement, please refer to the contact officer in the job advertisement.

For general recruitment enquiries, the Recruitment Team can be contacted at:

Email: Recruitment.reps@aph.gov.au

Phone: 02 6277 4745

Mail:

Recruitment, R1-56

Department of the House of Representatives

PO Box 6021

Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600