Working with us

I joined the ACMA 2 years ago because of the opportunities it offers for experienced engineers and managers.

Being able to learn and help others while working on complex, long-term engineering projects that benefit the public is what motivates me.  That the projects can be of national scale and with scope to also influence and engage in the international environment is very rewarding for an engineer.

My team is specifically involved in shaping the use of the radio frequency spectrum where it is, or might be, used for wireless broadband services such as mobile broadband including 5G, fixed wireless broadband and private broadband networks. I get the opportunity to take a project from the initial planning stages and ideas, right through to the implementation of the decisions where people start using the new services and devices.

My role involves sometimes novel engineering, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, technical writing, personal communications and complex problem-solving. It provides the perfect opportunity for a new or experienced engineer to be highly engaged, by using their complete set of skills to make important decisions that can help people on a daily basis.

Our team works to combat illegal online gambling services and reduce harm to the Australian community caused by these services.

Regulating in a digital environment for an industry that is dynamic and global is challenging. We’ve had to adopt a multi-pronged strategy covering education, engagement and enforcement activities to drive change. It’s this broad focus of the work that makes our job interesting and varied.

We run campaigns to educate the market about Australian gambling laws and the Australian community about the risks of using illegal online gambling services. In this environment, we have to engage with other regulators in Australia and internationally, particularly as gambling providers may be in other jurisdictions around the world. It gives a real sense of being part of a much bigger regulatory community.

We also investigate complaints about online gambling services and their providers, including offshore operators and undertake appropriate enforcement and disruption options.

In some cases, we’ve used quite novel approaches to disrupt illegal online gambling services. Last year, we implemented website blocking, which required a multi-disciplinary approach across the ACMA and involved the development of policies and procedures for the use of disruption requests to ISPs. It was satisfying when the first sites were blocked successfully. Since then, website blocking has become an effective tool in our fight to disrupt these types of services being provided into the Australian market.

Recently I celebrated my 40^th year working for the ACMA. Yes, you heard that right, 40 years!

My first role was a trainee technical officer in 1980. I'd always had an interest in electronics and new technologies, and I used to love fixing TVs and other electronic devices.

Since starting as a trainee, I worked my way up into my role now as a Senior Technical Officer/Inspector. This is where my expertise lies – dealing with all sorts of interference matters in radiocommunication, telecommunication and broadcasting reception.

As time has passed new technologies have emerged, such as mobile phones, wireless and computer technologies. We’ve been constantly learning and adapting to being able to diagnose and resolve interference complaints to these complex networks.

My day-to-day work also has taken me all over Australia, working to resolve interference in places that I’d never thought I’d see. I’ve worked at the Australian Grand Prix every year since it's been in Melbourne. I’ve also worked at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2 Commonwealth Games, and a few Australian Open tennis tournaments.

The ACMA has a very important role in regulating the frequency spectrum, ensuring good and reliable radiocommunications and telecommunications for all Australians. Here’s to another 40 years at the ACMA.

It’s been an incredible learning experience to see the broad amount of work that falls within the ACMA’s remit and make contributions to that work.

I’ve been fortunate to be part of some high-priority projects while at the ACMA. I’ve worked on the development of 5 new legislative instruments to better protect consumers migrating to the NBN, completed 25 investigations for rule breaches, and I’m now working on enforcing new rules around pre-porting additional identity verification … all in under 3 years!

Mobile number portability was designed to promote competition by allowing customers to quickly change their phone provider without changing their mobile phone number. But scammers can pretend to be a legitimate customer (by using personal information they find online or other ways like stealing mail) and hijack that customer’s phone number by porting it to another provider. The scammer can then get access to your bank account and commit significant crimes like identity theft, as well as emotional and psychological harms. The new rules require telcos to do additional identity checks to help stop this from happening. This is extremely important work considering that in 2020, Australians reported losing over $51.3M to phone scams. I’m happy knowing I’m helping to protect Australians.

It wasn’t until I began working at the ACMA that I realised the wide range of interesting issues the agency is involved with. Being in the media team has given me an amazing opportunity to work at the pointy end of high-profile projects from right across the organisation.

From cracking down on companies sending unlawful spam emails, shutting down illegal online gambling sites, through to regulating Australia’s broadcast media, there is rarely a dull day in the office.

One of my favourite projects to work on was the launch of the ACMA’s Combating Scams Action Plan, which aims to reduce the number of scams calls Australians receive on their phones. Scam calls cost victims in Australia millions of dollars every year and do serious harm to those impacted.

The project received widespread national media coverage and it gave me a great sense of satisfaction to know our work was helping protect Australians from falling victim to criminal scammers.

Why do I work for eSafety? Because I know that we are making a difference. eSafety helps safeguard Australians at risk from online harms and promotes safer, more positive online experiences.

Each person in eSafety, whatever his or her role, is helping to keep people safe. They might be protecting people from online abuse, or making sure Australians know how to get help. Others might be focussed on preventing harm before it occurs through education programs or building relationships with people and organisations with the same values. They might be researching and exploring new ways to support our citizens. We’re future-focused, analysing threats, predicting what’s coming and innovating to adapt.

No day in eSafety is ever the same, and new and different opportunities to learn and grow happen all the time.

Behind every program we run, every paper we produce, every report we investigate, are the thousands of people we help. I remember every report I’ve been involved with over the years, every single person. But there are also people I’ve never met, and will never meet, precisely because eSafety has kept them safe. That gives me confidence too.