Broadband Dept hires for NBN team

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is on the hunt for five key executives to join its National Broadband Network team.

The department posted the ads today for new staff to support the $43 billion "nation-building infrastructure project", adding to its current base of around nine staff within the department's Infrastructure group, according to its June 2009 organisational chart.

The Infrastructure group provides NBN implementation advice to the department and will be involved in the $53 million NBN Implementation Study.

The most senior role advertised is for an Assistant Secretary at Senior Executive Service Level 1 who will be placed within the NBN Implementation Division. Current first assistant secretary Marianne King for this division will also get an executive assistant.

The three arms of the NBN team — strategy, implementation and policy — currently sit within the Infrastructure Group overseen by deputy secretary Colin Lyons. Secretary for the department is Patricia Scott.

Other roles in the current intake include a manager and assistant manager for the NBN and Fibre Rollout Regulation Branch. The two positions will work on the implementation of policy and legislation for the NBN roll-out, regulation of the NBN Company and the early-phase roll-out of fibre to new housing estates, according to the advertisement.

The department is yet to announce a chief executive for the NBN Company. Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy said in late April that there had been "enormous interest" in the NBN CEO position, but gave no firm date when one would be appointed by.