Working at Austrade

Credit for Austrade's achievements goes to the members of staff. Austrade's ability to service Australian business around the world is based upon the structure of hiring overseas-engaged employees (OEE) with relevant business and industry skills in-country. This framework is overlayed with Australian nationals who bring with them an understanding of both the Australian business environment and the organisational priorities and goals.

Austrade is supporting its workforce to develop their capacity, capability, motivation and flexibility to deliver on the organisation's business goals.

Austrade values and seeks a certain skill set among employees to ensure that the organisation is represented by energetic and motivated professionals who are commercially astute, results oriented, take a hands-on approach and are strategic and innovative thinkers.

Hear what some Austraders have to say about working at Austrade

Values

APS values

The APS values provide the real basis and integrating element of the Service, its professionalism, its integrity and its impartial and responsive service to the government of the day.

Austrade's values

The effectiveness and impact of Austrade as an organisation is magnified if its people share and work to a common set of corporate work values. Austrade has enunciated such a set of values. They are a fundamental guide to ethical behaviour in maintaining the highest standards of probity, integrity and conduct, and are enshrined in Austrade's Corporate Plan.

For Austrade to carry out its mission effectively, it is highly desirable that its staff be self-motivated and empowered to act with a large measure of their own initiative within a broad framework of acceptable behaviour. That framework is defined in terms of five values:

1. Really making a difference to Australia's exports and outwards foreign direct investment;
2. Serving the export community, especially smaller and new exporters and those outside major city centres, responding quickly to their requests with advice, information and access to our grants and loans programs;
3. Promoting and operating effective networks, especially within Austrade, which should always be seen as a single coherent organisation, and also externally with allies and groups of clients;
4. Helping all of our people develop to their full potential while expecting their commitment and a fair degree of cohesion to the ways of the organisation;
5. Applying the highest standards of ethical behaviour and paying due regard to community standards in Australia and all overseas countries where we operate.

At Austrade, we're proud to share these values that help our people achieve our vision to be recognised as:

• The world's leading export and international business facilitation agency;
• A major contributor to Australia's economic growth and the globalisation of Australian business; and
• An organisation that excels in client service, information management and the development of the full potential of its people

Our chosen values create a culture that fosters continuous learning, knowledge sharing and an environment which supports innovation, teamwork and high performance.

Austrade capability framework

Austrade’s set of core capabilities make explicit the skills, knowledge and attributes required of our staff and promote a culture where people are enabled and willing to perform to the best of their abilities, with a clear articulation of the ‘Austrade Way’.

The four capabilities apply to all job roles and represent what Austrade needs to do well:

1. Strategic Leadership
2. Export Facilitation
3. Partnering and Relationship Building
4. People and Business Management

Austrade's capability framework embodies Austrade’s values and provides a common language to describe what represents success in Austrade, both now and in the future.

The framework makes explicit the links between job roles and organisational goals and priorities. Regardless of the job role or level, each Austrader is expected to demonstrate relevant elements of these capabilities, outlined in specific 'job role capability profiles'.

Our view is that high performance is not just what we achieve, but equally important is how we achieve it.

The Capability Framework underpins many of Austrade’s Human Resources strategies, from performance management to learning and development, recruitment, career development and succession management.

Careers

A career with Austrade can be a personally and professionally challenging and rewarding experience. We encourage promotion within but temper this with a continual evaluation of external candidates for a range of opportunities.

There are many potential career streams within Austrade, including a range of opportunities in areas such as human resources, information technology, finance and administration, exporter services, corporate services, analysis and planning and overseas trade commissioners.

If you are interested in career opportunities in any of the above areas, but do not see a current opportunity advertised in this area, you can complete a job alert registration that will alert you to any new opportunities that fit your preselected job preferences.

Register your preferences through Austrade’s Online Recruitment System.

Benefits

Based on new recruits survey 2004 and climate survey 2005:

• Use your knowledge, skills and attributes
• Join an international organisation with a good reputation
• Good working environments/conditions
• The nature of Austrade’s business, in particular helping the community
• The level of teamwork experienced, and the relationships built between co-workers, clients and customers
• Learning and development opportunities - Austrade Institute
• Technology, systems and information (business systems and up-to-date technology)
• Export orientation – understand the Australian export community and its capabilities – can make a difference
• Client focus
• Encourage initiative – receptive to new ideas and creativity