Intelligence Professional

A career in Intelligence with ASIO includes  roles such as Intelligence Analyst  or a Collection Officer. Depending on your attributes and work preferences, you will initially specialise in one of these areas following completion of the Intelligence Development Program (IDP).   Whilst specific elements of these intelligence roles may differ in task and focus, many of the characteristics you will require to succeed are shared, such as the need to respond to fast moving challenges and complex problems.

Playing a role in progressing ASIO investigations, you’ll identify patterns and anomalies, uncover significant information, solve complex problems and produce high quality advice for government.

You will evaluate and analyse vital information from a variety of sources.  Your advice will be in the form of written and oral briefings.  You will regularly liaise with other government departments and agencies. 

You will become a specialist in your subject matter.  In turn, people will seek out your advice.  The opportunity to work on different subject matter will keep you interested and stretch your abilities. 

Your work as an analyst will be varied and may involve focus on wide range of subject areas or alternatively, you may specialise in a subject matter.  You may also be required in this role to travel both interstate and overseas.

Throughout your career you may find yourself working in one or more of these teams:

Intelligence Investigations

You’ll become an expert in your subject of investigation – either a group or an individual in Australia or overseas that is relevant to security.  Making assessments and providing advice, you’ll offer critical direction and support to Collection Officers in driving investigations.

Border Security

Ensuring security advice is available to help manage non-citizens’ entry to Australia is your priority.  You will perform complex analysis in a fast paced environment, working to tight deadlines.

Protective Security

Identifying and analysing relevant intelligence, you’ll provide assessments and recommendations about an individual’s access to National Security Classified Material or areas.

Critical Infrastructure protection

Providing advice to government and private sector stakeholders on security, you’ll undertake threat assessments for critical infrastructure sectors, from health and transport to utilities, communication and emergency services.

Complex Analysis

Applying scientific and numerical techniques to data, you’ll discover new insights and make sense of a complex mix of data while devising original approaches to data analysis.  This role usually demands a scientific, geospatial or statistics background, although your aptitude for, and interest in making sense out of data is more important.

Counter Espionage

This team provides advice regarding covert activity conducted by foreign entities.  This could include espionage and attempts to interfere in the lives of people in Australia or in the political process here or overseas.  You will also monitor and report attempts to intimidate people in Australia who are regarded as dissidents by foreign governments.

Coordination and Policy Development

In this role you’ll be critical to the coordination and development of security intelligence policy and provide high-level advice that has a ‘whole-of-organisation’ or ‘whole-of-government’ focus.

National Threat Assessment Centre (NTAC)

Analysing and assessing intelligence from a range of sources, you will prepare advice about threats to Australians and Australian interests at home and abroad.  Your work will shape the responses of other agencies and be well regarded domestically and internationally.

Collection Officers are responsible for the overt and covert collection of information relevant to national security.  As a Collection Officer you will maintain regular contact with a variety of people, including members of the public who are volunteering information.  

Overt collection methods

ASIO uses publically available sources, including talking to members of the public, internet-based research and liaison with government departments.

Covert collection methods

This can include the use of listening/tracking devices, telecommunication interception, access to restricted information and the searching of premises.  These methods are used with the approval of the Federal Attorney-General.

Collection Officers are called upon to cross cultural boundaries, generating solutions to interesting and complex problems.  Highly creative, your critical thinking and problem solving skills will adapt to meet a range of situations.

Your first six months will be in Canberra, after which time you will be posted to your first work area.  This may be in any Australian capital city including Canberra. 

Operational requirements and your preferences will be considered in determining each posting. 

Remuneration

During the first year on the Intelligence Development Program, the salary ranges between $65,265 and $83,095 plus superannuation.  In determining your starting salary, we will consider your education and employment history. 

Each year we search for people to take on the challenging and complex nature of our work. 

To apply for these roles, you will need:

• Australian citizenship
• A driver’s licence
• Ability to relocate to Canberra
• Flexibility to maintain a mobile career

The foundation for these roles is the intellect, commitment, expertise and talent demonstrated by high achievers in any profession or field of academic study. Tertiary qualifications are not mandatory but applicants with qualifications in International Relations, Law, Science or Counter Terrorism will be highly regarded.

You will need to be assessed as suitable for holding a high level security clearance. This assessment will involve exploring all aspects of your life.

In these roles, you will need to be at ease talking and listening to people from all walks of life. You’ll be a creative thinker, have a critical mind and the ability to take a step back and see the bigger picture. You will need to be confident and astute, and adept at documenting information clearly and succinctly. 

You must be prepared to undergo various selection stages over an extended period of time.  In addition to the competency based tests, you will undergo extensive background checking to assess your suitability to hold a clearance. 

The Process - July 2012 Training Program

Important – please note: you must be available to attend each stage of the recruitment process in the timeframes given.  You will be advised the outcome of each stage of the process.  However we cannot provide you with detailed feedback.

If you have any queries about the recruitment process, please contact the recruitment team on 02 6257 4916.

The IDP is based in Canberra for the first six months.  It includes class-based and hands-on training, all carefully designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge you’ll need to be a successful Intelligence Professional.  The class-based training will combine internally developed programs with externally accredited units.  In your second six months, you will be involved in a Structured Workplace Program (SWP) which may be located outside of Canberra.  This is where you will begin your first posting.

Your confidence, self-reliance and flexibility will increase as you develop key technical and professional abilities.

The program will:

• Introduce you to the concepts and methodologies of intelligence collection and analysis work;
• Introduce you to the technical tools of the trade;
• Develop your existing abilities and generate new skills, including critical thinking and information/communications technology;
• Provide support throughout with regular feedback on performance.

You can expect significant travel during your IDP year.

This is a competency-based program.  You will need to demonstrate a satisfactory standard of performance to complete each section.  We want all of our Intelligence Professionals to succeed, so offer you as much support as possible to this end.  If despite our assistance, you’re unable to meet the required standards during or by the end of the program, you may be offered another role in the Organisation, your probation may be extended, or your employment may be terminated in accordance with your employment contract.

Becoming an Intelligence Professional is not for everyone.  The selection process is, necessarily, both personally and professionally demanding.  Unfortunately, due to the complexity and significance of the role, many well-intentioned applicants will be turned away.

Before considering applying you must:

• Be an Australian Citizen.  We cannot progress your application if you are awaiting citizenship;
• Hold at least a Probationary Drivers licence for a ‘C’ Class Vehicle
• Be willing to move to Canberra
• Not have attended an ASIO Intelligence Professional Assessment Centre in the past two years
• Be able to attend each stage of the recruitment process.  We do not conduct assessments overseas.  If you are an Australian citizen living overseas and do not intend returning to Australia in the near future, please reconsider whether now is the right time to apply.

Remuneration

During the Intelligence Development Program, Intelligence Professionals earn between $65,265 and $83,095 plus superannuation.  In determining your starting salary, we will consider your education and employment history.

Once you have satisfied the technical aspects of your application, it is important that you honestly evaluate your motivation for this role, including the requirement to relocate to Canberra if you are from interstate.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I feel comfortable interacting with people from diverse backgrounds, ideologies, and opinions?
• Could I approach someone I don’t know and strike up a conversation?
• Can I think on my feet, develop new ways of doing things, assess myself objectively, and sacrifice my own interests for the bigger picture?
• Am I willing to change my life to be an Intelligence Professional?

The life of an ASIO Intelligence professional is not easy, but it is uniquely rewarding.  If you meet all the above criteria and believe you have the personal and professional skills to succeed as an Intelligence Professional visit our ‘Apply’ page.

We strongly believe in and support workplace diversity.  Our aim is to have a workforce that reflects Australian society and we encourage people from non-English speaking backgrounds to apply.

Please note: All applications for employment with ASIO are handled in the strictest confidence. It is essential that you DO NOT discuss your application with others as doing so may adversely affect your application.

The recruitment process is lengthy, but necessary. We thank you for your efforts in submitting an application, and for investing your time in our selection process.