Your application must include a resume and a cover letter. We recommend submitting these as two separate documents.
Each role advertised in our job portal includes:
- Success Candidate Profile
- Position Description and Inherent Requirements.
The Success Candidate Profile is a description of what the position involves. It includes the desired skills, experience and qualifications needed to do the job.
Position Description and Inherent Requirements are the physical tasks that the position involves.
Please review these documents to ensure you can carry out the requirements of the role.
If you have questions about the role, contact the Hiring Manager listed in the advertisement.
When applying, you will be prompted to upload a resume and cover letter.
You will also have the option to upload extra documents to support your application. Documents can be in doc, docx or pdf format and should not exceed 5 MB.
Applications close at 11.45 pm (AEST) on the closing date, unless otherwise stated. We cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date.
If you are still part way through your application when it reaches the closing time, your application will not be submitted.
You will receive an automated email confirming we have received your application.
We will aim to respond to all applicants within two weeks of the advertised closing date.
If you are shortlisted, we will contact you to arrange an interview.
If you are not shortlisted, you will receive an email notification to let you know your application will not progress to the next stage. You are welcome to contact us for feedback.
If you are shortlisted for an interview, we will contact you to arrange a date, time and location.
This may include a phone interview or phone screen, where we will ask you a few questions to get to know a bit more about you and why you applied for the role.
Your interview will run:
- via Microsoft Teams or face-to-face by a panel of two to three people
- for 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the role you have applied for).
Questions are often behavioural-based. We will ask you to highlight your skills or experience with an example of something you did in a previous role. Your response should include:
- situation
- task
- action
- result.
If you'd like to cancel or reschedule your interview, please advise the Hiring Manager listed on the job advertisement.
If your interview is successful, we will conduct pre-employment screening. This includes:
- reference check (you will be asked to provide two referees from previous employees)
- police check
- health declaration, where you will need to confirm that you meet the inherent position requirements.
Depending on the role you have applied for, this may also include:
- psychometric test
- pre-employment medical
- Working With Children Check
- copies of qualifications.
Pre-employment requirements are listed at the application stage.
We will refer you for a police check and any other required pre-employment checks at no extra cost to you.
Welcome to City of Melbourne – where your work matters and you make a difference.
For more information on working at City of Melbourne, visit our employee benefits and values page.
Inherent position requirements
The City of Melbourne is committed to ensuring a safe, inclusive, and sustainable workplace. As part of this commitment, each role includes a set of inherent position requirements that reflect the physical, cognitive, social and emotional tasks and skills necessary to perform the role safely and effectively.
Definition
Inherent requirements are the essential, genuine and indispensable tasks or capacities of a job, assessed objectively, and in the context of whether the person can perform them with reasonable adjustments.
These requirements are intended to provide clarity about the essential functions of the types of work at City of Melbourne. They are informed by occupational health and safety obligations, industrial instruments, and our responsibility to manage reasonable adjustments, physical and psychosocial tasks, skills and risks in the workplace.
By clearly outlining the inherent requirements for each category of role, we aim to:
- Ensure recruitment and onboarding processes are transparent and accessible.
- Support employees and leaders to identify and manage reasonable adjustments where required.
- Provide a framework for assessing reasonable adjustments, fitness for duty, supporting early intervention, and managing workplace health and safety.
- Set consistent expectations of what each role involves, across physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills.
The categories outlined below (A to D) reflect the range of tasks our workforce engage in – from office-based roles through to field-based enforcement, customer service, and people leadership – our responsibilities are varied. Each category highlights the core demands employees must be able to meet to perform their role successfully and safely.
Inherent physical demands
- Ability to attend City of Melbourne locations in person, as required
- Ability to move between City of Melbourne buildings (including by foot or public transport)
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk
- Frequent use of computer (typing and mousing)
- Exposure to ergonomic stressors from extended desk-based
Inherent cognitive and emotional requirements
- Ability to manage high work volumes and competing priorities
- Capacity to manage own schedule and deliver on deadlines
- Flexibility to adapt to changing schedules and organisational needs
- Ability to respond to pressure from stakeholders and manage expectations
- Emotional resilience to deescalate conflict and handle passive aggressive or intimidating behaviour
- Ability to be empathetic yet firm in decision-making
- Potential exposure to sensitive or triggering content (e.g. family violence) depending on role focus
Inherent physical requirements (All field roles)
- Constant standing and walking (up to 15 km per day for Parking Officers) otherwise is frequently walking
- Frequent entry / exit from vehicles and use of public transport
- Frequent bending and reaching (e.g. marking tyres)
- Occasional computer work (typing/mousing)
Additional for Animal Management
- Safe handling and restraint of animals using leashes or poles
- Lifting light animals (e.g. cats in carriers)
- Fine motor skills and upper limb strength for animal control tasks
Additional for EHOs
- Occasional climbing, squatting, and bending
- Working in confined spaces
- Standing and walking on uneven or slippery surfaces
- Carrying up to 5 kg of equipment in a bag (thermometer, camera, torch, phone, folder, sampling bag and stickers)
- Exposure to hot / cold environments (kitchens, cold rooms)
Inherent cognitive demands and emotional requirements
- Ability to work independently with limited supervision
- Strong spatial awareness and attention to environmental risks
- Attention to detail in documentation, reporting and enforcement
- Clear communication, particularly with culturally diverse members of the public
- High emotional intelligence to manage distress, aggression, or non-compliance
- Resilience when dealing with community pressure, ethical dilemmas or emotionally taxing events
- Confidence in decision-making under scrutiny
Other enforcement (building/permits etc)
- Ability to find resolutions and problem solve when there is no obvious breach
- Some pre-work anxiety when not knowing how the offender will respond to the complaint
- Frequent stress and pressure from other stakeholders
- Potential political pressure to approve or disapprove certain breaches
- Ability to justify decisions and have confidence in those decisions
Physical requirements – phone roles
- Prolonged sitting (especially in call-centre roles)
- Frequent keyboard and mouse use
- Occasional lifting (up to 5 kg) and walking for in-person roles
- Ergonomic considerations due to repetitive physical tasks
Cognitive and emotional requirements – phone roles
- Ability to manage a high volume of consecutive customer calls
- Accumulated stress from repeated aggressive or emotional callers
- Strong verbal communication and problem-solving skills
- Resilience and emotional regulation in high-pressure scenarios
Cognitive and emotional requirements – in-person roles
- Capacity to handle frequent negative or confrontational customer behaviour
- Limited physical disengagement options (e.g. cannot step away during peak times)
- High resilience and ability to remain professional under provocation
- Effective problem-solving and communication
Additional for Maternal and Child Health (MCH)
- Occasional lifting, kneeling and gripping tasks
- Empathy and emotional capacity to support families in crisis or vulnerability
- Ability to conduct risk assessments in sensitive situations
- Exposure to vicarious trauma
Note: this is in addition to the relevant category above.
Critical physical demands
- Ability to attend City of Melbourne locations in person as required
- Prolonged sitting, computer use, and exposure to ergonomic demands
Critical cognitive job demands
- Accountability for performance outcomes and service delivery
- Ability to make and communicate decisions that align with Council strategy, including those that may not align with personal views
- Capacity to manage fluctuating priorities and complex expectations
- High emotional intelligence to lead, coach, and support staff
- Courage to provide clear feedback, including in difficult circumstances
- Ability to identify and manage health and safety risks, including psychosocial risks
- Comfort with occasional lack of control over final outcomes
- Strong attention to detail, particularly in reporting and compliance
You can also download this information as a PDF document:
