Brady joined the
Department of Foreign Affairs in 1982 as a graduate foreign service officer. Promoted in 1985 to the Office of Security and Intelligence Coordination in the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, he was subsequently foreign policy adviser to two Leaders of the Opposition. From 1990 – 1991 he was Counsellor and Chargé d'Affaires at the Australian Embassy in
Dublin. He was Australia's Representative at three consecutive high level international conferences on combating intolerance and discrimination, held in Stockholm (2000–03). Stephens's passport was initially endorsed "Bearer is a member of the domestic household of the Ambassador", until Brady, who had been in a committed relationship with Stephens since 1982, insisted that it be changed. In December 2007, he led Australia's delegation to the International Criminal Court's Assembly of State Parties Conference at the UN in New York. On his return to Australia in March 2008 he was appointed Chief of Protocol in DFAT. He served the entire term of
Dame Quentin Bryce (2008–14) and into the early part of General
Sir Peter Cosgrove's term (2014). On 31 March 2014, his appointment as Australian Ambassador to France was announced. In May 2015, he reportedly offered his resignation (which was not accepted) to Australia's DFAT after an incident in which he refused to follow an instruction given by the travelling party of the Australian Prime Minister, after his partner was told to stay in the car and not greet Prime Minister
Tony Abbott at an unofficial airport arrival in France. Prime Minister Abbott later described Brady as 'a fine servant of Australia.' Towards the end of his posting in Paris, the French State appointed Brady as a Commandeur of the
Legion of Honour for his outstanding leadership of the bilateral relationship, only the second Australian civilian to receive the level of award after
Sir Ninian Stephen, a former Governor-General. After completing his posting Brady has served on several boards and governing councils, including those for the
Australian Strategic Policy Institute,
National Gallery of Australia and
Bangarra Dance Theatre. He is also an adjunct professor at
Bond University. ==Honours==