Job Title

The Complaints Branch delivers effective and impartial complaint handling services by assisting people who contact the Office to resolve their issue as efficiently as possible. As the core entry point for complainants to contact the Office, the Branch manages the intake, triage, assessment and early resolution of complaints received through various contact channels including online, telephony, in person, email and mail. The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman (the Office) is looking to fill vacancies at the APS4 level. Our Complaint Officers listen to the public, analyse the information they provide and decide the best next steps. They operate within a rostered environment, with their time split between assessing complaints and contacts received by phone and those received in writing. To be successful in this position you will be an enthusiastic problem solver and someone who is comfortable engaging with people via a range of communication channels. You will draw on your customer or client service experience, considering complex circumstances in an administrative decision making or complaint assessment or management context. You should have a demonstrated ability to: confidently engage with the public via various communication channels communicate effectively with a diverse range of people, including people who present with vulnerabilities de-escalate challenging conversations maintain awareness of your own wellbeing and resilience and seek assistance when required confidently utilise and respond to multiple IT platforms simultaneously (e.g. telephony, case management, internal communication and internet/intranet-based research) exercise sound judgement in making discretionary decisions conduct targeted research to quickly acquire subject matter knowledge work effectively and efficiently to independently manage a caseload maintain professionalism and impartiality. The key duties of the position include: Duties of the role includes: engaging with members of the public over the phone, in person and in writing in a rostered environment. This includes having contact with members of the public who present to our office with vulnerabilities assessing contacts and complaints against our legislation, policies and procedures utilising IT systems and your research skills to assess complaints and make decisions and/or recommendations on how to resolve complaints utilising caseload management strategies to proactively manage your complaint workload. Strong communication skills and a dedication to teamwork are essential qualities required for this position. You are expected to be an active member of the wider team and branch, as well as managing your complaint workload. This means you may be required to contribute to reports, projects, presentations and other administrative work of the Office as required and contribute to the development, achievement and continuous improvement of team objectives and plans. Eligibility The successful candidate must: be an Australian citizen, undergo a National Criminal History records check and be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance at a level appropriate to the position offered. The level of the security clearance will be dependent upon the requirements of the position. Be willing to undergo a pre-employment psychological assessment. Some areas of the Offices work involve exposure to potentially distressing information and materials. It is important we are confident you will be able to engage with this work without experiencing harm to your wellbeing. Getting to know the Commonwealth Ombudsman About the Office The purpose of the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman (the Office) is to: provide assurance that the Australia Government entities and prescribed private sector organisations that the Office oversights, act with integrity and treat people fairly, and influence enduring systematic improvement in public administration in Australia and the Pacific region. The Office does this through handling complaints, conducting investigations, performing audits and inspections and encouraging good administration. The Office also influences improvement in public administration in the Pacific region through collaboration with partner entities. The Office is statutorily independent within the Attorney-Generals portfolio with the following separate titles that describe some of our specific powers and functions: Defence Force Ombudsman Postal Industry Ombudsman Overseas Students Ombudsman Private Health Insurance Ombudsman Immigration Ombudsman Law Enforcement Ombudsman VET Students Loans Ombudsman. The Commonwealth Ombudsman is also the ACT Ombudsman. Further information about the Office is available at the Commonwealth Ombudsman website.