Jobs in Canberra

Canberra's employment market is dominated by government, but it spans a wider range of roles than most people expect. In office support and administration, we place planners, PMO analysts, executive assistants, and administrative officers across federal departments and agencies. Policy and program roles are consistently in demand, as are procurement and risk management specialists. In IT and digital, we recruit data analysts, business analysts, service designers, and digital project managers. Accounting and finance roles include management accountants and senior financial analysts. We also recruit for trades and general services roles, which support the large facilities management and property estate requirements of government agencies.

Yes, Canberra is unique among Australian cities in that the federal government is by far the largest employer. Government work in the ACT spans an enormous range of roles beyond policy: IT, HR, communications, finance, data science, project delivery, facilities management, and executive support are all consistently active. The ACT government is a separate and significant employer as well, covering health, education, infrastructure, and local services. Demand fluctuates with budget cycles and political priorities, but Canberra maintains a baseline of government recruitment that is higher than anywhere else in the country.

Requirements vary significantly depending on the role and agency. Australian citizenship is a baseline requirement for most federal government positions. Security clearances, typically Baseline, NV1, or NV2 depending on the sensitivity of the work, are required for many roles, particularly those involving defence, intelligence, and sensitive policy or IT systems. Having an existing clearance is a significant advantage in Canberra's market, as the clearance process can take months. For many administrative, policy, and program roles, no clearance is required beyond Australian citizenship and standard background checks. Our Canberra consultants can advise you specifically on what each role requires.

Yes, and contract is by far the most common engagement type in Canberra's government market. Many federal agencies engage contractors for periods of three months to two years, with some arrangements running longer under successive extensions. Temporary labour hire is also common for administrative and support functions. Permanent APS positions do exist and are advertised through this page when we're engaged to fill them, though they are proportionally rarer than contract. If you're new to Canberra's job market and coming from a permanent employment background, contract work is typically the fastest path in.

Most government roles require physical presence in Canberra, at least part of the time. Many agencies have embraced hybrid working arrangements since 2020, but baseline office attendance is typically expected. Some roles, particularly in IT, policy, and communications, may offer partial remote working, but full-time remote from another state is uncommon for federal government positions. If you're based elsewhere and considering a move, our Canberra consultants can give you a realistic picture of what agencies currently allow in terms of location flexibility.

Yes. While government dominates, Canberra has a meaningful private sector, particularly in professional services firms that work alongside government, the technology and defence contracting sector, healthcare and education, and property and construction. If you're looking to avoid the public sector entirely, there are options, though the volume of private sector roles in Canberra is proportionally smaller than in Sydney or Melbourne. Filtering by industry on the job listings above will help you identify non-government opportunities.

Browse the current listings on this page and apply directly to any role that suits your background. If there's nothing listed right now, register your profile and create a job alert, our Canberra team actively works on roles that may not be advertised publicly, and having your details on file means we can contact you directly when a suitable position arises. For roles requiring a security clearance, it helps to have your clearance status clearly noted in your profile.