With a strong global presence, a career with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade offers unique challenges and rewards. The Department offers enormous diversity of work, including the opportunity to serve in Australia's overseas missions, excellent opportunities for professional development and a family friendly workplace.

Careers with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Thank you for considering a career with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The department offers its employees interesting, diverse and challenging work in Canberra, throughout Australia and overseas. We seek people with the skills, knowledge and abilities to contribute to the department's work in advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally.

The department is committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the Australian community. Our staff are highly skilled at their work which includes developing and implementing foreign and trade policy; negotiating international agreements; delivering high quality consular assistance and promoting a positive and realistic image of Australia internationally. Our employees enjoy equity and fairness in the workplace, support in their professional development, and are encouraged to balance their work and private lives.

The following links will take you to current vacancies in the department and other relevant information.

Current vacancies (external site)
General recruitment information
Application guidelines| (PDF, 176KB) (RTF, 90KB) (MS Word, 64KB)
Graduate careers
Indigenous Cadetship Program
Temporary employment
Status of current selection processes
Frequently asked questions

Overseas vacancies

Individual Australian embassies, high commissions and consulates overseas periodically employ locally engaged staff (LES) to undertake administrative and other support roles. Applicants need to successfully compete, through a merit-based selection process, for an advertised vacancy and ensure that they are eligible to work in the country concerned by meeting the local citizenship and/or visa requirements.

All enquiries regarding working overseas as a locally engaged staff member should be directed to the relevant Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. Only permanent employees of DFAT may apply for postings to our embassies, high commissions and consulates overseas.

Information for locally engaged staff

Careers with International Organisations

DFAT is engaged with a number of international organisations and occasionally positions become available within these organisations:

Executive Secretary Of The Commission For The Conservation Of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), Hobart, Australia