ACCC/AER 2019 Graduate Program - [Archived Advertisement]

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is an independent Commonwealth statutory authority whose role is to enforce the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and a range of additional legislation, promoting competition, fair trading and regulating national infrastructure for the benefit of all Australians.

Our priorities are reflected in four key goals:

1. maintain and promote competition and remedy market failure
2. protect the interests and safety of consumers and support fair trading in markets
3. promote the economically efficient operation of, use of and investment in monopoly infrastructure
4. increase our engagement with the broad range of groups affected by what we do.

Did you know?

• In the last 12 months the ACCC/AER has been featured prominently in the media. In fact, we were mentioned 65,000 times across radio, TV, online publications and print!
• We have received several new government enquiries and have started focusing on new markets in Commercial Construction, Retail Electricity Pricing, Digital Platforms, Gas and Financial Services.
• The AER received $67.4 million in new funding and is embarking on the country’s first enquiry into energy wholesale prices.
• Our people are proud to work for the ACCC/AER – we can see the results from the work we undertake in the media and we know that we are making a difference for the Australian community.

What does this mean for you?

With these huge changes, our staffing numbers have grown across the organisation, which includes an increase in our need for graduates with diverse skills, experiences and opinions. The ACCC/AER is a great place to work because:

• we have a great reputation and we are highly regarded for the work we do;
• we have the opportunity to work on lots of different, exciting matters;
• we can see the difference we are making in the Australian community, particularly through high-profile matters such as Takata airbags, NBN, electricity pricing, milk pricing, financial services, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Cussons, Catchdeal, GSK and Novartis, commercial construction cartels, dairy inquiries, Jayco, fuel pricing, digital platforms and more;
• we have a culture that encourages continuous development and diversity.

If you have qualifications in one of the following areas, we believe you could be a good fit within the ACCC/AER and we’d encourage you to apply:

• law;
• economics;
• business/commerce/finance/accounting;
• science/technology/engineering/mathematics;
• communications/media/marketing; or
• arts.

Why should you apply to join the ACCC/AER graduate program?

The ACCC/AER graduate program is highly regarded by our managers, senior executives, employees and our graduates themselves. The program has loads of benefits including:

• an intensive ten month program, comprising of three, fourteen week rotations;
• challenging rotations throughout various Divisions of the organisation, with encouragement to step outside your comfort zone and try new things;
• ongoing learning and development opportunities to assist you with integrating into the ACCC/AER culture and honing specialist skills that are relevant to your work;
• flexible working conditions, including the ability to work part-time (minimum 30 hours per week), so that you can continue studying, manage other commitments or just enjoy a little extra work-life balance;
• regular opportunities to network, socialise, share experiences and develop relationships with your graduate colleagues across the country;
• an entry level program coordinator and assigned buddy, both of whom are available to support your personally and professionally throughout the program;
• a competitive starting salary of $59,695, with advancement to $68,344 upon successful completion of the program; and
• a workplace that promotes diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity.

Want even more benefits?

In addition to the benefits of the graduate program, as an ongoing employee of the ACCC/AER you will also be eligible for:

• an attractive remuneration package, including 15.4% superannuation and annual salary reviews;
• excellent leave benefits, including four weeks of annual leave per year, paid Christmas shut-down, four weeks of sick leave per year, the opportunity to purchase additional annual leave and paid parental leave (after a qualifying period);
• flexible employment arrangement, including options to work part-time and access to our flex scheme; and
• ongoing career development, including chances to work in different ACCC/AER offices, opportunities for advancement and mobility within the organisation, formal and on-the job training programs and possibilities to participate in secondments with other APS agencies.

Here’s what some of our previous graduates have said about out program:

• “Throughout the program, I always felt that my supervisors really made an effort to involve me in interesting and challenging work, and I felt like a valued and important member of the team from day one. I must admit that starting out as a grad, I was expecting my fair share of photocopying and proofreading. So it was a very pleasant surprise to be researching and drafting a legal advice within my first few weeks of starting!” - Jack
• “The Graduate Program works through rotations, which allows you to get a range of experience across the ACCC.  This worked really well for me, because I could try a number of different areas and make a more informed choice of where I wanted to take my permanent position. It also gave me a range of skills that I might not have gotten if I had worked in only one area from the beginning. The other great thing about the Program is that staff across the organisation are really supportive of it. In each rotation my colleagues and managers were focused on giving me a good understanding of the work we were doing and the objectives we were trying to achieve. I was given substantive work and significant responsibility, which was rewarding and made me feel like I was contributing to the work of the team and branch.” - Nishana

How can you get involved?

We thought you’d never ask! Applications for our 2019 graduate program are now open. To find out more information about the ACCC/AER Graduate Program, our eligibility criteria and what we expect from our graduates, please click through to our vacancies page and download our candidate kit. The candidate kit will also provide you with information about the recruitment and selection process for the 2019 program.

Applications close 10pm (AEST) Monday 2 April 2018. Assessment centres will take place between mid-May and mid-June, with offers made to successful applicants in late-June and July.

Know someone who might be interested in a spot in our 2019 Graduate Program? Share this advertisement with them – you never know, you might make their career!