Types of roles
International roles can include:
- Trade and Investment Commissioners
- Senior Trade and Investment Commissioners
- Consul-Generals.
Roles are based in many locations around the world.
Trade and Investment Commissioner roles
The most prominent roles for Austrade staff based internationally are as:
- Trade and Investment Commissioners
- Senior Trade and Investment Commissioners.
- These appointments are generally for 3 or 4 years.
Candidates must be Australian citizens and will be subject to a national security assessment.
What a Trade and Investment Commissioner does
Trade and Investment Commissioner roles are high profile and significant roles.
A Trade and Investment Commissioner will represent Australia and Austrade in their relevant location to:
- optimise existing business networks and establish new ones
- help exporters, investors and buyers to navigate global changes and mitigate risk
- help Australian businesses and industry to identify and take advantage of trade opportunities and investment flows in the region
- attract productive foreign direct investment into Australia.
These positions also provide (or support) overall leadership and daily management of the relevant post. This includes local staff.
Skills and experience
Assessment criteria for Trade and Investment Commissioners include understanding of:
- international business, investment drivers and corporate decision-making processes
- the government context for Austrade’s work
- the needs of the businesses that we serve and advise.
Also:
- sound understanding of international markets and business trends in the relevant market/location
- experience working in international markets. This preferably includes experience as a manager
- demonstrated capability to effectively represent Austrade in high-level corporate and government settings in Australia and offshore
- awareness of the digital environment and how to engage with clients in a digital first manner
- confidence in using digital workplace tools to solve problems, be productive, connect and collaborate with others.
The vacancy listing for each role has a link to a job information pack.
Consul-general roles
A Trade and Investment Commissioner or Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner may also hold the appointment of Consul-General. This depends on the location of the role.
What a consul-general does
The Consul-General is the key Australian Government representative in the location. They:
- represent the Australian Government as a senior government representative in the market manage passport, consular services and immigration tasks
- are responsible for the welfare of Australians abroad through delivering efficient passport services
- ensure practical and up-to-date contingency planning in accordance with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Consular Services and Passports Client Services charters
- help Australian citizens who may be in distress.
This may include:
- visiting and representing Australians in jail
- providing assistance to affected Australians during natural disasters or a pandemic.
You need to show resilience and empathy in difficult situations to perform well in these roles.
Remuneration and conditions
We provide remuneration packages and benefits information in the job information pack.
We discuss other benefits and conditions with successful candidates. For example, this may include education for dependents.