Department of Defence Graduate Programs & Internships

Hiring grads with degrees in: all university degree disciplines

The Department of Defence offers civilian graduate positions that will see you contribute to protecting Australia and our national interests.

Would you like a career where you can make a difference? Definitely Defence.

The Department of Defence is seeking graduates from across all academic disciplines to take up the challenge of working for one of Australia's most dynamic organisations with the challenge of protecting Australia and our national interests. As a graduate in Defence you will enjoy experiences that, as a civilian, you wouldn’t find with any other organisation. You will work with a diverse group of women and men who are dedicated to protecting Australian interests. You will carry out work that has true purpose.

Defence offers the opportunity to play a real part in keeping Australia secure, to support intelligence operations and peacekeeping missions overseas. We are one of Australia's largest government departments and as such, we are able to offer rewarding opportunities across the career spectrum.  You name it, we do it.

As a civilian Defence graduate, you will have the opportunity to undertake a development program targeted to suit your knowledge and skills to best prepare you for an exciting and challenging career.

Defence offers a unique development program with 14 streams from which to choose.  Each stream is either a specialist or generalist in nature.  Each stream also comprises of rotation placements, internal and external training, and are tailored to suit your needs and those of the organisation.  Streams offered are:

• Generalist stream
• Finance stream
• Information and Communication Technology stream
• Estate and Infrastructure stream
• Human Resources stream
• Engineering stream
• Maritime Engineering and Naval Construction stream  
• Commercial stream
• Logistics stream
• Research and Innovation stream 
• Defence Policy stream
• Defence Intelligence Organisation
• Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation
• Australian Signals Directorate

The Department of Defence is committed to developing a workforce that represents the diversity in Australian culture. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Australians and people with a disability.

Candidates must be Australian citizens to be eligible for employment for the Department of Defence graduate program.

For further information regarding any of the Department of Defence graduate job streams, including additional eligibility requirements, please visit our website

Position type

All of our graduates are employed as permanent full-time ongoing employees upon commencement of the program. Once employed, provided you complete the program successfully, you will have a permanent position within the Department at the end of the development program.

Salary

We offer a starting salary of $68,442 pa + 15.4% employer contribution to superannuation. Upon successful completion of the Defence Graduate program, you will advance to a minimum of $74,721 pa + 15.4% employer contribution to superannuation.

Leave Entitlements

As a full-time Defence employee, graduates are offered generous leave entitlements, including 20 days annual leave per year, personal leave, public holidays, and a paid Christmas stand-down.  You will also be entitled to three months long service leave after 10 years of recognised service.

Flexible Work Options

Defence Australian Public Service employees are required to work 7.5 hours per day (37.5 hours per week). Flexible work hours are offered as an alternative to the traditional 9–5 workday and allow staff to vary their daily arrival or departure time to fit within their work area requirements and their lifestyle. Generally, the span of time within which staff can work their required daily 7.5 hours on a flexible basis is 7 am–7 pm, but individual arrangements should be negotiated to fit in with your team and work requirements. Access to flexible working hours is predominantly available to employees at the classification of APS Level 6 (or equivalent) and below, but local arrangements can be entered into for Executive Level staff.

Relocation Expenses

The transition from study to career can be a challenging one. For many of you, it may also be the first time you have lived away from home, with most Defence graduates moving interstate.  We work hard to make the whole process as easy as possible for you, and we offer a generous package, including covering your removal and relocation expenses, to provide assistance with relocation. We also provide you with 20 days of temporary accommodation in serviced apartments to allow you time to find a home at your new location.