A position description sets out what the job is, who it reports to, what it requires and how it is paid. Write it before you advertise, because it drives the job ad, the award classification and the interview questions. Use the template table below and check the pay against the award or agreement.
By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 6 October 2026.
Job ads can't include pay rates that breach the Fair Work Act or a fair work instrument such as an award or enterprise agreement. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides a job advertisement template.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Job ads (retrieved 6 October 2026)
To work out the right pay you need to decide whether the person will be a full-time, part-time or casual employee, then find the minimum rates, penalties and allowances under the award.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Hiring employees (retrieved 6 October 2026)
The Fair Work Act protects employees and prospective employees from adverse action because of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family or carer's responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction, social origin, breastfeeding, gender identity, intersex status or experiencing family and domestic violence.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Protection from discrimination at work (retrieved 6 October 2026)
Employees have the right to refuse contact outside their working hours unless doing so is unreasonable, and employers and employees are encouraged to set expectations early.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Hiring employees (retrieved 6 October 2026)
A position description is a short, accurate statement of a role. It lists the purpose, main duties, reporting line, location, hours, qualifications and licences the job needs, and the pay basis. Writing it first forces decisions that are expensive to make later: full-time, part-time or casual, which award applies, and what is a genuine requirement of the job. The Fair Work Ombudsman says you need to decide the person's employment status to work out the right pay, which is why that choice belongs in the position description.
The duties and the qualifications decide the classification level under an award. If an award covers the role, the minimum rate follows from the classification, and the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool gives the rate, penalties and allowances. Write the classification into the position description so a later reader can see how pay was reached. A job ad built from it cannot include a rate that breaches the Fair Work Act or an award or enterprise agreement.
Keep protected attributes out of the requirements unless they are a genuine requirement of the job. The Fair Work Act protects employees and prospective employees from adverse action because of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family or carer's responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, breastfeeding, gender identity, intersex status, or experiencing family and domestic violence. Describe what the person must be able to do, not who they must be. Not hiring someone for one of those reasons is adverse action.
State the ordinary hours, the roster pattern and any shift or on-call expectation. The Fair Work Ombudsman notes that employees have the right to refuse contact outside their working hours unless doing so is unreasonable, and encourages employers and employees to agree expectations early. Say in the position description if out-of-hours contact is part of the role and how it is recognised in pay, so there is no surprise after the person starts.
Attach it to the contract, use it for probation reviews and performance conversations, and update it when the role changes. If a role drifts well beyond the original duties, the classification and the pay may no longer match. Review the document at least once a year. When you work with CrossNation, the position description is the brief we search against, so a clear one saves rounds of clarification.
Copy the first column as headings and fill in the second.
| Heading | What to write |
|---|---|
| Position title and purpose | One sentence on why the role exists and what it delivers |
| Employment type and hours | Full-time, part-time or casual; ordinary hours; roster or shift pattern |
| Reports to and works with | Direct manager and the teams or clients the role deals with |
| Main duties | Five to eight duties in order of importance, written as actions |
| Required licences and checks | Registrations, licences, screening checks and tickets the job needs by law |
| Skills and experience | What the person must be able to do, separated from what is desirable |
| Award or agreement and classification | Name of the award or agreement and the classification level, with the date checked |
| Pay basis and location | Rate or salary, how it is paid, where the work is done |
The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.
No law requires one, but it supports several things that are required, such as choosing the right award classification and keeping job ads and pay lawful. It also helps if there is a dispute about duties.
The position description is the internal, full statement of the role. The job ad is a shorter public version. Build the ad from the position description so the two agree.
Usually one to two pages. Enough detail to show duties, requirements and classification, and short enough that people read it.
Only where they are a genuine requirement of the job. Describe what the person must be able to do rather than listing attributes, and seek advice on inherent requirements if the role involves disability or health issues.
State the pay basis, and the rate or range where you can. Check the rate against the award or agreement before it appears in an ad.
When you brief a role through the employer enquiry form, we work from your position description or help you shape one. The CrossNation fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.
